The three are: The 9001:2000 Quality Management Standard from the International Standards Organization; The Capability Maturity Model Integration from the Software Engineering Institute; and Six Sigma, a methodology for improvement shaped by companies such as Motorola, Honeywell, and General Electric. Quality programs that are recognized and proven to increase in popularity as more technology managers looking for ways to help eliminate the level of risk and uncertainty from their business equations, and to introduce a better prediction method to ensure success. Process Improvement Essentials combines the foundation needed to understand process improvement theory with best practices to help individuals implement process improvement initiatives within their organizations. The three main programs: ISO 9001:2000, CMMI, and Six Sigma - the middle of the buzz and hype - tend to get united under the same label. This book provides guidance combined for all three programs, compares their implementation, and then set the basis for further exploration.