Welcome, to the July 2026 edition of the Demix Monthly Newsletter

It’s hard to believe we’ve already reached the halfway point of 2026.

The past six months have brought plenty of opportunities but also plenty of challenges. Markets have shifted, customer expectations continue to evolve, and AI is changing the way we all work.

Last month, Demix had the privilege of attending CMMI Capability Creates 2026 in Washington, D.C.

We think the biggest takeaway from Capability Creates wasn’t CMMI.

It was people.

Specifically…

Behind every CMMI appraisal, training course, and successful organisation is a small group of people doing an extraordinary amount of work.

We don’t think many customers actually realise this.

Small Teams Can Have a Big Impact

People assume that organisations delivering consulting, training, and appraisal services have hundreds of employees working behind the scenes. The reality is often quite different.

Many CMMI Partners and Accredited Training Organisations are relatively small businesses, serving some of the world’s largest organisations.

That means wearing many hats.

One moment you’re preparing for an appraisal.

The next you’re delivering training.

Then you’re reviewing contracts, preparing proposals, answering customer questions, coordinating travel, planning marketing campaigns, improving internal processes, reviewing finances, or researching the latest developments in AI.  The next you’re travelling halfway across the world.

Running a capability business isn’t just about delivering appraisals or training.

It’s about building an organisation that can consistently deliver quality while adapting to an ever-changing environment.

Behind every CMMI appraisal, training course, and successful organisation is a small group of people doing an extraordinary amount of work.

One of the highlights of Capability Creates 2026 was participating in the “From Partnership to Performance” Business Point of Contact (BPOC) panel. It consisted of Melanie Spies (Demix), Mariano Montoni and Yucel (Yujel) Tepekoy.

The discussion wasn’t centred around technical practices or maturity levels.

Instead, it focused on the realities of running and growing a successful capability business.

Some of the questions we explored included:

• How do you build credibility?

• How do you maintain quality while growing?

• How do you market specialised services?

• How do you expand into new industries and regions?

• How do you keep learning as technology changes?

• How do you embrace AI without losing the human element?

What became clear was that there is no single formula for success.

Every organisation is different.

But the strongest organisations all have something in common:

They continue learning, adapting, collaborating, and improving.

Of course, AI was one of the biggest talking points throughout the conference.

The conversation has moved well beyond asking whether organisations should use AI.

The question is now:

How do we use AI responsibly while still delivering trusted outcomes?

One of the exciting developments discussed was CMMI AIM (Artificial Intelligence Maturity).

Rather than focusing only on AI technology, AIM provides organisations with a structured approach to governing AI, managing risk, improving accountability, and measuring AI maturity across the organisation.

Alongside AIM, new learning pathways such as Building Artificial Intelligence Maturity (BAIM) and Appraising Artificial Intelligence Maturity (AAIM) are helping organisations and Lead Appraisers prepare for the next generation of AI-enabled capability improvement.

We believe AI will become an important part of how organisations operate.

But technology alone is never the answer.

It still takes experienced people, sound governance, and strong organisational capability to achieve meaningful results.

What Hasn’t Changed

While many things are changing, some things remain exactly the same.

Relationships still matter.

Integrity still matters.

Quality still matters.

Listening to customers still matters.

Helping organisations improve will always be at the heart of what we do.

Whether we’re delivering an appraisal, facilitating a training course, or helping an organisation prepare for its next stage of growth, Demix’s goal remains the same:

To help our customers build stronger, more capable organisations.

Looking Ahead

As we begin the second half of 2026, we’re excited about what’s ahead.

The future brings new opportunities in AI, governance, cybersecurity, and organisational capability.

It also brings exciting developments across the CMMI ecosystem, and we look forward to continuing our journey with our customers, partners, and the wider community.

A sincere thank you to everyone who continues to support Demix.

We appreciate every customer, partner, Lead Appraiser, ATM, instructor, and colleague who is part of this journey.

Here’s to an exciting second half of the year.

Key Themes from Capability Creates 2026

1. AI Governance Takes Centre Stage

Artificial Intelligence Maturity (AIM) remained a key focus throughout the conference, with BAIM, AAIM, and customer pilot sessions demonstrating how organisations are preparing to govern and improve AI responsibly.

2. MDDAP Gains Momentum

FDA keynote speaker Keisha Thomas, Director of Compliance and Quality at the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH), reinforced the growing importance of the Medical Device Discovery Appraisal Program (MDDAP) Voluntary Improvement Program (VIP), encouraging medical device manufacturers to build mature quality management systems that support continuous improvement and operational excellence.

3. Quality Appraisals Matter

Discussions highlighted the importance of consistent, high-quality appraisals that provide organisations with valuable insights, support continual improvement, and build confidence in appraisal outcomes.

4. Capability Creates Business Value

Across multiple sessions, the focus extended beyond compliance, with organisations using capability improvement to strengthen governance, improve performance, and achieve strategic objectives.

5. Collaboration Drives Improvement

Knowledge sharing between practitioners, Lead Appraisers, Strategic Partners, and customers continues to strengthen the global CMMI community and accelerate organisational capability.