Evaluating the Software Product Management Maturity Matrix

Product managers play a pivotal role in maximizing value for software companies. To assist product managers in their activities the Software Product Management (SPM) Maturity Matrix has been created that enables product managers to benchmark their organization, assess individual processes and apply best practices to create an effective SPM environment. Although a number of case studies and expert evaluations have been performed, a large scale quantitative analysis has not yet been conducted to evaluate this instrument. This research evaluates and improves the SPM Maturity Matrix based on 62 case studies. The cases were analyzed to uncover anomalies: blocking questions, blocking levels, and undifferentiating questions. The anomalies were then discussed in a workgroup with experts which resulted in suggested improvements to address the anomalies. The suggestions of the workgroup will be used to improve the SPM Maturity Matrix. As an additional result, the case studies also provide valuable insight into the maturity of software companies in industry.

[1]  Robert G. Cooper,et al.  Winning at new products : accelerating the process from idea to launch , 2001 .

[2]  Marlies van Steenbergen,et al.  The Dynamic Architecture Maturity Matrix: Instrument Analysis and Refinement , 2009, ICSOC/ServiceWave Workshops.

[3]  Des Greer,et al.  Software release planning: an evolutionary and iterative approach , 2004, Inf. Softw. Technol..

[4]  Inge van de Weerd,et al.  A Framework for Process Improvement in Software Product Management , 2010, EuroSPI.

[5]  Christof Ebert,et al.  The impacts of software product management , 2007, J. Syst. Softw..

[6]  Linda Gorchels,et al.  How to improve product management effectiveness , 1996 .

[7]  Raymond Dion,et al.  Process improvement and the corporate balance sheet , 1993, IEEE Software.

[8]  Tony Gorschek,et al.  A practitioner's guide to light weight software process assessment and improvement planning , 2008, J. Syst. Softw..

[9]  Pär Carlshamre,et al.  Release Planning in Market-Driven Software Product Development: Provoking an Understanding , 2002, Requirements Engineering.

[10]  Mark C. Paulk,et al.  Capability Maturity Model , 1991 .

[11]  Inge van de Weerd,et al.  Developing a Maturity Matrix for Software Product Management , 2010, ICSOB.

[12]  C. C. Snow,et al.  Measuring Organizational Strategies: Some Theoretical and Methodological Problems , 1980 .

[13]  Bashar Nuseibeh,et al.  Requirements engineering: a roadmap , 2000, ICSE '00.

[14]  Marjo Kauppinen,et al.  Linking the business view to requirements engineering: long-term product planning by roadmapping , 2005, 13th IEEE International Conference on Requirements Engineering (RE'05).

[15]  Inge van de Weerd,et al.  A Situational Assessment Method for Software Product Management , 2010, ECIS.

[16]  Tony Gorschek,et al.  A method for alignment evaluation of product strategies among stakeholders (MASS) in software intensive product development , 2011, J. Softw. Maintenance Res. Pract..

[17]  Michael E. McGrath.  Next Generation Product Development: How to Increase Productivity, Cut Costs, and Reduce Cycle Times , 2004 .

[18]  Marco R. Spruit,et al.  The Situational Assessment Method put to the test: Improvements based on case studies , 2010, 2010 Fourth International Workshop on Software Product Management.

[19]  Judith G. Brodman,et al.  What small business and small organizations say about the CMM: experience report , 1994, ICSE '94.

[20]  K. Ulrich,et al.  Planning for Product Platforms , 1998 .

[21]  Karl E. Wiegers,et al.  A Modular Software Process Mini-Assessment Method - Tool Report , 2000, IEEE Softw..

[22]  Jean-Pierre Kuilboer,et al.  Software process and product improvement: an empirical assessment , 2000, Inf. Softw. Technol..

[23]  Alec Dorling,et al.  SPICE: Software Process Improvement and Capability Determination , 1993, Software Quality Journal.

[24]  Cmmi Product Team.  Capability Maturity Model® Integration (CMMI), Version 1.1--Staged Representation , 2002 .

[25]  Michael A. Cusumano,et al.  The Business of Software: What Every Manager, Programmer, and Entrepreneur Must Know to Thrive and Survive in Good Times and Bad , 2004 .

[26]  J. G. Brodman,et al.  What small businesses and small organizations say about the CMM , 1994, Proceedings of 16th International Conference on Software Engineering.

[27]  Robert G. Cooper,et al.  The Dimensions of Industrial New Product Success and Failure , 1979 .

[28]  Scott B. MacKenzie,et al.  Common method biases in behavioral research: a critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. , 2003, The Journal of applied psychology.

[29]  R. Cooper,et al.  New Product Portfolio Management : Practices and Performance , 1999 .

[30]  Tony Gorschek,et al.  A systematic review of domain analysis solutions for product lines , 2009, J. Syst. Softw..