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.