The Situational Assessment Method put to the test: Improvements based on case studies

This paper presents an improved Situational Assessment Method (SAM) for Software Product Management (SPM). The improvement is the result of an evaluation process, of which one of the cases is included in this paper. The SAM is tool which allows product managers to evaluate and improve their processes in an incremental manner. It does this by determining which capabilities the organization has currently achieved, and what capabilities should be achieved. A gap analysis can then be performed which results in an advice to implement specific capabilities. This advice includes suggestions for method fragments (best practices) which the organization can use to achieve the capabilities.

I Introduction

Recent research confirms that Software Product Management (SPM) is a key area within many software companies [1] [2]. A product manager can also be referred to as the “mini-CEO” of an organization [3]. They are positioned at the center of the organization where they keep in contact with all stakeholders to ensure that all stakeholders work towards the same goal according to the strategies set out. As such, a large array of skills is expected; ranging from gathering requirements, to constructing roadmaps.