Implementing Software Product Management During The Productization Process

Abstract

Currently there are software vendors that want to move form customer specific software to a standard software product. A software product can be governed by software product management (SPM) and the productization process describes the process a software vendor undergoes to change from customer specific software to a standard software product. Currently the SPM capabilities are not linked to a stage of the productization process. This exploratory research links the SPM capabilities to a stage of the productization process, identifies the investments in terms of working days that are related to a SPM capability and identifies change aspects that should be considered for the implementation of SPM during the productization process.

The results of this research are an overview of the SPM capabilities implemented at the case company during each stage of the productization process and the investments in terms of working days related to these SPM capabilities. A preliminary framework is created that links the SPM capabilities to a stage of the productization process. And lastly a set of guidelines is identified from literature that indicates the aspects of change that should be considered for the implementation of SPM during the productization process.