If you are not a vendor, analyst or consultant, you might ask what the actual benefit of maturity models is? If you are among the best in the world, can a maturity model help you get any better?
Most maturity models will attempt to assess and explain your current state. They will also provide some sort of roadmap and in some cases they can even spark cross-departmental conversations around improvements. Maturity models tend to imply that your entire organisation is at the same level, which is rarely the case, but asking the question can at least provoke healthy internal debate.
Unfortunately many consulting companies have been good at overselling the idea of maturity models. This has turned into several significant consulting projects that have brought about endless e-mails, documentation and slides, but have done very little in terms of adding any lasting value.
Remember that any maturity model will be a huge simplification. Yes, online projects can be very complex, but use common sense and be careful that a maturity model doesn't add to the complexity and end up becoming a source of confusion.
For those at the highest stages within the various models, be careful: A maturity model will in itself not help you gain a competitive edge compared to other leaders at the same level. If your peers or competitors are also at the highest level, you naturally need to look beyond the maturity model to become even better.
Among the most significant maturity models in this industry are:
- ECM Maturity Model led by CMS Watch, Wipro and others. Licensed under Creative Commons which is an open source-like license
- Gartner Maturity Model for Web Content Management
- Intranet Maturity Framework by Microsoft-owned Avenue A Razorfish. Primarily based on technology and shaped by US organizations’ experiences.
- Six phases of intranet evolution by Australian intranet guru James Robertson
While not directly related to this industry, it is also worth mentioning CMMI (Capability Maturity Model Integration) - the über maturity model mainly used for process improvement. Finally, a few weeks ago I blogged about intranet maturity, where I argued that existing industry models were missing a stage for those with the best intranets.
Have you benefited from a maturity model?
Thanks to Dave Scalera at Ektron, Leonar Ciarlone at Gilbane and Sten Vesterli at Scott/Tiger for input!
Next step for your intranet
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Hi Janus, I agree with the limitations of maturity models. That being said, they can be helpful in pointing the way in broad terms, or identifying gaps.
PS. my six phases of intranet evolution aren’t a maturity model per se. Instead, they are a descriptive model of the common path that most organisations have gone through to this point.
(We do have a maturity model in draft form, so watch this space!)
Cheers, James
I think that maturity models are a great way of indicating where an organisation is relative to their competitors or industry benchmarks, however the biggest shortfall of any maturity model is the overall implementation of any strategic plan to follow up on the model, or the financial / time investment in a concept that is in its essence mostly intangible. Thus the benefits will depend on the organisation’s commitment to the model, and not through the belief that companies A benfits will be the same as companies B benefits