This article is part of the How Do YOU CM2? blog series in collaboration with the Institute for Process Excellence (IpX). Although I receive compensation for writing this series, I stand behind its content. I will continue to create and publish high-quality articles that I can fully endorse. Enjoy this new series, and please share your thoughts!
An important concept to track the maturation of your designs in New Product Introductions is the design maturity of a dataset.
What is a dataset design maturity?
It’s not a workflow status. It’s an indicator of what you can reliably do downstream with your dataset.
👉 A workflow status like Draft or Released tells you where you are in the process.
👉 Design Maturity tells you what you can do with it next.
When a dataset is released, it does not necessarily mean it is ready for use in a volume production setting. Design maturity provides this additional context.
Most organizations define design maturity in stages:
- Ready for Prototype – Can the data support a physical build to validate the dataset?
- Ready for Pilot – Can it validate manufacturability and repeatability?
- Ready for Production – Is it robust enough for volume, compliance, and lifecycle sustainability?
Do you need to use the change process to update the design maturity?
No, because the design maturity is a result of validation activities. For instance if you create a prototype and you confirm the prototype works as per the requirements, you can update the design maturity to Ready for Pilot. It also should not result in a new revision of the dataset, the same revision that was used for the prototype, will be increased in maturity.
Can you skip design maturity?
Sure, if you are changing an existing part, it can be that you can directly go to Ready for Pilot and skip the prototype. It is based on a risk assessment, and whether you need to go through each stage.
Can you ignore a design maturity?
So, if a design maturity is “Ready for Pilot”, could you issue regular production orders and use the dataset to produce in volume? Sure, if you have not built in any logic in your tools, you can always ignore design maturity.
In the end, that is a business decision, but you always have to be aware of the risks you are taking. In regulated industries, bypassing maturity can create compliance exposure. In less regulated industries, it may seem efficient until higher failure rates, warranty claims, and dissatisfied customers catch up with you.
💡 Treat design maturity as a risk management tool. It ensures your dataset’s integrity matches the business decision you’re about to make.
That’s where CM2 shines. It provides the framework to define, govern, and enforce maturity so organizations can accelerate confidently—without gambling with downstream chaos.
So, let me ask:
👉 How does your organization define dataset maturity?
Your experience could help shape how industries think about product development maturity.
Check out the other How Do YOU CM2? posts.
Copyrights by the Institute for Process Excellence.