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!
Most Configuration Management maturity assessments don’t fail because they’re wrong. They fail because they’re incomplete.
They focus on the WHAT: processes, tools, documentation.
Instead of also looking at the more complicated questions: why CM exists, who truly supports it, and how the organization sustains it over time.
👉Takeaway:
If aspects of Strategy, Governance, Organization, and People are not explicitly assessed, CM maturity will almost always be overstated.
Start with Strategy & Governance.
A mature CM organization has a clearly defined, documented, and communicated CM mission, vision, and strategy that are aligned with the company’s objectives to deliver on its promise. Management doesn’t just approve it, they understand it, agree with it, and actively promote CM’s importance across the organization.
You can recognize that maturity when:
- CM is formally established and recognized as a supporting function
- The CM function reports at the appropriate organizational level
- Leadership engagement goes beyond audits and compliance
- CM performance indicators are used to drive behavior and improvement, not just to report status 📈or point fingers
Then comes the real differentiator: People & Organization.
Truly mature organizations can confidently answer questions like:
- Is the CM organization sized and structured for the company’s complexity? i.e., can it handle the capacity
- Are CM roles and responsibilities clearly defined, documented, and embedded in HR?
- Do CM professionals have visible career paths and growth opportunities?
- Is CM leadership empowered, knowledgeable, and accountable with authority to lead?
- Do we actively invest in professional development, succession planning, and teamwork?
- Does our culture genuinely value CM and continual improvement, not just during audits?
These questions aim to inspire growth, not criticism! Achieving strong CM maturity isn’t about being perfect; it’s about alignment, clarity, commitment from leaders, and building lasting capabilities. Setting a solid cross-functional foundation of true continual improvement. A mechanism that empowers leaders to confidently know that their valuable resources are working on the right things at the right time, all the time.
Together, we can make meaningful progress!
👉 Which area, Strategy, Governance, Organization, or People, needs the most attention in your organization today?
👉 And does your current maturity model even ask these questions?
I’m curious to hear your perspective.
Note: In the next two posts, I will continue the discussion with a focus on aspects like Process, Knowledge and Support, and Tools.
Copyrights by the Institute for Process Excellence
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