1

ISPMA:
The first international standard for education
and certification of software product managers
International Software Product
Management Association
Dr. Samuel A. Fricker
Blekinge Institute of
Technology (BTH), Se!en
Hans"Bern! #ittlaus
InnoTi$um %onsulting
&ermany
%''"S'%((), )osco, (ussia
*o$em+er, ,-11
,
Product Management in the
Business of Software
(
e
g
n
el
l,
B
e
r
e
m
a
r
k,
'
kl
u
n
!
h
.
/
A
)
a
r
k
e
t"
D
ri
$
e
n
(
e
0
ui
r
e
m
e
n
ts
'
n
gi
n
e
e
ri
n
g
1
r
o
c
e
s
s.
(
e
s
ul
ts
fr
o
m

a
n
I
n
!
u
st
ri
al
1
r
o
c
e
s
s
I
m
2
r
o
$
e
m
e
n
t
1
r
o
g
r
a
m
m
e
3.
(
'
4
.
1
,
1
"
1
,
5
.
1
5
5
6
.
Time
1ro7ect n"1
1ro7ect n
1ro7ect n81
4

Strategic decisions are already made before the

project, and not during the deelopment project

The release is deliered, but with little

consideration of maintenance and eolution

Software is documented in many deltas, ma!ing it

difficult innoate
"hallenges of
Project#$rien $eelopment

I
S
P
M
A
9

The product manager is responsible for the

software product across deelopment projects,
from inception to phase#out
Software
Product Management
'
+
e
rt
(
,
-
-
:
).
T
h
e
i
m
2
a
ct
s
o
f
s
o
ft

a
r
e
2
r
o
!
u
ct
m
a
n
a
g
e
m
e
n
t.
T
h
e
;
o
u
r
n
al
o
f
S
y
st
e
m
s
a
n
!
S
o
ft

a
r
e
.
<
"ontents

%ision of a unified body of !nowledge &SPMBo'(

=hat is Softare 1ro!uct )anagement (S1))>

Ho IS1)A orks ? an o$er$ie>

International Software Product Management

Association &ISPMA(

%urriculum an! certification

@22ortunities for 2artici2ation

A
I
S
1
)
A
B
Product Management
&Simplified and Styli)ed(
De$elo2ment
)arketing
Sales an! Distri+ution
'$olution an! Ser$ice
Softare
%ustomers
(e$enue
Cse
!
&oals
(e0ui"
rements
I!eas
1re!ict
Fee!+ack an! Dearning
Select
A
I
S
1
)
A
:
Product Management
De$elo2ment
)arketing
Sales an! Distri+ution
'$olution an! Ser$ice
Softare
%ustomers
(e$enue
Cse
!
&oals
(e0ui"
rements
I!eas
1re!ict
Fee!+an! an! Dearning
Select
1ro!uct )anagement.
" manage a 2ro!uct from
ince2tion to 2hase"out
-
maEimiFe +usiness $alue
through e.g. the selection of
the /right3 features an!
0uality in the /right3 time to
the /right3 target grou2s
A
I
S
1
)
A
6
Project Management:
$eelopment
De$elo2ment
Softare
%ustomers
(e$enue
Cse
!
&oals
(e0ui"
rements
I!eas
1re!ict
Fee!+an! an! Dearning
Select
1ro7ect )anagement.
" !eli$er a 2ro!uct release
-
)eet functional as2ects,
time, +u!get, an! 0uality
re0uirements
A
I
S
1
)
A
5
Project Management:
"ustomer Projects
'$olution an! Ser$ice
Softare
%ustomers
(e$enue
Cse
!
&oals
(e0ui"
rements
I!eas
1re!ict
Fee!+an! an! Dearning
Select
1ro7ect )anagement.
" !eli$er a 2ro!uct release
-
)eet functional as2ects,
time, +u!get, an! 0uality
re0uirements
A
I
S
1
)
A
1-
Mar!eting Management
)arketing
Softare
%ustomers
(e$enue
Cse
!
&oals
(e0ui"
rements
I!eas
1re!ict
Fee!+an! an! Dearning
Select
)arketing )anagement.
-
!etermine ho to 3sellG a
2ro!uct
-
ensure +usiness success
A
I
S
1
)
A
11
Product Management
De$elo2ment
)arketing
Sales an! Distri+ution
'$olution an! Ser$ice
Softare
%ustomers
(e$enue
Cse
!
&oals
(e0ui"
rements
I!eas
1re!ict
Fee!+an! an! Dearning
Select
A
I
S
1
)
A
1,
Product Management
"ompetence $eelopment

Basic &e*g*(
A22ly Skills an! Techni0ues
Feature Focus
=rite Business %aseH

Adanced &e*g*(
@2timiFe S1) 'fficiency an! 'ffecti$eness
1ro!uct Focus
Sell Business %ase, *egotiateH

+,pert &e*g*(
Facilitate 1ro!uct )anagement
1ro!uct"Dine, 1ortfolio Focus
)onitor an! Influence
A
I
S
1
)
A
14
The People "ertification
Approach

"urriculum

1artition +o!y of knole!ge (Bo#) in learning units

Agree on learning o+7ecti$es

Training

1resent Bo# in a learna+le form

Accom2any learning 2rocess

+,amination

1re2are criteria, in!icators, an! stan!ar!s

1erform assessment in a re2eata+le manner

A
I
S
1
)
A
19
"ontents

%ision of a unified body of !nowledge &SPMBo'(

=hat is Softare 1ro!uct )anagement (S1))>

Ho IS1)A orks ? an o$er$ie>

International Software Product Management

Association &ISPMA(

%urriculum an! certification

@22ortunities for 2artici2ation

A
I
S
1
)
A
1<
ISPMA $irection

%ision
Foster softare 2ro!uct management eEcellence across
in!ustries +y esta+lishing softare 2ro!uct management as
a !isci2line of its on in +oth aca!emia an! in!ustry

Mission
'sta+lish, !isseminate an! maintain a certifia+le +o!y of
knole!ge on S1) (S1) Bo#) that is recogniFe! as the
2remier source on S1) +y all stakehol!ers
A
I
S
1
)
A
1B

Academia

Industry
International Software Product
Management Association &ISPMA(
InnoTivum
A
I
S
1
)
A
1:
$ifferences to -ther SPM
Trainings

Approach:
.on#proprietory, international, non#profit, based
on e,perts from both academia and industry

"ontents:
"lear separation between SPM and Mar!eting
due to different time hori)ons

"ertification:
"lear separation between training proiders and
certification agencies
/igher alue of certificate
A
I
S
1
)
A
16
Partition SPM Bo' in
0earning 1nits
Strategic
Management
Product Strategy
Product
Planning
$eelopment Mar!eting
Sales and
$istribution
+olution and
Serice
1ortfolio
management
1ositioning an!
1ro!uct Definition
1ro!uct
Dife"%ycle
)anagement
1ro7ect
management
)arketing miE
o2timiFation
%ustomer
relationshi2
management
Technical su22ort
%or2orate
Strategy
Deli$ery mo!el
1ro!uct
(e0uirements
'ngineering
'ngineering
management
)arketing
2lanning
Sales strategy
an! 2lanning
)arketing su22ort
Inno$ation
)anagement
Sourcing (elease 1lanning
1ro7ect
re0uirements
engineering
1ro!uct launch
%hannel
2re2aration
Sales su22ort
(esource
)anagement
Business %ase
an! %osting
(oa!ma22ing
Iuality
management
%ustomer
analysis
Sales
management
Ser$ices
2re2aration
)arket Analysis 1ricing
@22ortunity
management
@2erational
!istri+ution
Ser$ices
2ro$isioning
1ro!uct Analysis
1erformance an!
(isk )anagement

@2erational
marketing

'cosystem
)anagement

Degal an! I1(

)anagement

S1) reference architecture $ 1.-
A
I
S
1
)
A
15
"urriculum
IS1)A Foun!ation De$el
1ro!uct )anagers
(' FD
(e0uirements
'ngineers
IS1)AK(' AD.
1ro!uct 1lanning
(' AD.
@ther
IS1)A AD.
1ro!uct Strategy
IS1)A AD.
%oor!ination of
Functional Cnits
'E2ert (e0s.1rofess. IS1)A 'E2ert S1)
A
I
S
1
)
A
,-
/ow the ISPMA wor!s:
Step#wise process
2( 3eiew topic#specific literature &boo!s,
state#of#the#art(
4( $efine learning objecties &1nderstand s*
'now(
5( Assemble into syllabus with other learning
units
"ontinous input and reiews from partners
&industry 6 academia(
&+,ample 3elease Planning(
.is2ma.orgKcertificationK
Product Planning
A
I
S
1
)
A
,1
Perform Assessment in a
3epeatable Manner

+stablished "ertification .etwor!s and Bodies

Future *etork %ert, iSII, SAI, etc.

Typical forms of e,amination

)ulti2le"%hoice

%lass"room eEamination

@nline eEamination

'E2ert re$ie of

=ork results

=ork re2ort
A num+er of criteria are use! to !etermine
!e$elo2ment 2riority. =hich three of the folloing
criteria are likely to +e most useful for selecting
features for a ne high"en! $ariant of an eEisting
softare 2ro!uct>
Status of com2etitors ith res2ect to the feature
Su22ort for e!ucation an! training
%ost an! +enefit of im2lementing the feature
Im2act on the current 2ro!uctLs architecture
Molatility of the feature
Issuer of the feature
A
I
S
1
)
A
,,
SPM Sta!eholders
I('B
IS1)A
Training
1ro$i!ers
Training
1ro$i!ers
Training
1ro$i!ers
Acknole!ge
'Eams Sylla+i
%ertification
*etorks
%ourses
Dicense
S1) Bo#
%ourses
Docal or
international
certification
organiFation
Docal or
international
certification
organiFation
Docal or
international
certification
organiFation
Dicense
1ractitioners
Training
'Eamination,
%ertificates
Aca!emia
A
I
S
1
)
A
,4
Status

SPM 3eference Architecture %* 2*7 aailable

SPM 8oundation 0eel Syllabus %* 2*7 aailable

"ertification will be aailable in early 4724

8irst trainings based on ISPMA will be conducted

in Stoc!holm, 9urich, 1trecht, "openhagen,
"ologne

:or! on SPM Adanced 0eel Syllabi under way

;rowing number of members

A
I
S
1
)
A
,9
Training and "ertification %olumes
(
u
2
2
,
&
r
a
u
,
e
t
al
(
,
-
1
-
).
T
h
e
s
u
c
c
e
s
s
st
o
r
y
o
f
t
h
e
3
%
e
rt
ifi
e
!
1
r
o
f
e
s
si
o
n
al
f
o
r
(
e
0
ui
r
e
m
e
n
ts
'
n
gi
n
e
e
ri
n
g
G.
,<
ISPMA Membership
Personal Member
(%ontri+ute, Be $isi+le as a 2rofessional)
Board +,tended Board
"ompany
Member
Indiidual
Member
Supporting Members
(get first"han! information,
Be $isi+le as an actor in S1) e!ucation)
Delegate
A
I
S
1
)
A
,B
"ontact
To get further information or re<uest participation:
www*ispma*org
info=ispma*org
A
I
S
1
)
A