Standard : Value is validated continuously

Purpose and Strategic Importance

This standard ensures that teams measure the value their work delivers on an ongoing basis, not just at launch. Teams validate whether outcomes are realised, learn quickly when assumptions are wrong, and pivot where needed.

It supports our policies "Continuous Value Validation", "Evidence Over Assumptions", and "Learning as Progress". Without this standard, activity is mistaken for impact, and investments risk failing to deliver.

Strategic Impact

  • Clear evidence that products deliver intended outcomes
  • Reduced waste by retiring or adjusting low-value work
  • Greater organisational confidence in product investment

Risks of Not Having This Standard

  • Features built but not adopted or valued
  • Unchallenged assumptions leading to wasted investment
  • Loss of trust with customers and stakeholders

CMMI Maturity Model

Level 1 – Initial

  • People & Culture: Teams celebrate output rather than value.
  • Process & Governance: No consistent checks for adoption or impact.
  • Technology & Tools: Analytics absent or unused.
  • Measurement & Metrics: Progress tracked by delivery milestones only.

Level 2 – Managed

  • People & Culture: Teams acknowledge need to track value, but do so inconsistently.
  • Process & Governance: Some post-launch reviews occur.
  • Technology & Tools: Basic analytics set up on a per-project basis.
  • Measurement & Metrics: Anecdotal data or vanity metrics used to justify value.

Level 3 – Defined

  • People & Culture: Teams regularly test whether outcomes are achieved.
  • Process & Governance: Clear process exists for validating value continuously.
  • Technology & Tools: Analytics and telemetry embedded into delivery pipelines.
  • Measurement & Metrics: Value KPIs defined and tracked per initiative.

Level 4 – Quantitatively Managed

  • People & Culture: Teams proactively adapt based on value data.
  • Process & Governance: Portfolio decisions made using evidence of impact.
  • Technology & Tools: Integrated dashboards track usage, adoption, and outcomes.
  • Measurement & Metrics: Quantitative impact measured against strategic goals.

Level 5 – Optimising

  • People & Culture: Learning from validation drives systemic improvements.
  • Process & Governance: Processes continuously refined to improve validation speed.
  • Technology & Tools: Predictive analytics surface value gaps automatically.
  • Measurement & Metrics: Continuous improvement loops link validated value to investment strategy.

Key Measures

  • % of features adopted vs delivered
  • Average time to confirm or disprove expected outcomes
  • ROI of initiatives based on realised value
  • Customer satisfaction (NPS/CSAT) shifts post-release