The following is a list of system maturity levels:
- Pre-conceptual – no idea, no system, not even an idea that a system is needed.
- Conceptual – an idea that a system is needed, nothing developed.
- Customer: We need a system that does X.
- Management: What they really say they need is a system that does Y.
- Developer: What is most technically feasible is a system that does Z.
- Not working – a system that doesn’t work, at all.
- Customer/management: We have no system.
- Developer: We’re working on a system!
- Almost not working – a system that works, kind of.
- Management: We have a system!!!
- Customer: We wish we had a system…
- Developer: Hey! We’re not done yet!
- Support: Take the system out back and shot it, for the sake of pity and mercy!
- Almost working – a system that works, in principle.
- Management: Didn’t we finish this system months ago?
- Customer: We have a system! On sunny days…
- Developer: Just let us…
- Support: Oh no! Not another update!
- Working – a system that works.
- Management: That was long before my time…
- Customer: Oh, yeah, I remember that system… didn’t it use to do Z back in the days?
- Developer: Done!
- Support: Hands off our legacy system… or seas will turn red with blood and dogs will sleep with cats (or is it lions with lambs… whatever!) Hands off our system!