“Don’t mistake motion for progress. You can run in place all day and still get nowhere.”
When it comes to ASPICE, this quote hits home. Many organizations look like they’re maturing, but when you peek behind the curtain, they’re often just running in place. Why? Because process maturity gets mistaken for a box-ticking exercise, and modern-day charlatans happily sell “instant Level 3” snake oil in the form of templates, dashboards, and endless PowerPoints.
Don’t mistake motion for progress. (Gemini generated image)
🔢 ASPICE Maturity Levels — Reality vs. Snake Oil
In this episode, let’s strip away the myths and look at what ASPICE maturity levels really mean — in plain language, with the traps and organizational challenges that can either enable growth or quietly suffocate it.
Level 0 — Incomplete Process ❌
Reality:
Work gets done … or not. Results are unpredictable. There’s no baseline, no repeatability, and no lessons learned. It’s the land of “maybe”.
Snake oil trap:
At this stage, denial is the product. Some will argue: “You don’t need ASPICE. Just trust your heroes to deliver.” That might work once, but it’s not a strategy.
Organizational challenge:
Chaos feels fast. Structure feels slow. Without leadership courage to break the cycle, Level 0 is a comfort zone.
Level 1 — Performed Process ✅
Reality:
The process achieves its purpose. Requirements are reviewed, code is tested, defects are logged. Not yet managed, but at least it’s not chaos anymore.
Snake oil trap:
“Just tick off the outcomes, and voilà — Level 1 achieved!” Writing outcomes without living them is smoke and mirrors.
Organizational challenge:
Teams resist evidence. Producing proof of work feels like overhead. Accountability suddenly enters the room, and not everyone is comfortable.
Level 2 — Managed Process 📊
Reality:
Work is planned, tracked, resourced. Responsibilities are clear. Resources are secured. Performance is monitored and adjusted.
Snake oil trap:
“Here’s a Gantt chart — now you’re managed!” If nobody revisits the plan, or if promised resources never arrive, that’s management theater.
Organizational challenge:
Leaders underestimate resource needs and struggle with cross-team interfaces. Without true buy-in, Level 2 quickly degrades back into firefighting.
Level 3 — Established Process 🏗️
Reality:
The organization has a standard process with roles, tailoring guidelines, infrastructure, all defined and deployed. Consistency across teams, not just local heroics.
Snake oil trap:
“We wrote a 200-page process manual. Congratulations, Level 3!” If nobody uses it, that’s paper process, not maturity.
Organizational challenge:
Standardization feels like a loss of autonomy. Scaling is hard — what works in one team may fail in a bigger program. Training is often neglected, leaving teams with rules they don’t understand.
Level 4 — Predictable Process 📈
Reality:
Data speaks. Processes are measured, controlled, and predictable. Variations are understood, causes identified, and actions taken. Decisions shift from gut-feel to data-driven.
Snake oil trap:
“Look at our dashboards — colorful charts everywhere!” Collecting data without analysis or action is cargo cult improvement.
Organizational challenge:
Collecting meaningful data is hard. Many drown in metrics without insight. Fear of transparency kicks in, since exposing weak spots can feel threatening.
Level 5 — Innovating Process 🚀
Reality:
Processes systematically evolve. Innovation is no longer a project; it’s culture. New technologies, feedback, and data continuously improve the way work gets done.
Snake oil trap:
“We’re innovative — we use AI!” Buzzwords are not innovation. Real Level 5 is measurable change that improves business outcomes.
Organizational challenge:
Balancing stability with experimentation is tricky. Innovation risks becoming theater if cultural maturity (safe-to-fail, openness) isn’t there. Sustaining momentum beyond one shiny initiative is the real test.
ASPICE maturity: earned through effort, not sold in bottles. (Gemini generated image)
💡 Why It Matters
ASPICE maturity is not about paperwork, templates, or dashboards. It’s about discipline, consistency, and continuous learning.
The charlatans will sell shortcuts — “instant Level 3 with a process manual”, or “Level 4 with a shiny metrics tool”. Don’t fall for it. ASPICE isn’t magic. It’s a mirror: it shows how good your engineering really is.
And that’s exactly why it matters.
🧗 The Hard Part: Moving Between Levels
Climbing ASPICE maturity isn’t like flipping a switch — it’s about shifting mindset, skills, and culture at every stage:
From Level 0 → 1 (Incomplete → Performed)
- Moving from “random success” to consistent outcomes
- Resistance to structure (“bureaucracy vs. flexibility”)
- Defining what “done” really means
- Accountability feels uncomfortable
From Level 1 → 2 (Performed → Managed)
- Planning seen as overhead instead of enabler
- Resources (people/tools/time) underestimated
- Interfaces across teams and suppliers break down
- Leaders think: “As long as it works, why manage it?”
From Level 2 → 3 (Managed → Established)
- Standardization feels like loss of autonomy
- Tailoring guidelines too rigid or too vague
- Scaling pains — one-size doesn’t fit all
- Training skipped, leaving rules on paper only
From Level 3 → 4 (Established → Predictable)
- Collecting data vs. drowning in metrics
- Lack of statistical analysis skills
- Skepticism: “Why measure if we’re already successful?”
- Fear of transparency — metrics expose weaknesses
From Level 4 → 5 (Predictable → Innovating)
- Innovation confused with “change for the sake of change”
- Balancing predictability with experimentation
- Requires safe-to-fail culture and openness to new tech
- Risk of over-engineering instead of solving real problems
👉 Progression isn’t just about adding documents — it’s about shifting mindset, skills, and culture at every stage.
Fictional ASPICE journey from chaos to culture (Gemini generated image)
🚦 Takeaway: More Than Just Levels
ASPICE maturity is not a ladder of paperwork. It’s about evolving how organizations think, collaborate, and improve. Each level introduces new habits — and new traps.
Snake oil sellers promise shortcuts. But sustainable maturity only comes when teams:
- ✔️ Build trust in the process (not just templates)
- ✔️ Invest in skills, not just tools
- ✔️ Balance structure with flexibility
- ✔️ Embrace transparency — even when it’s uncomfortable
Moving up the levels means less firefighting, fewer surprises, and more time to do the real engineering work that matters.
In short: quality isn’t a cost — it’s the way forward.
What’s Next?
In the next episode, we’ll tackle a hot topic: Capability-based vs. Risk-based Assessments. Because knowing the levels is one thing — knowing how (and why) to assess them is another.
🔖 If you found this perspective helpful, follow me for more insights on software quality, testing strategies, and ASPICE in practice.
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