The Strategic Role of Software Customization: Managing Customization-Enabled Software Product Development

Matthias Bertram aims to develop a deeper understanding of software customization and its strategic role for software product management. Drawing on the conceptual foundation of the resource-based view of the firm, such as resources, capabilities, and dynamic capabilities, the author conducts two qualitative investigations: the first within vendor and customer firms to develop an in-depth understanding of the value of software customization as well as the vendor resources and capabilities necessary to successfully provide software customization and the second on the vendor s dynamic capabilities necessary to generate temporary competitive advantage from software customization in product management activities.”

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction: The neglected role of customization for software product management
Chapter 2 Literature review: Software customization in the information systems literature
Chapter 3 Theoretical foundation: The resource-based view (RBV) of the firm
Chapter 4 Qualitative investigation I: Exploring software customization from the vendors’ and customers’ perspectives
Chapter 5 Qualitative investigation II: Elaborating the strategic role of customization for software product development
Chapter 6 Conclusion: Summary, contributions and implications, limitations and outlook

Appendix A Introduction: The neglected role of customization for software product management
Chapter Appendix B Qualitative investigation I: Exploring software customization from a vendors’ and customers’ perspective
Chapter Appendix C Qualitative investigation II: Elaborating the strategic role of customization for software product development