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.