This article is part of our series on Package Management at Scale, also available as a chapter in our free, downloadable eBook

Modern software development thrives on complexity; polyrepos, microservices, and sprawling open-source ecosystems power innovation, but they can potentially introduce chaos.  

We’ve recently posted several articles on Centrally Managed Package Repositories covering Centralization, Governance, Curation, Distribution, and Scalability, to show how a structured approach to package management mitigates risks and unlocks efficiency.  Now, it’s time to put that knowledge into action. 

Over the next couple of months, we’re going to be posting several follow-up articles designed to help you assess where your organization stands today, so you can build on your strengths and address critical gaps. By evaluating your current practices, you’ll: 

🚀 Recognize what’s working: Identify the processes—whether ad-hoc or structured—that already support your teams effectively. 

🚀 Uncover hidden risks: Spot current gaps in visibility, security, or governance that could lead to vulnerabilities, compliance issues, or inefficiencies. 

🚀 Identify future challenges: Determine the problems you’re likely to face down the road if existing practices remain unchanged. 

🚀 Chart a clear path forward: Access actionable, level-based guidance to improve your package management, from foundational steps to enterprise-scale optimization. 

These articles describe the different stages of package maturity according to our CMPR criteria, on a scale from 1 to 5. Reading them will give you insight not only into where your organization sits along this continuum, but also into the common pitfalls and anti-patterns that organizations we’ve helped in the past have encountered; and what they needed to do to “Level Up” their package management. 

How to Use The Level-Based Articles 

Begin with Level 1 and review its description. If it doesn’t match your organization’s practices, move to the next level until one feels familiar; that’s your starting point. Each level includes: 

• A description of what it looks like in practice 
• Common risks and limitations 
• Steps to reach the next level 

Every organization should aim for at least Level 4, where package management is centrally managed and governed. This is a necessary foundation for security, efficiency, and compliance. If you’re below Level 4, governance gaps are almost guaranteed. From there, reaching Level 5, where package management is fully centralized, governed, curated, distributed, and scalable, is an ambitious but achievable goal over time. 

While reaching Level 5 takes time, this toolkit provides a step-by-step path to get there. Whether your teams are pulling packages from public registries or managing fragmented feeds, you’ll uncover your current stage and take practical steps toward that goal. Progress, not perfection, is the key. Let’s find where you stand and transform how your organization manages packages. 

Where Do You Stand? Assess and Plan Your Path Forward 

By reading through these up-and-coming articles, you will hopefully walk away with a good idea of your OSS package maturity level. Nevertheless, we recommend a guided assessment with our team. Accurately evaluating package management maturity is often challenging from the inside; blind spots, assumptions, and lack of benchmarking can make it difficult to get a clear picture. Our industry professionals bring deep experience across industries, helping you uncover risks and opportunities that internal reviews may miss. 

To schedule your guided assessment, get in touch with us through our home page:

The guided assessment report you receive will map your current state to our maturity model. This report serves as a strategic overview, while the level-based chapters that follow provide the tactical details needed to act on that strategy. 

In the meantime, if you haven’t yet explored our guide Package Management at Scale, it’s available for free download right now! You’ll get an advanced look at all the articles we’ll be posting over the next few months, plus detailed insights into centralization, package distribution, and curation, along with a practical rubric to assess your team’s maturity. Grab your free copy today!