About the Author

Ruben Buitelaar

Founder & Data Strategy Expert

Background

Ruben Buitelaar is the founder of Scanraven and the creator of the Data Maturity Model. He developed this framework as part of his Master's thesis research at Leiden University's ICT in Business program, where it was academically validated and has since been used by over 1,000 organizations worldwide.

With a background in software engineering and data strategy, Ruben combines technical depth with practical business understanding. His work focuses on helping organizations bridge the gap between knowing they should be data-driven and actually becoming data-driven.

Academic Foundation

The Data Maturity Model was developed through rigorous academic research at Leiden University, following established procedures for maturity model development in IT management. Unlike many industry frameworks that lack formal design methodology, this model features:

  • Systematic literature review of 8+ existing maturity models

  • Iterative development through multiple validation phases

  • Meta-evaluation by practitioners across industries

  • Statistical validation of all stages and dimensions

  • Real-world validation through 1,000+ organizational assessments

Read the original thesis: "Building the Data-Driven Organization: a Maturity Model and Assessment" →

Credentials

  • Data Scientist & Product Manager

  • MSc ICT in Business, Leiden University

  • Creator of the Data-Driven Maturity Assessment (1,000+ organizational assessments)

  • Founder, Scanraven

Learn More About the Framework

Explore the complete Data Maturity Model or start your assessment today.