How Can You Get Started with Software Product Lines?

Chapter Authors:
Paul Clements, Ph.D., Software Engineering Institute (SEI)
Charles W. Krueger, Ph.D., CEO, BigLever Software

The answer to this question will depend on exactly what your role is in your organization. We will cast the answer in term of things that your organization can do and then you can decide your role and what other roles to enlist in order to get started.

The following steps – each of which has its own section in this chapter – will help you get started down the software product line path:

• Become informed. Utilize the resources provided or linked to on this site to advance your knowledge of software product lines.
• Assess your situation. Characterize the pain, the benefits, and the urgency so that you can determine whether software product lines are right for you.
• Build the team. Assemble the right team to lead your transition to a software product line approach.
• Create the long-term vision. Identify your ideal "success story".
• Find the quick wins. Define your first steps to provide some big wins early.

If you work in an organization where change is difficult, there are books listed on the Books page of this site that focus on how to motivate, communicate, empower and persist in "making change happen".

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