3.2.2 Iterative product architecture harmonisation

For most organizations that adopt software product family engineering, there is a benefit associated with harmonisation of the product architectures. However, the cost of achieving this harmonisation is so high that it cannot be achieved in one release cycle. Instead, a roadmap is defined and architecture harmonisation is pursued in an iterative fashion, taking the process one step forward with every release cycle. Prerequisite for this approach is a reference product family architecture that is used as a (long-term) goal. This reference architecture needs to be designed jointly by the product and component teams.

Advantages. The main benefit of this approach is that, by starting with the architecture harmonisation of the product around the location of the shared components, the component integration cost can be reduced.

Disadvantages. There are some drawbacks with this approach as well. First, there is a need for product teams to invest in product architecture harmonisation, which has no immediate return on investment. Second, the product teams must agree on a reference architecture, which often is a lengthy and effort consuming process.

3.2.3 Revolutionary architecture adoption

In earlier work, we have described the revolutionary adoption model. In this case, a product family architecture and set of shared components is developed. Products that aim to use these shared components need to perform all architecture harmonisation at once without the ability to spread it out over multiple release cycles. On the other hand, once the harmonisation is achieved, integration of shared components is trivial.

Advantages. The main advantage is the ease of integrating shared components, once the architecture harmonisation has been achieved. Also integration of multiple products at customer sites and user interface harmonisation is greatly simplified.

Disadvantages. The effort associated with performing all architecture harmonisation in one release cycle typically leaves little effort for adding new features, potentially reducing the competitive advantage that the products have in the market.