Governance of a Software Product Line: Complexities and Goals

My prior blog post on product lines in DoD sustainment described the complexity of contractual relationships in a DoD software product line. Recall that a software product line is a collection of related products with shared software artifacts and engineering services that has been developed by a single organization in support of multiple programs serving multiple missions and different customers. A product line will reduce cost of development and support. In exchange, it can be a cause of conflicting priorities between customers much like the similar problem in joint program management. This blog post describes a set of guidelines and goals for establishing governance and monitoring the product line for long-term success.