Accelerating the successful reuse of problem solving knowledge through the domain lifecycle

The inability of software reuse to reach its full potential lies partially in the product-centric way in which we view software development. Methods are needed that help us reason about product families and degrees of support that can be offered for problem domains. This paper uses a "domain lifecycle" to formalize a process in which increasing levels of formality can be provided as a domain matures. The first step in this process is to collect and disseminate project experiences that can accelerate the process of identifying and refining application domains with significant impact in a software development organization. This approach facilitates the reuse of a broad spectrum of knowledge at multiple levels of formality. Based on empirical investigations of a software development organization, a prototype of a case-based organizational memory repository for software development practices is presented and assessed for its impact on reusing software development knowledge.