Share vs. own: Software reuse using product platforms

SAP is a complex multi-national development organization with a large number of diverse products and changing target markets. Effective allocation of resources is a difficult at the best of times. Of late, the target markets, and supporting technologies, change every couple of years exponentially increasing the complexity, necessitating a way of recalibrating that keeps pace with new realties. SAP, with a mature understanding of functional, software and technical relationships, has adopted a platform approach covering both functional and technology capabilities. However, a variety of factors, many in the management space, prevent that from being effective. This paper will explain why product-line/platform is a better strategy than platform or custom product strategies, in a way that can be understood, proven and adopted by management and developers alike. Specific recommendations of practices for delivering reuse effectively are also provided.