Initiating software product lines

E li Whitney revolutionized the manufacturing of rifles using interchangeable parts. Henry Ford did the same for automobiles, integrating the idea of interchangeable parts and an assembly line. A growing number of software development organizations are adopting approaches that emphasize proactive reuse, interchangeable components, and multiproduct planning cycles to construct high-quality products faster and cheaper. Standard methods, referred to as software product line or software family practices, have developed around these approaches. This special issue focuses on the technical, managerial, and organizational activities related to introducing these practices. guest editors’ introduction