Towards uncertainty-aware management of design reuse

This paper explores possible approaches to design reuse in the context of multi-product developing companies. As a background, the main differences between design sharing across concurrent products and design reuse over time are highlighted. Then, design reuse is analysed around three main enablers of reuse: the willingness to reuse (business and socio-cognitive view), the availability of suitable solutions to reuse (artefact view), and the means to transfer design solutions for reuse (process/tools view). It is argued that many potential benefits of design reuse cannot be exploited unless proactive efforts are invested to facilitate future reuse, and that the choice of appropriate proactive reuse approach is shaped by the predictability of future reuse needs. Three conceptually different types of reuse approaches are presented, according to the commitment and timing of the decision to reuse (in advance or case-by-case): ad-hoc reuse, planned reuse and option-based reuse approaches. Finally, managerial implications for an uncertainty-aware reuse approach are discussed.