Value-based software engineering (VBSE) -: A value-driven approach to product-line engineering

We consider a set of programs a family when it pays to look at their common aspects before looking at their differences. For commercial software developers the implications are twofold: First, making rational decisions about product-line processes and products requires the ability to answer the question: "Does it pay?" Second, whether or not something pays is ultimately a business (rather than software engineering) question. In short, making sound software engineering decisions requires understanding the business implications of those decisions, and vice versa. This paper describes work in progress to develop a product-line process model and common value metric that adequately link product value drivers (what it pays) with the software engineering decisions that affect those drivers. We describe a systematic approach to quantifying the return on both product and process improvements, based on common software engineering principles and a common value metric, customer value.