The product line manager might commis-
sion individual projects, such as a product line
pilot demonstration project or a project for
product line training. Product line managers
play a dual role. First, they must provide the
support system and constraints for individual
projects. Second, they must establish Thayer
and Oysters “overall guidelines, policies, and
procedures” that is, who does what when.
Leaving those items in individual project managers’ hands could result in good decisions for
each project that are potentially disastrous for
the overall product line. A classic product line
example is a project that checks out a core asset and unilaterally modifies it to suit its own
special needs, rather than taking the steps necessary to get the asset updated in a general way
that serves the entire product line. The product
line manager must enforce an operating concept with procedures that prevent this practice.