Many software product line organizations
manage the activities that create and evolve
core assets separately from those that create
and evolve end products. The two development operations therefore constitute, in effect,
separate projects. In this management strategy,
product development project managers must
understand each project’s role as a core assets
consumer, as well as its place in the overall
product line. The supply chain for such projects is largely internal to the developing organization. At the same time, core asset development project managers must understand each
project’s role in the context of the products to
be built from them. Their project’s customer
base is largely internal to the development organization. Managers of both kinds of projects
must understand how their work supports the
organization’s overall product line goals.