Product Line Engineering Comes to the Industrial Mainstream. Issue 2 (21st August 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Clements, Paul C.
• Is Part Of: Insight. Volume 22:Issue 2(2019)
• Page Start: 7
• Page End: 14
• Publication Date: 2019-08-21
• Subjects: Systems engineering -- Periodicals; Systems engineering; Periodicals; 620.0011
• DOI: 10.1002/inst.12241
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2156-485X

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Product line engineering (PLE) is a systems engineering discipline to engineer a portfolio of related products in an efficient manner, taking full and ongoing advantage of the products' similarities while respecting and managing their differences. Managing a portfolio as a variable single entity, as opposed to multiple separate products, brings enormous efficiencies in production and maintenance. This paper shows that PLE has now matured into a repeatable, industrial‐strength engineering discipline. We define and explore the concepts central to modern product line engineering and illustrate how it applies in two of the most challenging systems engineering domains: aerospace and defense, and automotive.