COTS-based software product line development

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of a pragmatic approach to components off-the-shelf (COTS)-based development. Software product line (SPL) is at the forefront among the techniques for reducing costs, decreasing schedule time, and ensuring commonality of features across a family of products - as COTS are reused in multiple products. Design/methodology/approach - A disciplined process for SPL development is still needed. This paper proposes the Y-model for COTS-based SPL development. The model put forward identifies and elaborates the essential phases and activities of SPL development from COTS-based repository. Findings - The Y-model provides an efficient way of integrating the approaches of SPL and COTS-based development as a cohesive software development model. Practical implications - The model has the potential to tremendously increase software engineers' productivity. Thus, software architects, domain engineers and component designers should become aware of how to use these ideas to structure their models and designs. Originality/value - This paper describes a systematic approach for COTS-based development that takes into account the cataloguing and retrieval of software assets permeating a process that encompasses all stages of software development, from system product requirements engineering to system deployment.