Development of a Hybrid Product Breakdown Structure and Variability Model

Abstract

ABSTRACTIn transforming from a project‐based engineering approach to a product line engineering (PLE) approach, the engineering teams must have support throughout the transition from evolving tools and methodologies. As an example, the Product Breakdown Structure (PBS) is traditionally a construction‐based decomposition of a complex system, where subsystems reflect a breakdown of the engineering elements with appropriate technical interfaces, subassemblies, and team responsibility delineations. However, when used for a product line with myriad variants, a traditional PBS format provides insufficient detail and structure. As such, using standard desktop software, the author developed a hybrid PBS‐Variability Model (VM), combining the familiar PBS structure with variability modeling aspects based on feature modeling and decision modeling approaches. This resulted in an engineering artifact recognizable as a PBS and easy to adapt to design evolution, yet sufficiently expansive to initially characterize variability. In this way, the traditional PBS evolves to the hybrid PBS‐VM before transitioning to a complete variability model, thereby supporting the engineering teams transitioning from a project‐based engineering approach to a PLE approach. In this paper, the author describes the traditional PBS limitations, the hybrid model development process with a custom‐developed syntax description, the resulting hybrid model, and conclusions on appropriate product line usage.