Product Line Engineering for large-scale simulators : An exploratory case study

Abstract: This thesis takes a process-centric approach to Product Line Engineering (PLE) with the purpose of evaluating the suitability of PLE practices and processes in the context of large-scale industrial simulator products. This human-centered approach sets itself apart from previous research on the subject which has been mostly focused on architectural and technical aspects of PLE. The study took place at Saab, a Swedish aerospace and defense company whose primary product is the Saab 39 Gripen fighter aircraft. The study was conducted as a series of interviews with participants across three product lines, each responsible for a different line of simulators. By investigating their current working processes using the Family Evaluation Framework, a maturity rating was derived for each product line. This maturity rating was then considered alongside commonly reported issues and experiences in order to evaluate the usefulness of PLE practices for each product line. It was found that the studied organization could likely benefit from implementing PLE. PLE and the Family Evaluation Framework promotes practices that would alleviate some of the major issues found in the studied organization such as unclear requirements, issues with product integration and external dependencies, and a lack of quantitative data. Due to the relative immaturity of PLE processes in the studied organization, these conclusions are based on a review of existing literature and the stated goals and practices of PLE applied to the context of the studied organization.