Capability Pattern: Consume Reusable Asset
This capability pattern describes how to consume a Reusable Asset, which includes locating, evaluating, applying the asset and providing feedback.
Work Breakdown Structure
Purpose

The purpose of this workflow is to locate and apply Reusable Assets to solve specific problems.

Description
This capability pattern is focused primarily on:
Staffing

The asset consumer needs to understand the mechanics of reusing the asset at two levels:

  1. How to locate and evaluate the asset
  2. How to reuse the asset, and what level of interaction with the asset is required to reuse the asset

The asset consumer may be an entire team, or it may be an individual. This is driven by several factors, including the nature of the assets being evaluated, as well as the skills of those conducting the evaluation and reuse.

Usage
Usage Notes

This capability pattern should be used in all projects whenever an asset is to be consumed.

In the Inception Phase of a software application project, asset consumption generally focuses on assets relating to requirements and other artifacts that describe the problem space. The assets used during this phase should help provide clarification to the problem space. These assets can provide high-leverage for the organization.

The early Elaboration Phase of a software application project focuses on creating an initial architecture for the system. Reusing architectural assets at this point can provide a significant starting point. If the architecture already exists (because it was produced in previous iterations in previous projects), the focus of the work changes to refining the architecture and identifying assets which can provide this capability.

During the Elaboration and Construction Phases of a software application project, assets for implementing the system are needed.

Key Considerations

The work is best done when the asset consumer has a well-defined problem that needs to be resolved. The asset consumer's understanding of the problem directly affects the activities of searching and evaluating an asset for its relevance.

This work may be done across multiple work sessions, and it may be interrupted at any point in the activities.

It is possible that after applying a reusable asset, a refined asset may be repackaged for others to use. For example, applying a domain reference architecture reusable asset, and configuring it for a specific application context, may result in an application reference architecture that could be further applied in additional contexts. In such cases, the individual filling the role of the asset consumer would identify the produced application reference architecture as a candidate for further reuse. This feeds in to the organizational reuse program, which decides which reusable assets to produce.

More Information
Workflow

Activity diagram: Consume Reusable Asset Search Asset Use Asset Provide Asset Feedback Develop Asset Specification
Work Breakdown