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research-article

Inner Source in Platform-Based Product Engineering

Authors:

Maximilian Capraro,

Lars HornAuthors Info & Claims

IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering, Volume 42, Issue 12

Pages 1162 - 1177

https://doi.org/10.1109/TSE.2016.2554553

Published: 01 December 2016 Publication History

Abstract

Inner source is an approach to collaboration across intra-organizational boundaries for the creation of shared reusable assets. Prior project reports on inner source suggest improved code reuse and better knowledge sharing. Using a multiple-case case study research approach, we analyze the problems that three major software development organizations were facing in their product line engineering efforts. We find that a root cause, the separation of product units as profit centers from a platform organization as a cost center, leads to delayed deliveries, increased defect rates, and redundant software components. All three organizations assume that inner source can help solve these problems. The article analyzes the expectations that these companies were having towards inner source and the problems they were experiencing in its adoption. Finally, the article presents our conclusions on how these organizations should adapt their existing engineering efforts.

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Cited By

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cover image IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering

IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering Volume 42, Issue 12

December 2016

101 pages

ISSN:0098-5589

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Copyright © 2016.

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IEEE Press

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Published: 01 December 2016

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Dolata MCrowston K(2024)Making Sense of AI Systems DevelopmentIEEE Transactions on Software Engineering10.1109/TSE.2023.333885750:1(123-140)Online publication date: 1-Jan-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1109/TSE.2023.3338857
Buchner SRiehle D(2023)The Business Impact of Inner Source and How to Quantify ItACM Computing Surveys10.1145/361164856:2(1-27)Online publication date: 29-Jul-2023
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3611648
Dursun H(2023)Full Spec Software via Platform EngineeringProceedings of the 27th International Conference on Evaluation and Assessment in Software Engineering10.1145/3593434.3593440(172-175)Online publication date: 14-Jun-2023
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3593434.3593440
Chen JGong Z(2022)Collaborative Software Engineering Model Dependent on Deep Recursive Least SquaresMobile Information Systems10.1155/2022/54011032022Online publication date: 1-Jan-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1155/2022/5401103
Dey TJiang WFitzgerald B(2022)Knights and Gold Stars: A Tale of InnerSource IncentivizationIEEE Software10.1109/MS.2022.319264739:6(88-98)Online publication date: 1-Nov-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1109/MS.2022.3192647
Usman MBadampudi DSmith CNayak H(2022)An Ecosystem for the Large-Scale Reuse of Microservices in a Cloud-Native ContextIEEE Software10.1109/MS.2022.316744739:5(68-75)Online publication date: 1-Sep-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1109/MS.2022.3167447
Edison HCarroll NConboy KMorgan L(2018)An Investigation into Inner Source Software DevelopmentProceedings of the 14th International Symposium on Open Collaboration10.1145/3233391.3233529(1-10)Online publication date: 22-Aug-2018
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3233391.3233529

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