REUSE

Reinventing the wheel doesn’t always make sense. It takes time and effort away from concentrating on more important issues and problems. It also wastes resources. Reuse is a tool for eliminating the tendency to reinvent the wheel. Reuse is using the components of a product, process, or system that have been successfully developed and applied in the past. Items of frequent reuse are software, documentation, data, hardware, processes, and procedures.

For reuse to occur successfully, certain conditions must exist. There must be a cataloging of items to reuse. There must also be standards set for the components themselves and their interfaces (e.g., standards for the exchange of data), and there must be good documentation about each component.

The advantages to reuse are many. It saves time, effort, and money. It also increases productivity and speed of delivery and improves both quality and communication.

for Reuse

• Identify the components for reuse.
• Establish standards for the components and their interfaces.
• Put the components under configuration control.
• Document the components and their interfaces.
• Set up a reuse library or repository.
• Identify conditions for reusing specific components.