Understanding resistance to software reuse

Abstract

Reuse technology is no longer solely restricted to the research domain. Companies that have adopted its techniques to enhance their development process have reported useful improvements in development productivity and quality. We looked at why these improvements are not being exploited more widely within industry as a whole. By means of questionnaires and interviews with selected senior IT personnel at organisations with large IT requirements we have been able to identify factors preventing or inhibiting reuse adoption. Proposing solutions to eliminate the causes of these, enables us to suggest how companies looking at reuse techniques may adapt in order to better their chances of success.