5 Part 5: V-Modell Reference Work Products
5.5 Content-Related Product Dependencies
5.5.15 Influence of an Off-the-Shelf Product on the External Software Module Specification
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Content-dependent Work Products: |
External Software Module Specification, Make-or-Buy Decision |
At software level, the »External Software Module Specification provides the basis for the »Evaluation of Off-the-Shelf Products within the framework of the »Make-or-Buy Decision.
If the result of a Make-or-Buy Decision is that an off-the-shelf product is to be used, this usually has repercussions on the »External Software Module Specification, because the off-the-shelf product usually meets only part of the requirements. The remainder will have to be met by other or new components of the system, or the requirements will have to be adapted or reduced. This in turn may have repercussions on the software architecture and the software specification and - consequently - on the »System Architecture , the »System Specification , the »Overall System Specification or even the »Requirements Specification.
Off-the-shelf products often do not meet the special requirements resulting from environmental influences and special operational environments (e. g. in the military). Therefore it will be necessary to adapt off-the-shelf products to the specified operational conditions (e. g. by hardening). When using off-the-shelf products, this has to be taken into consideration with regard to the costs and the integration risk.
The decision as to whether this additional work is possibly contracted is made within the framework of a further »Make-or-Buy Decision.