Adapting a strategic foresight framework to reuse integration

Abstract

The integration of reuse components and subsystems into complex systems is continuing to increase in development programs as a method to reduce resources needed and to reduce complexity. Previous research identified that reuse can commonly be a driver of system integration failures. A previous work identified four considerations for ensuring that reuse is integrated into a system successfully. This paper adapts a framework from the discipline of Strategic Foresight that provides a fixed roadmap for addressing the considerations. The framework consists of 10 guidelines across six phases, Framing, Scanning, Forecasting, Visioning, Planning, and Acting. The framework was evaluated against 18 historical systems that failed due to reuse components or subsystems to determine if the framework would have mitigated the failure mechanisms around the reuse. The framework was found to have mitigated 100% of the failure mechanisms across the 18 systems.