Product Line Thinking – Applying System Thinking to Product Lines

Abstract This paper describes the problems encountered when implementing Product Lines. It reminds what the System Thinking approach is and the way it already has been used to solve problems related to System Engineering. System thinking proves to be very efficient to solve the problems arising both when setting up of a product line and when working in a product line organization. The “Product Line Thinking” definition may be then proposed as a new concept. One of the three business cases addresses the deployment of product lines to Very Small and Medium Enterprises (VSME).