Yet, current CSD theories, concepts, tools and methods are not clearly based on modern models of value and value creation. For example, past work on software economics has improved cost and risk modeling and management enormously, but there has not been a symmetric development of benefit and opportunity modeling and management. Thus, the current conceptual state of the art in software design and engineering is not clearly optimal for value. A principle of SSD us that no single scale of value can suffice as a foundation, but not all scales are equally important, either.
Business value is a very important scale, but there are others.
Much of society's investment in CSD is intended to create value on this scale. For example, recent work has shown that there are deep connections between modularity in design and the value of real options-capital analogs of financial options. Business value is not the only well-developed concept of value. Philanthropies, universities, militaries and other important institutions do not take market value as a metric. Philanthropies value progress against societal problems.