First, the component pretty much does only one thing, it turns a driveshaft or wheel. However, more importantly, it does so with a specified power. So if the power requirement for an end product is known, it is easy to tell from the specification whether the motor will satisfy that requirement. But probably the most important reason that reuse is possible is that the motor is described in the company s catalogue. Having a great component that is specified exactly is not enough.
People have to know it s out there before they can determine whether it meets their needs.
And they have to know exactly what its capabilities are. The same principle applies to components in the systems world. In order to enable reuse, we have to ensure that our components can be found. That means having a catalogue of components accessible to potential consumers. And as consumers, we have to start thinking of our own systems in terms of their components right from the start.