Partner roles
The exchange of specification typically involves a network of partners collaborating on a project. The relationships between partners may take several forms.
Collaborative exchange
In a collaborative exchange, partners synchronize specifications with one another.
Figure 113. Collaborative exchanges.
Publisher-subscriber exchange
Publisher-subscriber exchange, one partner has a privileged, central role; all partners must synchronize with its specifications. This kind of exchange is common in business (Customer – Supplier) situations.
Figure 114. Publisher-subscriber exchanges
Three different kinds of roles can be identified for partners: the customer role and the middle-tier and end-tier supplier roles.
The customer maintains the primary copy for the overall exchange, exchanges specifications with its suppliers and provides instructions to ensure convergence. An end-tier supplier must synchronize specifications with its customer.
Finally, a middle-tier supplier must synchronize specification with its customer; it acts also as a customer to its suppliers. A middle-tier supplier needs to first consolidate the results of requirements processing before synchronizing with the end customer.
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