ISO/IEC 26555:2013 deals with the capabilities of tools and methods of Software and Systems Product Line (SSPL) Technical Management. Since product lines deal with multiple products that have similarities, product lines have an unprecedented level of technical management complexities.

In the product line there are inherent differences in technical considerations due to the parallel development processes, domain and application engineering. The two processes are tightly related with each other centered around assets, and the close relationships among domain engineering, application engineering, and assets require highly matured managerial capabilities.

Technical management provides management support for a timely and proper deployment of product line in balance with pre-defined product line objectives such as reusability, reducing cost, and improving quality, as well as its planned cost, schedule, and resources. Technical management addresses actual means used to support, monitor, and control the activities of both domain engineering and application engineering of a product line.

There are needs for defining product line specific technical management processes that integrate the involved product line disciplines with those for a single product. Furthermore, support of tools and methods are required so that a product line organization can perform technical management under the systematic control of complexities.

ISO/IEC 26555:2013 addresses the product line specific processes in technical management by dividing those into Process Management, Variability Management, Asset Management, and Support Management areas with the guidance of a set of tools and methods capabilities for supporting tasks for product line technical management.

ISO/IEC 26555:2013 is intended to benefit people who acquire, supply, develop, operate, and maintain tools and methods for product line technical management. ISO/IEC 26555:2013 can be used in one or more of the following modes:

1) By an organization intended to implement product lines, to understand, adopt, and enact the processes, tools, and methods for product line technical management. This also helps the organization to evaluate and select relevant tools and methods based on business and user-related criteria.

2) By a tool vendor who facilitates or leverages product line engineering practices, to provide a set of tool capabilities that should be embodied in a tool for supporting product line technical management.