Unexplored potential of modularisation: Revisited definition and ontology

The paper proposes a literature-grounded revisited definition and ontology of modularisation, which highlight its five distinctive constituents – architecture breakdown, standardisation, interfaces, decision making, life cycle – inserted in an ontological framework also including barriers, enabling factors, methodologies, and effects. The discussion of a couple of dramatic examples shows the potential of the ontology, which provides a deductive approach to identify possible ways to modularisation, transforms modularisation into a fully operationalisable strategy, and contributes to a paradigm shift in the understanding of modularisation, from a mere design issue to a choice that by nature has consequences on the system whole lifespan.