The requirement analysis of the system has been performed through the description of its functionalities where "Functions" have to have an added value for the end user. For example: "Rate Event Data Record" is such a function, but not: "Find Subscription in the database", which is a technical issue only. Main characteristics of this description method are:

• Only a business terminology is used,

• the description is complete

• there are no implementation details.

A catalog of the main qualities of the system like performance, flexibility, security, scalability, robustness etc. has been created. The main structures - "software and hardware architecture" - of the system were created following exactly along these qualities. The result is that all of the system functionalities are built on a robust architecture. This is another reason why B-oo-levard® provides real value to our customers: Total cost of ownership is reduced to an absolute minimum as changes to the software itself.

Component orientation offers the following advantages:

• Encapsulation and centralization of the definition and modeling of business concepts

• The information flow is ruled by well defined component interfaces

• Support re-use of complex concepts in different environments

• Extreme efficiency in development as well as implementation

• Product family oriented development aims at the identification and definition of product family related components.

• These components, also known as Assets, are not specific for a product, but have been developed to be used in every product of the family.

• The development of the Assets is performed in parallel with the product development.

• B-oo-levard® is no big-bang development, but a tight and ongoing co-operation with customers

• B4E did not and does not use a so-called water-fall development, but a controlled sequence of releases or overseeable work packages

• Functionalities with higher priority are easily to identify and are delivered first - thanks to our functional model (i.e. Use Case Model) and the technologies (i.e. configuration instead programming) used

• Every new release contains the functionality of the previous releases and implementations - and more

• Every release is based on a complete iteration trough analysis, design and implementation