This book aims to introduce the key principles of CBD that need to be understood in order to adopt a component-based model of software systems development, and to explain the benefits of adopting such an approach for an organization.

• It will guide the reader through the process of introducing a component-based approach to a business from a programme-planning perspective, based on the author's experience as an industry consultant in this area.
• It will also outline the need-to-know issues in designing and assembling components, including strategies for scoping components and managing their assembly.
• It will provide the essential background and grounding in the components area for readers who already have a knowledge of model-based methods e.g. OO but want to spring-board over into using a component-based approach.