Paving the path towards platform engineering using a comprehensive reference model

Amidst the growing popularity of platform engineering, promising improved productivity and enhanced developer experience through an internal developer platform (IDP), this research addresses the prevalent challenge of a lack of a shared understanding in the field and the complications in defining effective, customized strategies. Introducing a definitive Platform Engineering Reference Model (PE-RM) based on the Open Distributed Processing reference model (ODP-RM) framework to provide a common under- standing. This model offers a structured framework for software organizations to create tailored platform engineering strategies and realize the full potential of platform engineering. The reference model is val- idated by conducting a case study in which a contextual design and technical implementation guided by the reference model is proposed. The case study offers guidance in designing platform engineering in the context of a software organization. Furthermore, it showcases how to construct a technical platform engineering implementation, which includes experiments exposing the productivity improvements and applicability of the implementation. By facilitating a shared vocabulary and providing a roadmap for implementation, this research aims to mitigate prevailing complexities and accelerate the adoption and effectiveness of platform engineering across organizations