The Industrialization of Software

For 50 years, software development has been a Craft: dependent on individual artisans, manual tooling, and implicit knowledge.

We believe the next era of software engineering is Industrial.

ASDLC.io documents the principles, patterns, and standards required to make this transition. We are not building "AI coding assistants" that make a craftsman 10% faster. We are building the blueprints for the software factory—systems where agents serve as the architecture of labor, and humans design, govern, and optimize the flow.

The Problem: Two Misguided Narratives

The "Faster Horse" Fallacy

Copilots give developers faster hands via autocomplete and chat. This is tooling optimization—akin to giving a blacksmith a powered hammer. It creates local efficiency but does not solve systemic bottlenecks: context switching, communication overhead, technical debt.

The "Replacement" Fantasy

The "Agentic Workforce" narrative suggests agents will replace human employees one-for-one. This fundamentally misunderstands industrialization.

Agents do not replace humans; they industrialize execution.

Just as robotic arms automate welding without replacing manufacturing expertise, agents automate high-friction parts of knowledge work (logistics, syntax, verification) while humans focus on intent, architecture, and governance.

The Solution: The Agentic Factory

ASDLC is the framework for Agentic Operating Models. In this model:

• Agents are the logistic layer. They move information, verify specs, generate documentation, and execute tests.
• Context is the supply chain. Requirements, schemas, and code must be delivered Just-in-Time to the right station.
• Standardization is mandatory. A factory cannot run on ambiguous "vibes." It requires schemas, typed interfaces, and deterministic protocols.

The Three Pillars

I. Factory Architecture (Orchestration)

Structure projects where agents act as connective tissue. Move from monolithic context windows to discrete, specialized stations: Planning, Spec-Definition, Implementation, Review.

II. Standardized Parts (Determinism)

Industrialization requires interchangeable parts. In software, these are Schemas. Agents don't guess; they fulfill contracts. AGENTS.md, specs, and strict linting serve as the "jigs" and "molds" that constrain agent output.

III. Quality Control (Governance)

Inspection is automated and rigorous. Move from "Code Review" to "System Eval." Probabilistic tests and Human-in-the-Loop gates ensure a Senior Engineer can trust the process, not just the output.

The Knowledge Base

This site documents the factory blueprints:

• Patterns: Reusable architectural solutions—the factory blueprints for agent-driven development.
• Practices: Implementation guides—the assembly instructions for integrating patterns into your workflow.
• Concepts: Terminology and definitions—the shared vocabulary for the industrial age.

All content is versioned, validated against schemas, and maintained with production-grade rigor.

Access the Knowledge Base

Stay grounded in official ASDLC patterns and practices through two primary agent-ready interfaces:

1. Model Context Protocol (MCP)

AI agents can connect directly to browse, search, and retrieve ASDLC content via the `/mcp` endpoint.

Server Endpoint: https://asdlc.io/mcp

2. Downloadable Static Skill

For offline or local-first workflows, download the self-contained Knowledge Base bundle. Drop it into your project to give your local agent "ASDLC superpowers".

Download Skill (ZIP)