A machine tool manufacturer is struggling with increasing complexity in its product range and at the same time decreasing competitiveness. Numerous new developments in the recent past did not achieve the desired market success. In order to counteract this, a program architecture appropriate to the complexity is to be designed and implemented together with a new product architecture. The product range is to be consistently aligned with the target markets and their requirements. Along the future machine series, modular systems will help to implement new developments faster and more cost-effectively.