  Software product lines (SPL) have emerged as a pivotal paradigm in software
engineering, enabling the efficient development of variant-rich software
systems. Consistently updating these systems, often through over-the-air
updates, enables the continuous integration of new features and bug fixes,
ensuring the system remains up to date throughout its entire lifecycle.
However, evolving such complex systems is an error prone task, leading to a
phenomenon known as erosion. This phenomenon significantly impacts the
efficiency and longevity of software systems, presenting a formidable challenge
for manufacturers of variant-rich software systems, such as in the automotive
domain. While existing studies concentrate on the evolutionary planning of
variant-rich software systems, there is a noticeable lack of research
addressing the problem of erosion. In this paper, we conduct an in-depth
exploration of the erosion phenomena within variant-rich software systems. We
begin by highlighting the significance of controlling erosion in extensive
variant-rich software systems. Subsequently, we address the current challenges
regarding tackling erosion, including issues such as the lack of a consensus on
understanding and defining erosion, as well as the early detection and
elimination. Finally, we outline a first approach aimed at tackling erosion in
variant-rich software systems.
