Software Factories

I don't have a problem with the concept of Software Factories, but I think it's a bad term.


What do you think of when you think of a factory?  I think of a smelly place that's got a bunch of union people working machines without really needing to understand the product they're building.


Products aren't designed at the factory; they're manufactured there. 


What do you get from a factory?  Is it something tailored to your individual needs?  No; you an instance of whatever product the machines were configured to produce.


Not a good metaphor.