"There are two crucial elements to [the Customer/Supplier] pattern." #readingToday

There are two crucial elements to this pattern. 1. The relationship must be that of customer and supplier, with the implication that the customer's needs are paramount. Because the downstream team is not the only customer, the different customers' demands have to be balanced in negotiation— but they remain priorities. This situation is in contrast to the poor-cousin relationship that often emerges, in which the downstream team has to come begging to the upstream team for its needs. 2. There must be an automated test suite that allows the upstream team to change its code without fear of breaking the downstream, and lets the downstream team concentrate on its own work without constantly monitoring the upstream team.

Domain-Driven Design, Eric Evans