ADPS (Application Development Project Support), developed in the IBM Vienna Software Development Laboratory, is an environment for the industrial development of application software. Crucial prerequisite for such an environment is the definition of a detailed process of how to proceed (a Process Model ) and an appropriate instrumentation via computer support (a Process Mechanism ) which not only helps the users to follow the established process but also provides the users with various support functions.This paper puts the Process Model ( ADPS/M ) and the Process Mechanism ( ADPS/P ) into the broader context of current software engineering concepts. It explains principles and reasons for the architecture of ADPS.