Reusable parts often need to be changed before they can be used in a specific application. They should be structured so that change is easy and as localized as possible. One way of achieving adaptability is to create general parts with complete functionality, only a subset of which might be needed in a given application. Another way to achieve adaptability is to use Ada's generic construct to produce parts that can be appropriately instantiated with different parameters. Both of these approaches avoid the error-prone process of adapting a part by changing its code but have limitations and can carry some overhead.

Anticipated changes, that is, changes that can be reasonably foreseen by the developer of the part, should be provided for as far as possible. Unanticipated changes can only be accommodated by carefully structuring a part to be adaptable. Many of the considerations pertaining to maintainability apply. If the code is of high quality, clear, and conforms to well-established design principles such as information hiding, it is easier to adapt in unforeseen ways.