diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 6467fc6..d7a7243 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@
 					<plugin>
 						<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
 						<artifactId>maven-assembly-plugin</artifactId>
-						<version>2.6</version>
+						<version>${plugin.assembly.version}</version>
 						<executions>
 							<execution>
 								<id>make-source-package</id>
@@ -170,6 +170,7 @@
 					<plugin>
 						<groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
 						<artifactId>build-helper-maven-plugin</artifactId>
+						<version>${plugin.build.helper.version}</version>
 						<executions>
 							<execution>
 								<!-- sets the skip.when.is.release.used property to true if SNAPSHOT is NOT used,
@@ -192,7 +193,7 @@
 					<plugin>
 						<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
 						<artifactId>maven-deploy-plugin</artifactId>
-						<version>3.0.0-M1</version>
+						<version>${plugin.deploy.version}</version>
 						<configuration>
 							<skip>${skip.when.is.release.used}</skip>
 						</configuration>
@@ -243,6 +244,7 @@
 					<plugin>
 						<groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
 						<artifactId>build-helper-maven-plugin</artifactId>
+						<version>${plugin.build.helper.version}</version>
 						<executions>
 							<execution>
 								<!-- sets the skip.when.is.release.used property to true if SNAPSHOT is NOT used,
@@ -265,7 +267,7 @@
 					<plugin>
 						<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
 						<artifactId>maven-deploy-plugin</artifactId>
-						<version>3.0.0-M1</version>
+						<version>${plugin.deploy.version}</version>
 						<configuration>
 							<skip>${skip.when.is.release.used}</skip>
 						</configuration>
@@ -340,6 +342,7 @@
 					<plugin>
 						<groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
 						<artifactId>build-helper-maven-plugin</artifactId>
+						<version>${plugin.build.helper.version}</version>
 						<executions>
 							<execution>
 								<!-- sets the skip.when.is.snapshot.used property to true if SNAPSHOT was used,
@@ -376,7 +379,7 @@
 					<plugin>
 						<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
 						<artifactId>maven-deploy-plugin</artifactId>
-						<version>3.0.0-M1</version>
+						<version>${plugin.deploy.version}</version>
 						<executions>
 							<execution>
 								<id>fail-if-snapshot-used</id>
@@ -390,7 +393,7 @@
 					<plugin>
 						<groupId>io.github.olivierlemasle.maven</groupId>
 						<artifactId>plaintext-maven-plugin</artifactId>
-						<version>1.0.0</version>
+						<version>${plugin.plaintext.version}</version>
 						<configuration>
 							<outputDirectory>${env.MAVEN_CONFIG_FOLDER}</outputDirectory>
 							<files>
@@ -477,6 +480,7 @@
 					<plugin>
 						<groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
 						<artifactId>build-helper-maven-plugin</artifactId>
+						<version>${plugin.build.helper.version}</version>
 						<executions>
 							<execution>
 								<!-- sets the skip.when.is.snapshot.used property to true if SNAPSHOT was used,
@@ -513,7 +517,7 @@
 					<plugin>
 						<groupId>io.github.olivierlemasle.maven</groupId>
 						<artifactId>plaintext-maven-plugin</artifactId>
-						<version>1.0.0</version>
+						<version>${plugin.plaintext.version}</version>
 						<configuration>
 							<outputDirectory>${env.MAVEN_CONFIG_FOLDER}</outputDirectory>
 							<files>
@@ -539,7 +543,7 @@
 					<plugin>
 						<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
 						<artifactId>maven-deploy-plugin</artifactId>
-						<version>3.0.0-M1</version>
+						<version>${plugin.deploy.version}</version>
 						<executions>
 							<execution>
 								<id>fail-if-snapshot-used</id>
@@ -570,7 +574,7 @@
 						<plugin>
 							<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
 							<artifactId>maven-deploy-plugin</artifactId>
-							<version>3.0.0-M1</version>
+							<version>${plugin.deploy.version}</version>
 							<configuration>
 								<skip>true</skip>
 							</configuration>
@@ -589,7 +593,7 @@
 				<plugin>
 					<groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
 					<artifactId>buildnumber-maven-plugin</artifactId>
-					<version>1.4</version>
+					<version>${plugin.buildnumber.version}</version>
 					<executions>
 						<execution>
 							<id>useLastCommittedRevision</id>
@@ -610,7 +614,7 @@
 				<plugin>
 					<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
 					<artifactId>maven-jar-plugin</artifactId>
-					<version>3.1.2</version>
+					<version>${plugin.jar.version}</version>
 					<configuration>
 						<archive>
 							<manifest>
@@ -630,7 +634,7 @@
 				<plugin>
 					<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
 					<artifactId>maven-war-plugin</artifactId>
-					<version>3.2.3</version>
+					<version>${plugin.war.version}</version>
 					<configuration>
 						<archive>
 							<manifest>
@@ -649,6 +653,7 @@
 				<plugin>
 					<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
 					<artifactId>maven-enforcer-plugin</artifactId>
+					<version>${plugin.enforcer.version}</version>
 					<executions>
 						<execution>
 							<id>enforce</id>
@@ -679,7 +684,7 @@
 				<plugin>
 					<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
 					<artifactId>maven-assembly-plugin</artifactId>
-					<version>2.6</version>
+					<version>${plugin.assembly.version}</version>
 					<dependencies>
 						<dependency>
 							<groupId>org.gcube.tools</groupId>
@@ -799,6 +804,7 @@
 									<pluginExecutionFilter>
 										<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
 										<artifactId>maven-enforcer-plugin</artifactId>
+										<version>${plugin.enforcer.version}</version>
 										<goals>
 											<goal>enforce</goal>
 										</goals>
@@ -857,7 +863,7 @@
 				<plugin>
 					<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
 					<artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
-					<version>3.8.1</version>
+					<version>${plugin.compiler.version}</version>
 					<configuration>
 						<target>${maven.compiler.target}</target>
 						<source>${maven.compiler.source}</source>
@@ -873,14 +879,14 @@
 			<plugin>
 				<groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
 				<artifactId>buildnumber-maven-plugin</artifactId>
-                <version>1.4</version>
+                <version>${plugin.buildnumber.version}</version>
             </plugin>
 
 			<!-- enforce integration build requirements -->
 			<plugin>
 				<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
 				<artifactId>maven-enforcer-plugin</artifactId>
-				<version>3.0.0-M3</version>
+				<version>${plugin.enforcer.version}</version>
 				<executions>
 					<execution>
 						<id>enforce-files-exist</id>
@@ -905,13 +911,13 @@
 			<plugin>
 				<groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
 				<artifactId>build-helper-maven-plugin</artifactId>
-                <version>3.0.0</version>
+                <version>${plugin.build.helper.version}</version>
             </plugin>
 
 			<plugin>
 				<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
 				<artifactId>maven-source-plugin</artifactId>
-				<version>2.1.2</version>
+				<version>${plugin.source.version}</version>
 				<executions>
 					<execution>
 						<id>generate-sources</id>
@@ -926,7 +932,7 @@
 			<plugin>
 				<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
 				<artifactId>maven-javadoc-plugin</artifactId>
-				<version>2.8</version>
+				<version>${plugin.javadoc.version}</version>
 				<executions>
 					<execution>
 						<id>generate-doc</id>
@@ -973,6 +979,19 @@
 	</build>
 
 	<properties>
+		<!-- version of commonly used plugins -->
+		<plugin.enforcer.version>3.0.0-M3</plugin.enforcer.version>
+		<plugin.buildnumber.version>1.4</plugin.buildnumber.version>
+		<plugin.build.helper.version>3.0.0</plugin.build.helper.version>
+		<plugin.deploy.version>3.0.0-M1</plugin.deploy.version>
+		<plugin.plaintext.version>1.0.0</plugin.plaintext.version>
+		<plugin.jar.version>3.1.2</plugin.jar.version>
+		<plugin.war.version>3.2.3</plugin.war.version>
+		<plugin.assembly.version>2.6</plugin.assembly.version>
+		<plugin.compiler.version>3.8.1</plugin.compiler.version>
+		<plugin.source.version>2.1.2</plugin.source.version>
+		<plugin.javadoc.version>2.8</plugin.javadoc.version>
+
 		<!-- default value for the distro directory -->
 		<distroDirectory>distro</distroDirectory>