An Innovative Approach to Lower the Risk of Software Intensive Development Programs

Abstract

Since 1973, nearly 80% of DoD ACAT I programs have experienced cost overruns, coupled with a four-out-of-five chance of not fielding capability to the warfighter on time. With the DoD acquisition reforms of the past two decades, the probability of program success (PoPS) rate is improving. To continue improving PoPS, program management tools and techniques need to develop and become institutionalized to monitor software-intensive-based capability control, and logic development efforts. A lack of sufficient tools to monitor software development costs and performance to the integrated baseline drives uncertainty and risk. The earned value management system (EVMS) approach lacks meaningful measures for software-intensive development programs and "you can't control what you can't measure" (DeMarco, 1986, p. 58). Using commercially available (often freeware) tools, a robust set of automated managers can measure near real-time progress and identify trouble areas early in the software development process to allow meaningful correction to occur. This paper explores agile sprint development and continuous integration and test best practices, and the potential for an innovative approach of intertwining the two to reduce risk and increase PoPS. The presentation includes 20 briefing charts.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 30, 2012
Accession Number
ADA563534

Entities

People

  • Jeff Dunlap

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics
  • Biomedical
  • C4I
  • Human Systems
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acquisition
  • Agile Software Development
  • Best Practices
  • Business Administration
  • Computer Programs
  • Computers
  • Costs
  • Department Of Defense
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Engineering
  • Governments
  • Information Systems
  • Program Management
  • Public Policy
  • Software Development
  • Systems Engineering
  • Test And Evaluation

Fields of Study

  • Computer science

Readers

  • Defense Acquisition Program Management
  • Software Engineering.
  • Systems Analysis and Design