A Framework for the Specification of Acquisition Models

This report describes a framework for the specification of acquisition models. The exposition is formal in nature. The framework is defined in terms of activities, events, requirements, and instances of a system. In addition, various relations among these items, such as the relation between acquisition activities and acquisition events, are defined. The timing properties associated with the items receives special treatment. The value of a framework is that one can develop specifications of various acquisition models, such as waterfall, spiral, or incremental, as instances of that framework. Formalizing the specification of an acquisition model has benefit in that one can reason about the characteristics of the domain addressed by the model. When this is done for multiple acquisition models, each derived from the same framework, it is possible to compare different acquisition approaches

Using EVMS with COTS-Based Systems

With the increased use of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software products, managers of software development projects must plan and track performance of projects that have new challenges and risks. A system developer may be required to integrate multiple COTS products with newly developed custom components and legacy system components. How are these new activities and tasks planned and monitored? Can traditional management methods be used? Earned Value is a project management tool used extensively to plan and monitor performance against the plan. This paper's focus is on the use of Earned Value in the context of a COTS-Based System (CBS). It's written for an audience already familiar with Earned Value Project Management; only the basic definitions are discussed here with the associated terminology. A bibliography is included, offering good sources for obtaining more in-depth information on Earned Value history and methodology

A Basis for an Assembly Process for COTS-Based Systems (APCS)

This paper describes a generic process framework for developing software systems based on commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products. The framework is based on Barry Boehm's familiar spiral development process. However, it is primarily intended for projects that make significant use of commercial components and other pre-existing software as elements of the system to be fielded. The aspects of the process that are most affected by this reliance on COTS components lie in the area of requirements, and the description of the process is most extensive in that area. The necessity of using system prototypes as the major vehicle for reducing risk is assumed, as are parallel and interleaved periods of gathering and refining knowledge about the system to be built. Each element of the process is first described and then depicted in several models, using Integrated Definition modeling technique (IDEF0). The paper describes how the interactions between the candidate COTS components, the stakeholders' implicit and explicit needs, and the context in which the system will operate all provide interacting constraints on both the process and the resulting system

Case Study: Computer Supplier Evaluation Practices of the Parenteral Drug Association (PDA)

This case study describes the development of a method for evaluating computer and software suppliers for the pharmaceutical industry. The study describes the role of government regulation within the industry and the need for standardized audits of computer and software suppliers. The audit method consists of six steps: initiation, pre-work, auditing, observations and reporting, decision, and follow-up. Each of these steps is described in detail, as are several features of the method: a data collection tool, an audit repository, and extensive auditor training supervised by an industry-regulated oversight agency. Finally, the report describes the benefits of this audit method, together with a set of lessons learned about the audit of computer and software suppliers

Reference Model for Project Support Environments (Version 2.0)

The U.S. Navy has embarked on the next Generation Computer Resources (NGCR) program to fulfill its need for standard computing resources. The program revolves around the selection of interface standards in six areas. The interface standards will be based on existing industry standards with multi-vendor support. The objective is to restructure the Navy's approach to take better advantage of commercial advances and to reduce cost and duplication of computer resources. This document is part of the NGCR program

Rules of Thumb for the Use of COTS Products

More and more organizations are realizing the benefits-and sometimes the necessity-of incorporating commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products in the systems they acquire and use. But COTS products are not necessarily the right solution for every system. When is it wise to pursue a COTS-based systems approach, and when is it best to hold back? How can sound COTS-based-system practices be reconciled with an organization's regulatory and policy constraints? This report provides some information to help guide these decisions

A Process for COTS Software Product Evaluation

The growing use of commercial software products in large systems makes evaluation and selection of appropriate products an increasingly essential activity. However, many organizations struggle in their attempts to select appropriate software products for use in systems. As part of a cooperative effort, the Software Engineering Institute and National Research Council Canada have defined a tailorable commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software product evaluation process that can support organizations in making carefully reasoned and sound product decisions. The background fundamentals for that evaluation process, as well as steps and techniques to follow, are described in this report