Using organizational engineering to build defect free systems, on schedule and within budget

Abstract

Summary form only given. According to the DoD, today's software and systems development life cycle (SDLC) paradigm is characterized by big cost overruns, schedule slips, and dramatic performance deficiencies in weapon, C4I, and automated information systems. Most people do not realize there is an alternative SDLC paradigm. The use of elements of this alternative paradigm enabled the design, development, production, and installation of a network of approximately 600 microprocessors controlling the solar collector section of the world's first commercial Solar Electrical Power Generating Station (SEGS-1) on schedule and within budget half way around the world from the development location. The early phases of the SDLC took place in Jerusalem, Israel, the installation was near Barstow, California. The system worked first time on initial installation only with a single Discrepancy Report (DR), for bad type of cable connector, in spite of geographic, cultural and language difficulties. In addition, the control system was optimized for a cost saving of at least $300000. The alternative SDLC paradigm uses an integrated product-process and management approach. Since systems engineering techniques are used on the organization as well as on the process and the product, the paradigm is called organizational engineering and may be used with conventional or object oriented design methodologies, and applies to large and small systems. The elements of the organizational engineering paradigm discussed are partitioning the system, partitioning the implementation, and proactive progress management.