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Defense Acquisitions: Stronger Management Practices Are Needed to Improve DOD's Software-Intensive Weapon Acquisitions
GAO-04-393 Defense Acquisitions: Stronger Management Practices Are Needed to Improve DOD's Software-Intensive Weapon Acquisitions
The Department of Defense (DoD) has been relying increasingly on computer software to introduce or enhance the performance capabilities of major weapon systems. To ensure successful outcomes, software acquisition requires disciplined processes and practices. Without such discipline, weapon programs encounter difficulty in meeting cost and schedule targets. For example, in fiscal year 2003, DoD might have spent as much as $8 billion to rework software because of quality-related issues. GAO was asked to identify the practices used by leading companies to acquire software and to analyze the causes of poor outcomes of selected DoD programs. GAO also was asked to evaluate DoD's efforts to develop programs for improving software acquisition processes and to assess how those efforts compare with leading companies' practices. In a review of five DoD programs, GAO found that outcomes were mixed for software-intensive acquisitions. The F/A-18 C/D, a fighter and attack aircraft, and the Tactical Tomahawk missile had fewer additional cost and schedule delays. For these programs, developers used an evolutionary approach, disciplined processes, and meaningful metrics. In contrast, the following programs, which did not follow these management strategies, experienced schedule delays and cost growth: F/A-22, an air dominance aircraft; Space-Based Infrared System, a missile-detection satellite system; and Comanche, a multimission helicopter. GAO recommends that the Secretary of Defense direct the military services and agencies to adopt specific controls to improve software acquisition outcomes. These practices should be incorporated into DoD policy, software process improvement plans, and development contracts. DoD concurred with two revised recommendations and partially concurred with two others.
A broad consensus exists that weapon system problems are serious, but efforts at reform have had limited impact. Last year, it was reported that DoD's portfolio of weapon programs experienced cost growth of $295 billion from first estimates, were delayed by an average of 21 months, and delivered fewer quantities and capabilities to the war-fighter than originally planned. This testimony describes the systemic problems that contribute to the cost, schedule, and performance problems in weapon system programs, recent actions that DoD has taken to address these problems, proposed reform legislation that has recently been introduced, and additional steps needed to improve future performance of acquisition programs. Charts and tables.
Compares quality mgmt. practices used by the DoD & its contractors to those used by leading commercial co¿s. & made suggestions for improvement. The report: determined the impact of quality problems on selected weapon systems & prime contractor practices that contributed to the problems; identified commercial practices that can be used to improve DoD weapon systems; identified problems that DoD must overcome; & identified recent DoD initiatives that could improve quality. The author examined 11 DoD weapon systems with known quality problems & met with quality officials from DoD, defense prime contractors, & 5 leading commercial co¿s. that produce complex products &/or are recognized for quality products. Illus.