COST ENGINEERING – USING SIMPLIFIED COST MODELS TO EFFECTIVELY MANAGE LARGE SCALE DEVELOPMENT TEST ACTIVITIES

摘要

Large-scale “one-time” development test activities are often plagued by unexpected challenges. As a result, test directors and managers are often forced to make real-time mid-course corrections in an attempt to regain schedule or cost control. Unfortunately these decisions, when made on the basis of limited useful real-time information, often result in solutions that yield less than optimal results. This paper is an attempt to show how a Simplified Cost Model, tracking a limited set of parameters, can add significant value throughout the testing process. In addition to making projections and assessing progress, such a model can be the primary tool used to understand the scope of unexpected problems, develop and validate potential solutions, and determine the course of action which best meets the overall needs of the program.