The Schedule as Independent Variable (SAIV) Process for Acquisition of Software-Intensive Systems

摘要

Many system acquisitions do not achieve on-time delivery because of delays in softwarerndevelopment. This paper presents a highly successful approach for on-time delivery ofrnsoftware-intensive systems: the Schedule As Independent Variable (SAIV) process. The SAIVrnprocess involves prioritization of desired features; scoping a Core Capability of top-priorityrnfeatures easily achievable within the available schedule; architecting for ease of dropping orrnadding borderline-priority features; monitoring progress with respect to plans; and adding orrndropping borderline-priority features to meet the schedule target. The paper summarizesrnexperiences and discusses critical success factors in applying the SAIV acquisition processrnacross a range from small in-house e-services projects to very large Government systems ofrnsystems.