Microcomputer Software System Development: Suggested Revisions to MIL-STD-1521A for Cost-Effective Acquisition of Custom Software through Software Engineering

摘要

DOD annual investment in computer systems, much of it in micro-computers, will be $38 billion by 1990, up 900 percent from 1980. Software maintenance costs will be 64 percent of the 1990 total, or more than $24 billion. Software maintenance can be greatly reduced through systemic software development as prescribed by MIL-STD-1521A, but DOD managers complain that the process, originally designed for the acquisition of multi-million dollar mainframe systems, not for microcomputers, is much too slow, and therefore not cost effective. Data automation experts point out, however, that development haste in conflict with 1521A increases future maintenance costs. This thesis displays the problem using a recent case study from the Alaskan Air Command, and presents a new acquisition procedure incorporating microcomputer software engineering techniques which reduce system development time while preserving high software quality as intended by the regulations. (Author)