Evaluating the Software Design of a Complex System of Systems

Abstract : Schedule- or event-driven reviews are a crucial element of any major software development project. Such reviews tend to focus on different aspects of development, and different types of reviews provide different benefits. The sum of these reviews, however, is inadequate to address the needs of software development in a complex system of systems (SoS) environment. What is needed is a true, evidence-driven, SoS-level evaluation capable of providing an overall assessment of, and insight into, the software development effort in that context. This report discusses the application of the Lifecycle Architecture (LCA) event to what was an enormously complex SoS program: the Army's Future Combat Systems. From the FCS experience, readers will gain insight into the issues of applying the LCA in an SoS context and be ready to apply the lessons learned in their own domains.