Posted by An Approach for Building a Normalized Software Database using SRDRs
Software/Hardware/Tools Track
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Abstract:
During the last 2 1/2 years Technomics has collected software data for the Army. The Army recognized it will be many years before current ACAT I programs complete their software developments and hence receive the associated SRDR data. Because of this ‘software data gap’, the Army is funding research to collect software data from Army contractors for recently completed software developments. Technomics’ data collection approach is similar to that of the SRDRs: collect data in its raw unadulterated form and collect meaningful definitions of the data to permit correct interpretation of the data.
This issue of sound techniques for analyzing data from multiple developers will become more important as DoD analysts gain access to more and more SRDR data over the next decade. As analysts pull this data into their own databases and perform analyses, we strongly believe that the data must be properly interpreted, standardized, and normalized before drawing any conclusions.
It is our hope that our presentation on the methods and techniques that Technomics has adopted for the Army’s software database can serve as a basis of best practices for analyzing SRDR data in the future. Our presentation will include (1) a brief description of SRDRs (2) our database approach (3) problems we encountered with the data and (4) recommendations for building a sound software industry average database.
Author(s):
Michael Gallo
Mr. Gallo is a Senior Cost Analyst at Technomics, Inc. He has spent most of his 17 year career working with software intensive weapon systems, automated information systems and intelligence systems. Mr. Gallo continues to: 1) conduct research into improved techniques for estimating software development costs and 2) advocate better software data collection.. He recently updated both the design and documentation of DoD’s Software Resource Data Report and provided his expertise to train both Government and industry on how to report software data using the new SRDR. Mr. Gallo is also the principal architect of VERA, Technomics’ software cost and schedule estimating tool.
Prior to joining Technomics in June 2000, Mr. Gallo was a senior cost analyst at TASC where he was responsible for managing, developing, and integrating life cycle cost estimates of software intensive systems in both DoD and the Intelligence community.
During his five year tenure at the Naval Center for Cost Analysis, Mr. Gallo was a contributing author of the Navy Software Estimating Handbook. Mr. Gallo was also responsible for developing independent life cycle cost estimates and economic analyses on various Navy and Marine Corps systems. He holds both a Master of Engineering degree and Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Megan Holzman
Megan Holzman is a cost analyst at Technomics, Inc. Prior to her current research creating a normalized software cost estimating database for the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Cost & Economics, she supported implementation of DoD’s Cost and Software Data Report (CSDR) policy for the Defense Cost and Resource Center (DCARC). She also participated in various independent cost estimates and life-cycle estimates for the Navy. Ms. Holzman earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Virginia Tech in 2004.
Paul Hardin
Paul Hardin is currently a Senior Cost Analyst and Technical Director for Technomics, Inc. Mr. Hardin’s seventeen year career has focused on improving cost estimating methodologies for: software development, and system integration, radar systems, Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) hardware impacts, ship engineering and production, manned and unmanned ground combat vehicles. He has performed a variety of cost analysis for various programs including DDX, LCS, CGX, CVN, USCG Deepwater and VAMOSC programs. He is a former government cost analyst for the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), Cost Analysis Improvement Group (CAIG) and the Naval Center for Cost Analysis (NCCA). During Mr. Hardin’s tenure at the Naval Center for Cost Analysis, he was the principal lead for the joint US/UK effort in the development of the original Operating and Support Cost Analysis Model (OSCAM).
Mr. Hardin has also conducted cost analysis and modeling for the private sector. Prior to joining Technomics in 2001, Mr. Hardin performed financial analyses and developed Data and “Voice over IP” infrastructure design financial models for Broadband Office, Inc.
Mr. Hardin holds a Master’s degree in Systems Engineering from the Virginia Polytechnic and State Institute and a Bachelors degree in Industrial Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology
Elizabeth Koza
Elizabeth Koza is a Cost Analyst at Technomics, Inc. Since joining Technomics in December 2005, she has focused on software development and integration cost estimating. She has participated in research projects focusing on improving software data collection quality and cost estimating techniques. In addition, Ms. Koza has applied her software and integration knowledge by supporting various Navy acquisition programs. Most recently, she was part of a team responsible for developing and updating the software and integration portion of the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program Life Cycle Cost Estimate (PLCCE).
Ms. Koza started her cost analysis career in July 2000 as a Cost Analyst for the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Carderock Division, where developed cost estimating methodologies and estimates for several Navy programs. While supporting the Ohio Class SSGN Conversion Program, Ms. Koza worked onsite at the Naval Sea Systems Command Cost Engineering and Industrial Analysis Division (NAVSEA 05C).
Ms. Koza earned her Masters of Engineering degree in Systems Engineering from the University of Maryland and her Bachelors of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Johns Hopkins University.