Today the challenges that threaten the sustainability of the defense software industry are Cyber Security and austerity. How did the futurists get it wrong?
When it comes to large-scale software-intensive programs, it is time to move from aspirational slogans to a disruptive game changer to bring the defense industry into line with the austerity needs of the Department of Defense. The government understands what it needs. Yet industry is not hearing the message.
It is time to alter this dynamic by addressing the challenges of competition, innovation, and fixed price contracting in shifting from an expectation of compliance to one of leadership and innovation.
Commercial enterprises are finding ways to do more with less. The Department of Defense (DOD) must do the same. Austerity has been imposed on DOD. DOD must now impose austerity on the defense industry by requiring, demanding, and expecting the defense industry to accept fixed price contracting and by supplying incentives as the lubricant for its acceptance. Accomplishing this is essential to the sustainability of the defense software industry. This presentation outlines an experience-based software doctrine for large-scale, software-intensive systems development on fixed price contracts.