AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE EXTENT AND SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM ASSOCIATED WITH THE ACQUISITION MANAGEMENT OF SOFTWARE

DE&S are responsible for many systems that are software-dependent, i.e. without the software they cannot deliver their capability. Additionally, DE&S acquire and sustain many systems that have a software component. Some of the systems are software-intensive where software essentially influences the design, construction, deployment and evolution of the system as a whole. By this definition, any system is dependent on software.

It is estimated that over 80% of all new projects brought into core within MOD are heavily reliant on software to enable their overall functionality. The MOD through DE&S spends in excess of £1bn per annum on software systems that are critical to capability delivery. While there are some published studies, there are additionally many more anecdotal accounts of others, and the true extent, nature and cost of software issues is an unknown. The US DOD has undertaken some historical investigation into the costs associated with software within their acquisition process. To date the MOD has no quantitative information that describes the extent of the issue that software is causing across the MOD software engineering lifecycle. Therefore it is necessary that MOD undertakes a comprehensive assessment of software failures, liabilities and consequences including costs, in terms of resources to the MOD in order to invest in risk reduction measures.