October 09, 2009
Abstract
For those who missed the AIAA conference last month in Pasadena, CA., the authors of this paper have agreed to reprise their presentation for your edification.
The first presentation addresses the experience that system integration has on many occasions troubled the development and deployment of aeronautic and astronautic systems. The classic systems description “late and overrun” is traceable to multiple causes; prominent among them being the discovery of major flaws during integration and test. Northrop Grumman has adopted the Software Engineering Institute’s Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) System Engineering Model and Integrated Product Model, implementing them as methodologies, techniques, and subject matter expert knowledge shared across projects to avoid these flaws. Metrics collected over the years and CMMI audits have revealed that problems that occur during product integration were generally “baked into the cake” beforehand and are therefore not problems with the integration process itself. The importance of establishing processes for the entire System Development team has become the standard for high maturity companies. There have been many studies on the benefits of adopting the CMMI in terms of return on investment to companies and increased customer satisfaction, but what about the benefits for the integration and test effort? With processes in place and CMMI levels 3 & 4 practices being followed, the following of level 5 practices has added the edge required for preventing the occurrence of defects and rework that has proven to be very costly on past programs. Techniques for ensuring accomplishment of these positive results will be presented.
Your Presenter: Cecilia Harrison is a Software Engineer/I&T Engineering Manager at Northrop Grumman Corporation’s (NGC) Information Systems (IS) Sector. Cecilia has developed and tested software for embedded, mission planning, missile guidance, range support, satellite and image processing systems. She has over 30 years experience in the area of Software Engineering and Integration & Test. Cecilia currently manages a department of System Engineering Integration & Test engineers.
Cecilia has earned a BS in Applied Mathematics from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo California. She was recently awarded a Women of Color award as recognized by Women of Color magazine for her excellence in the technology field. She has been selected by NG/IS as a tier-one nominee for the Black Engineer of the Year award in the area of Leadership and Education, which will be awarded in 2010.
Your Presenter: Warren Scheinin is a systems engineer at Northrop Grumman Corporation’s (NGC) Information Systems Sector where he has assisted projects in process improvement and maturity audits and assessments over the last seven years. He has over 35 years of experience in software development and management and teaches his Sector’s risk management course. Warren has assisted dozens of projects in attaining ISO-9000 and CMM Level 3 through CMMI Level 5 certifications at four major aerospace companies.
Warren has earned a BS in Electrical Engineering from the Johns Hopkins University and an MS in Computer Science from the Applied Physics Lab in Columbia, Maryland.
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Logistics
Location: Northrop Grumman E2 Presentation Center (in tall building off of Entrance 2), Redondo Beach, CA (formerly TRW) - 2299 Marine Ave., Redondo Beach, CA 90278
Directions: Take the 405 Inglewood exit (southbound it's the exit after Rosecrans East, northbound it's the exit just after Hawthorne) and go north on Inglewood Avenue (southbound, turn left at the end of the ramp, northbound, turn right). Turn left at Marine. Continue West under the freeway past the railroad tracks three lights to Simon Ramo Drive. E2 is on the tall white building to the LEFT, past the shorter presentation building. (See page 733 A5 of the Thomas Brothers Guide.)
Time: 9 a.m. - 12:00 noonAdmission: Free Reservations: No reservations are necessary, except for Foreign Nationals.
Please Note: Foreign Nationals, including Northrop Grumman
foreign employees, must contact Warren Scheinin
(warren.scheinin@ngc.com) at least three (3) days before
the meeting so NGC can process the paperwork for visits
in a NGC building in accordance with Department of
Defense regulations. The usual identification (passport,
green card, student visa) will be necessary on the visit
day.
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