Summary

Select supplier technical solutions to be analyzed and analysis methods to be used.

Description

The supplier technical solutions are typically in one of the following three stages:

  • Candidate solutions or preliminary designs (includes consideration of design approaches, design concepts, architectures, architectural styles and patterns, product partitions, major interfaces, system states and modes) that potentially satisfy an appropriate set of allocated functional and quality attribute requirements
  • Detailed designs for selected solutions (i.e., containing all the information needed to manufacture, code, or otherwise implement the design as a product or product component)
  • Implemented designs (i.e., the product or service)


Depending on where in the acquisition lifecycle the highest risks occur, the acquirer selects supplier technical solutions for analysis to reduce those risks. Analysis methods are selected based on the type of technical solution being analyzed and the nature of the risk.

 

For example, in the design phases of the supplier technical solution, quality attribute models, simulations, prototypes or pilots can be used to provide additional information about the properties of the potential design solutions to aid in their evaluation and selection. Simulations can be particularly useful for systems-of-systems.


 

For example, in the implementation phase of the supplier technical solution, the acquirer can examine a product to determine if it is ready for production and if the supplier has accomplished adequate production planning. The analysis would determine if production or production preparations incur unacceptable risks that might compromise cost, schedule, performance, or other established objectives. The acquirer might evaluate the full, production configured product to determine if it correctly and completely implements all contractual requirements. The acquirer could also determine whether the traceability of the final contractual requirements to the final production configured product has been maintained.


The acquirer may also want to select interfaces for analysis to help decide which interfaces require acquirer management. (See specific goal 2 of this process area.)

Example Work Products



  1. Criteria used to select supplier technical solutions for analysis
  2. Lists of supplier technical solutions selected for analysis
  3. Analysis methods for each selected supplier solution


Example Supplier Deliverables



  1. List of supplier deliverables


Subpractices



1. Develop criteria for determining which supplier technical solutions to analyze.

Refer to the Decision Analysis and Resolution (DAR) (CMMI-ACQ) process area for more information about establishing evaluation criteria.



2. Identify supplier technical solutions for analysis.

 

Supplier technical solutions that are typically analyzed by the acquirer include the following:
  • Supplier derived product and product component requirements, architectures, and designs
  • Product interface descriptions
  • Products and product components
  • Operations manuals
  • Plans for training the operations staff



3. Identify the functional and quality attribute requirements to be satisfied by each selected technical solution.

A traceability matrix is a useful tool for identifying requirements for each selected technical solution, as it typically includes information that relates requirements to work products. When identifying requirements for each selected technical solution, consult the appropriate traceability matrix.

Refer to the Maintain Bidirectional Traceability of Requirements specific practice in the Requirements Management (REQM) (CMMI-ACQ) process area for more information about tracing requirements to work products.



4. Identify the analysis methods to be used for each selected technical solution.

 

Examples of techniques used for analysis include the following:
  • Simulations
  • Prototyping
  • Architecture evaluation
  • Demonstrations



5. Include analysis methods and review activities in the project plan.

Refer to the Project Planning (PP) (CMMI-ACQ) process area for more information about establishing and maintaining plans that define project activities.