Summary

Analyze selected supplier technical solutions.

Description

Depending on the type of technical solution being analyzed (i.e., preliminary design, detailed design, design implementation of components or their interfaces), the results of the analysis are provided to the technical review described in the next specific practice.

 

For example, the acquirer should assess the design as it matures in the context of the requirements to identify issues and expose unstated needs and customer requirements.


The acquirer should select a supplier’s design to analyze by exploring the adequacy and completeness of that design by reviewing product representations (e.g., prototypes, simulations, models, scenarios, storyboards) and by obtaining feedback about them from relevant stakeholders.

The acquirer should confirm the following:
  • The selected design adheres to applicable design standards and criteria.
  • The design adheres to allocated functional and quality attribute requirements.
  • The resulting product will perform appropriately in its intended-use environment.


During design implementation, the supplier implements the design reviewed and analyzed by the acquirer by developing product components, integrating those components, conducting unit and integration testing of the product, and developing end-user documentation.

A successful analysis of the supplier’s implementation is predicated on the acquirer’s determination that the requirements are fully met in the final production configuration, that the production capability forms a satisfactory basis for proceeding into pilots or full-rate production, and that the product is ready to be brought into the acquirer environment for further integration and acceptance testing.

 

Examples of success criteria for the analysis of the supplier’s detailed design prior to its transition to design implementation include the following:
  • The product baseline enables hardware fabrication and software coding to proceed with proper configuration management.
  • Adequate production processes and measures are in place for the project to succeed.
  • Risks are managed effectively.
  • The detailed design is producible within the production budget.


The acquirer can require delivery of verification results from the supplier of the technical solution, as applicable. The suppliers can conduct verifications in an iterative fashion, concurrently with the acquirer’s technical analyses, or the supplier can be required to conduct follow-on verifications of technical solutions.

 

Typical expectations for verification addressed by the supplier agreement include the following:
  • List of deliverables and other work products that must be verified by the supplier
  • Applicable standards, procedures, methods, tools
  • Criteria for verification of supplier work products
  • Measurements to be collected and provided by the supplier with regard to verification activities
  • Reviews of supplier verification results and corrective actions with the acquirer


 

Examples of considerations for follow-on verifications of technical solutions include the following:
  • During the production stage of the project, there are changes in either materials or manufacturing processes.
  • Production startup or re-start occurs after a significant shutdown period.
  • Production starts up with a new supplier.
  • A manufacturing site has relocated.


The acquirer should also confirm that sufficient end-user documentation has been developed and is in alignment with the tested implementation. The supplier can develop preliminary versions of the installation, operations, and maintenance documentation in early phases of the project lifecycle for review by acquirer and relevant stakeholders.

Example Work Products



  1. Record of analysis
  2. Results of analysis


Example Supplier Deliverables



  1. Alternative solutions
  2. Product architecture
  3. Product component designs
  4. Architecture evaluations
  5. Unit and integration test results
  6. Verification results


Subpractices



1. Confirm that the selected technical solution adheres to applicable standards and criteria.

2. Confirm that the selected technical solution adheres to allocated functional and quality attribute requirements.

3. Use analysis results to compare actual performance measurements to specified thresholds of technical performance measures.

Refer to the Measurement and Analysis (MA) (CMMI-ACQ) process area for more information about analyzing measurement data.



4. Conduct technical interchange meetings as necessary.

Technical interchange meetings are scheduled meetings between the supplier and acquirer to discuss technical progress. These meetings are less formal than the event-driven technical reviews in the next specific practice. One of the purposes of these meetings is to discuss and understand issues encountered during acquirer analyses or provided results of supplier verification activities.



5. Confirm that the selected technical solution is sufficiently analyzed and meets entrance criteria to begin technical review.

6. Review critical verification results and data from verifications conducted by the supplier.