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existing tools to enable the addition of an integrated test procedure suite and mak-
ing it applicable at the earliest development stages, the ability to move from left
to right across the V gap can become greatly enhanced. What can be gained from
this approach is a very high degree of concurrent development, bolstering early fault
detection, design enhancement, and the potential shortening of overall development
time. Although the diagram in Figure 19.2 is somewhat outdated, it clearly depicts
deficiencies in current software tools and tool availability to meet well-defined tasks
and requirements. Software companies are making inroads to these territories, but
it is also evident that gross discontinuities exist between the conceptual framework
of a development process and a real-world ability to implement such a process
economically. Furthermore, Figure 19.2 makes clear the need for unification of the
subprocesses that can lead to the unification of an entire system process that allows
real-world implementation of the theoretical model. The color coding in Figure 19.2
represents a “bridging” process applicable to components of an overall system devel-
opment process considered analogous with concurrent engineering design and design
for manufacturing and assembly, which also are accepted development processes. It
is evident that an evolution toward the integration of these subprocesses can increase
oversight and concurrency at all levels of development.
Typical engineering projects of systems with even low-to-moderate complexity can
become overly convoluted when multiple tools are required to complete the various
aspects of the overall system tasks. It is typical for a modern software engineering
project to have multiple resource databases for specifications, requirements, project
files, design and testing tools, and reporting formats. A fully integrated and unified
process that bridges the V gap would solve the problem of configuring multiple tools
and databases to meet the needs of a single project. Furthermore, such an approach
can simplify a process that follows recent developmental trends of increased use of a
model-based design paradigm.
Potential benefits of an integrated development process include
High degree of traceability, resulting in ease of project navigation at all levels
of engineering/management
High degree of concurrent development, resulting in a reduction of overall
project development time/time to market
Testing at early/all stages enabled, resulting in potential for improved product
and reduced debugging costs
These benefits alone address several of the largest issues faced by developers
to improve quality and reduce costs and, therefore, remain competitive in the global
marketplace. Benefits also apply to other developmental practices adapted to enhance
recent trends in design and quality processes such as the model-based design paradigm
in which testing can be done iteratively throughout the entire development process.
An integrated process also can add utility to reiterative process structures such as
Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) and Six Sigma/DFSS, which have
become instrumental practices for quality assurance (see Chapter 11).
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