Sharpen Yourself: A Kanban System for Software Engineering

Software heavy

Software is a growing slice of military production budgets, and it isn’t always found in obvious places. On the ground, BAE Systems’ FMTV medium trucks seem prosaic, but a look under the hood reveals an astonishing level of software code in each vehicle. The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, a big winner in the Pentagon’s FY 2010 budget recommendations, considers the aircraft’s code to be one of its most important – and most secret – aspects. In the Navy, a movement toward open electronic architectures is culminating in the DDG-1000 “destroyer” and its Total Ship Computing Environment – an area recently identified by the US GAO audit office as a significant program risk.

The commercial world is moving toward Agile Programming models, in part as a solution to its perennial problems with late and over-budget releases. For various reasons, that could prove to be a difficult transition in the defense industry.

(click for presentation)

Former Microsoft and Corbis development manager David Anderson offers an intriguing way forward, using an approach that builds on key methods already in use within the defense industry: Goldratt’s Theory of Constraints, Kanban, and Lean business. David’s results were impressive. His QCon 2009 presentation is enlightening, as he explains the systems used, his approach to implementation, and the results.

Northrop Grumman Goes Even with US Government On Legal Settlements

Northrop Grumman has disposed of 2 lawsuits involving the US government by setting them off against each other.

The first matter involved a lawsuit filed by Northrop Grumman in December 1996 against the U.S. government for recovery of uncompensated costs, investments and a reasonable profit related to the Tri-Service Standoff Attack Missile (TSSAM) program that the government canceled for convenience in 1995. Under the terms of the agreement, the Department of Justice valued Northrop Grumman’s TSSAM claims at $325 million.

The second matter involved a U.S. Department of Justice claim related to certain microelectronics parts produced by the former TRW Inc., prior to its acquisition by Northrop Grumman in 2002, based on allegations contained in a False Claims Act case. Under the terms of the agreement, the Department of Justice valued its claims regarding the microelectronics matter at $325 million.

The net is, of course, zero. Note that in Q3 2006, the company had recorded a legal provision for settlement and legal expenses related to the microelectronics claim. Northrop Grumman release.