This chapter presents the concepts and guidelines that CMMI has to offer on establishing criteria and selecting product or product component solutions from alternative solutions. It includes the concepts of decision analysis and resolution for more formal decision making. Critical insight is provided that shows that alternative solutions not only are different ways of addressing the same requirements but also reflect a different allocation of requirements among the product components comprising the solution set. This chapter will also focus on the design and implementation of the product or product component.

Selecting the Best Alternative Solution

Alternative solutions need to be identified and analyzed to enable the selection of a balanced solution across the life of the product in terms of cost, schedule, performance, and quality. This concept first appeared in Chapter 7 as the quadruple constraint that needed to be optimized.

To illustrate why identifying and selecting the best alternative solution is such an important consideration, let us build a possible scenario.

The Problem: Provide a product or product component solution across the life of the product that optimizes the quadruple constraints of:

• Cost;

• Schedule;

• Performance;

• Quality.

The Solution: This may be accomplished through the allocation of the requirements to:

• Software;

• Hardware;

• Electronics;

• Mechanics;

• Hydraulics;

• Manufacturing processes;

• Services;

• People.

It may be accomplished through:

• In-house development;

• Purchase of commercial-off-the-shelf products;

• Use of suppliers;

• Use of reuse components.

It will be influenced by the proposed product architecture that addresses the critical quality factors of the product such as maintainability...