Software Engineering Institute

Although cutting costs is an important goal, it's critical to recognize that cost containment alone may be a hollow victory if it yields less costly-- but lower quality--solutions that don't meet their operational requirements and that can't be sustained effectively and affordably over their lifecycles. It's, therefore, essential to balance cost savings, on the one hand, with ensuring stringent quality control on the other. What is needed are methods, techniques, tools, and processes that enable software and systems engineers, program managers, and other acquisition professionals to ensure that cost-cutting strategies don't compromise the quality and sustainability of their integrated solutions.