Project Management of Complex and Embedded Systems ─ Ensuring Product Integrity and Program Quality

There are many books on project management and many on embedded systems, but few address the project management of embedded products from concept to production. Project Management of Complex and Embedded Systems: Ensuring Product Integrity and Program Quality uses proven Project Management methods and elements of IEEE embedded software development techniques, to explain how to deliver a reliable complex system to market.
This volume begins with a general discussion of project management, followed by an examination of the various tools used before a project is underway. The book then delves into the specific project stages: concept, product development, process development, validation of the product and process, and release to production. Finally, post-project stages are explored, including failure reporting, analysis, corrective actions, and product support.
The book draws heavily on information from Department of Defense sources as well as systems developed by the Automotive Industry Action Group, General Motors, Chrysler, and Ford to standardize the approach to designing and developing new products. These automotive development and production ideas have universal value, particularly the concept of process and design controls. The authors use these systems to explain project management techniques that can assist developers of any embedded system. The methods explored can be adapted toward mechanical development projects as well.
The text includes numerous war stories offering concrete solutions to problems that might occur in production. Tables and illustrative figures are provided to further clarify the material. Organized sequentially to follow the normal life cycle of a project, this book helps project managers identify challenges before they become problems and resolve those issues that cannot be avoided.

Projects and Project Managers Delivery Overview of Program/Project Management Need for this Book Comparison of Approaches Automotive Industry Action Group Department of Defense Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Electronics Industry Association Process Management Areas Staged-Gate Methods in General What is a Gate? Reasons for Gate Reviews Objectives Gate Targets Importance of Gate Targets Selection Measurement of Targets (Statistics) Example of a Phased Project Project Management People Limited Resource Project Manager's role Organization and Integration Customer Focus Brainstorming Technical Solutions Quality Facilitate Team Creation Conflict Resolution Product Development Team Meetings Program Management Embedded Development Product Integrity and Reliability Product Integrity System-Level Testing Reliability Cost Structure of Sections Technical Tools Delivery Axioms of Program Management Supplier Selection Supplier Evaluation Capability Maturity Model Integrated Software Process Improvement and Capability dEtermination Work Breakdown Structure Resource Breakdown Structure Project Estimating and Scheduling Top Down Estimating Bottom Up Estimating Phased Estimating Project Evaluation and Review Technique CPM Network Diagram in General Constructive Cost Model II Product Integrity and Reliability Risk Management Risk Taxonomy Risk Methodology Risk Quantification Assessment of Product Risk Simulation and Modeling Verification Validation Stress Testing Reliability Testing Cost Project Acceptance Criteria Payback Period Return on Investment (ROI) IRR Market Share Project Cost Management Earned Value Management Budget Controls Cost Performance Index Schedule Performance Index Cost Variance Schedule Variance Estimate at Completion Estimate to Completion Variance at Completion Quality, Function, Deployment, and Cost Status War Story Human Resource Systems Thinking Project Manager Words Concept Concept Overview Inception Planning Implementation Regulation Termination Gate Targets - Past View Gate Targets - Future View Delivery Work Descriptions Project Charter Statement of Work and Statement of Objectives SOW Detail Charters versus SOWs Product Integrity and Reliability Voice of the Customer Quality Function Deployment Requirements and Constraints matrix Engineering Issues Bills of Material (Engineering) Change Management (Engineering) Change Management (Project Management) Material Specification Engineering Specification Customer Specification Specification Reviews Special Product Characteristics Hardware Revision Levels Production Issues Bills of Material (Manufacturing) Process Flow Diagram Special Process Characteristics Line Sequencing Quality Issues Quality Requirements Reliability Requirements Product Assurance Plan Software Quality Assurance Plan Cost Request for Proposal Contract Types (fixed, etc) Pugh matrix - Concept selection Crashing Program Definition Program Definition Risk Funding Risk Reducing the Risk Technical Risk Assessment Reducing the Risk Schedule Risk Reducing the Risk Management Support War Story Cutting Edge Components Herding Cats Product Development Product Development Overview Phase Objectives Inception Planning Implementation Regulation Termination Delivery Crashing Product Development Schedule Compression Crashing Limitation Crashing Risk Fast Tracking Fast Tracking Risk Product Integrity and Reliability Design Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (DFMEA) Design For Manufacture and Assembly Prototype Builds Key Product Characteristics Design Verification Product Development Risk Design Requirements Risk Reducing the Risk Design Policy Risk Reducing the Risk Design Process Risk Reducing the Risk Design Analysis Reducing the Risk Parts and Materials Selection Reducing the Risk Software Design Reducing the Risk Design Reviews Reducing the Risk Design Release Reducing the Risk Product Requirements Risk New Equipment, Tooling, and Facility Requirements Gauges and Testing Equipment Requirements Team Feasibility Commitment and Management Support Cost Request For Quote Make or Buy Analysis Value Analysis What is Value Analysis? Information Phase Functional Analysis Creative Phase Judgment Phase Development Phase Recommendation Phase Product Functional Decomposition Value Analysis Integrated into Design Process Outsourcing Project Manager Involvement in Negotiations Modular design War Story Production site Material availability Battery Commitment Process Development Delivery Process Development Overview Phase Objectives Initiate Plan Execute Control Closing Product Integrity and Reliability Process Flow Ideal Process Flow Less than Ideal Process Flow Process Flow Under Control PFMEA Key Control Characteristics PCP Special Process Characteristics Process Floor Plan Process Flow Chart Product and Process Quality System Review Characteristics Matrix Prelaunch Control Plan Process Instructions Measurement Systems Analysis Plan Packaging Specifications and Standards Corrugated Containers Returnable Containers Packing Slips Preliminary Process Capability Study Plan Crashing Process Development Process Development Risk Manufacturing Plan Reducing the Risk Quality Manufacturing Process Reducing the Risk Piece Part Control Reducing the Risk Supplier Control Reducing the Risk Defect Control Reducing the Risk Tool Planning Reducing the Risk Production Test Equipment Reducing the Risk Manufacturing Screening Reducing the Risk Process Capability Cost Cost and delivery performance Modular design of process and equipment Management Support War Story Validation of Product and Process Delivery Validation of Product and Process Overview Phase Objectives Initiate Planning Execute Control Closing Product Integrity and Reliability Design Verification Plan and Report Verification versus Validation Verification Validation Manufacturing Qualification Electronic Data Interchange Bench Testing versus Field Testing Bench Testing Final Product or Multievent Testing Measurement Systems Evaluation Preliminary Process Capability Study Production Part Approval Process Packaging Evaluation Process Control Plan Reduced Variation Common Cause Special Cause Crashing Verification and Validation Validation Risk Built-In Test Reducing the Risk Cost Outsourced Simulation War Story Last Minute Material Failure Component Qualification Trust But Verify PVT on Nonproduction Parts Slow Testing Feedback Errors Found in Production Release to Production Release to Production Overview Phase Objectives Inception Planning Implementation Regulation Termination Delivery Process Sign-Off Trial Production Runs Production Process Review Process Verification Testing First Time Capability Quality Planning Sign-off Pilot Runs Goals Objectives Runs-at-Rate Crashing Production Release Methods Builds Design Change Notification Product Integrity and Reliability Production Test Equipment Production Release Risk Service Parts Reducing the Risk Technical Documents Reducing the Risk Deviations Cost Delivery Performance Design for Manufacture Design for Assembly War Story Last Minute Material Failure Failure Reporting and Corrective Action System (Phase) Delivery Importance of Failure Reporting, Analysis, and Corrective Action System Initiate Planning Execute Control Closing Product Integrity and Reliability Risk Failure Reporting System Reducing the Risk Cost War Story Unplug It Product Support Delivery Project Management Responsibility Handing off the Project What Happens During launch Crashing Product Support Product Integrity and Reliability Launch Containment Cost Extensibility Emergency Shipment War Story Supplier/Customer relationship Field Failure Program Management Program management versus Project Management Program Manager Skill Set Final Thoughts How Many Programs Work Concurrently? Generalizing Automotive Techniques to Project Management Future Trends Globalization Reduction in Force Troubled Project Project Manager Origins “The Accidental Project Manager" Technical Talent as Project Managers Outsourcing Project Management Importance of Lessons Learned APPENDICES The 18 PPAP Documents System Requirements Review (SRR) System Design Review (SDR) Software Specification Review (SSR) Software Quality Assurance Plan (SQAP) Software and Hardware Reviews Preliminary Design Review (PDR) Critical Design Review (CDR) Test Readiness Review (TRR) Functional Configuration Audit (FCA) Physical Configuration Audit (PCA) Formal Qualification Review (FQR) Production Readiness Review (PRR) Embedded Development Overview Process Sign-off Software Metrics Software Metrics Project Metrics IEEE-1220 Systems Engineering Master Plan Format Release Notes FMEA Basics Bibliography Index