Agile Development of Hardware-Reliant Systems

Abstract

The Acquisition Innovation Research Center (AIRC) and Software Engineering Institute (SEI) sponsored a workshop on Agile Development of Hardware-Intensive Systems. This paper summarizes the results from that workshop and further discusses concepts of agile and DevSecOps in defense acquisition programs that include hardware-intensive development activities. Every technological revolution triggers changes in how work is done and managed, as well as how people are managed. As a result, traditional approaches become insufficient for addressing new problems. Commercial industry has adopted agile practices in software, hardware/software systems, and services to address rapidly changing threats to and opportunities in their business. The Department of Defense (DoD) now faces similar external drivers and must move to agile practices across all acquisition processes and functions. Workshop speakers and participants identified 10 primary themes that should scope transformation of future defense acquisition for all types of systems, not just software.