Fort Worth, Texas, 10-FEB-00 -- Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, Fort Worth, was recently recognized as an example of best practices for its application of quantitative process management and software quality management techniques to the F-16 Modular Mission Computer (MMC) project.

David Card, Software Productivity Consortium, described these techniques at the international Object-Oriented Software Quality Seminar conducted at the offices of the Canadian National Research Council on Feb. 7, 2000 in Ottawa, Canada.

The seminar focused on measuring and improving the quality of object-oriented software. Mr. Card, one of the leading experts in the field, used LM Aero as an example of a company that uses statistical process control (SPC) and proactive software quality management techniques in ensuring the success of delivered products.

The F-16 MMC project performs SPC on rigorous inspections of object-oriented analysis and object-oriented design products in the early software development phases as well as similar inspections during source code implementation.

In addition, during all software development phases, actual defects detected are compared against an LM Aero-generated prediction model. Defect resolution rate metrics, which show the number of open anomalies against the remaining time span prior to delivery, are used to ensure a quality product at delivery.

These techniques contributed to the achievement of a Software Engineering Institute (SEI) Capability Maturity Model Level 4 rating assessed at LM Aero in December 1999. This rating places the company among the top 5 percent of U.S. Department of Defense contractors for software development, and demonstrates the software development and management expertise Lockheed Martin can supply for the Joint Strike Fighter program.