Software Tools

To help streamline operations and manage resources more effectively, the Pentagon began work on several technical projects, including the integrated computer-aided software engineering (I-CASE) acquisition. This effort is intended to provide the military with standard software development tools that can improve software quality and reduce the costs of developing and maintaining software. Due to the immaturity and the evolving nature of the I-CASE industry, GAO concludes that it is very risky for the Defense Department (DOD) to try to implement I-CASE throughout the military. Further, DOD's strategy of acquiring I-CASE tools before determining how its business process will change and what its future software development needs will be is not prudent. DOD has little assurance that the I-CASE contract will deliver products and services that meet the military's needs.

GAO found that: (1) the I-CASE industry has agreed on few accepted tool standards and has not achieved consensus on which software development projects can best benefit from the use of I-CASE tools; (2) little evidence exists that CASE tools can improve software quality or productivity; (3) the DOD strategy to procure and install integrated sets of CASE tools throughout the department has serious shortcomings; (4) DOD has not adequately analyzed its software development processes, but plans to install CASE tools without prototypes to determine whether I-CASE tools will be capable of supporting software development; and (5) DOD could waste millions of dollars on automated software tools that do not meet its needs unless it incorporates a more systematic approach to implementing I-CASE technology.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

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