Cost of Quality (CoQ) metrics for telescope operations and project management

Nicole M. Radziwill

doi:10.1117/12.669399

22 June 2006 Cost of Quality (CoQ) metrics for telescope operations and project management

Nicole M. Radziwill

Proceedings Volume 6271, Modeling, Systems Engineering, and Project Management for Astronomy II; 627104 (2006) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.669399
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2006, Orlando, Florida , United States

Abstract

This study describes the goals, foundational work, and early returns associated with establishing a pilot quality cost program at the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT). Quality costs provide a means to communicate the results of process improvement efforts in the universal language of project management: money. This scheme stratifies prevention, appraisal, internal failure and external failure costs, and seeks to quantify and compare the up-front investment in planning and risk management versus the cost of rework. An activity-based Cost of Quality (CoQ) model was blended with the Cost of Software Quality (CoSQ) model that has been successfully deployed at Raytheon Electronic Systems (RES) for this pilot program, analyzing the efforts of the GBT Software Development Division. Using this model, questions that can now be answered include: What is an appropriate length for our development cycle? Are some observing modes more reliable than others? Are we testing too much, or not enough? How good is our software quality, not in terms of defects reported and fixed, but in terms of its impact on the user? The ultimate goal is to provide a higher quality of service to customers of the telescope.

Citation Download Citation

Nicole M. Radziwill "Cost of Quality (CoQ) metrics for telescope operations and project management", Proc. SPIE 6271, Modeling, Systems Engineering, and Project Management for Astronomy II, 627104 (22 June 2006); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.669399

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