Key Program Management Skills Defined
James Falasco
The below notes are in support of the recent skills assessment note you sent out. Your Requirements are indicated in Red my response is in black.
· Research and Development Contract Capture:
The ability to respond successfully to Requests for Proposal and to win competitive research contracts from US Government agency customers.
In a bid & proposal activity effort I have led and contributed to teams that have won SBIR’S, BAA’s and various unsolicited proposals . Examples of major programs captured include the Autonomous Land Vehicle System effort. In the mid 1980's DARPA launched the original ALV Program. This program served as the catalyst for several enabling technologies including "artificial intelligence" , "image processing" & embedded computing. The prime contractor was Martin Marietta Denver. There were over 100 sub-contractors involved in all aspects of the program. At the time I was involved with the leading company in Image Processing , Vicom Systems Inc. based in San Jose ,Ca. I performed in various capacities at Vicom Systems including roles in Program Management,Sales,Marketing and Product Development. I had a key role in supporting the ALV program from it's inception. I was involved in initial technology planning sessions which defined high level systems goals and outlined the entire 5 year technology road map. In support of initial systems roll out I configured the various systems required and drove the packages from the proposal stage through procurement. I supported over 100 companies in the ALV food chain including : Hughes ,Carnegie-Mellon Univ.,General Dynamics ,United Defense,Emmerson Electronic,Texas Instruments,US Army Research Labs @ TACCOM,Fort Monmoth,Dugway & Belvoir , Sandia Labs and Los Alimos. This program generated 6 M in sales over 2 years for Vicom and led to a very successful initial demo in August 1984. Current Research & Development Contract Capture is focusing on the Army’s marquee program “Future Combat Vehicle Systems” This program is funded now for 127 B.
I have led Requests For Proposals for three efforts now outstanding and won 3 design ins to date that have generated several million in sales.
Technology Transition:
The ability to successfully transition processes and technology developed in R&D organizations to other business units and products within the enterprise.
While at Gould Electronics I held an assignment for a several year period that focused on the transition of technology from their acquired imaging subsidiary out to various segments within Gould Corporate. At that time Gould Corporate was a loose confederation of high tech companies that all had been acquired and placed in various related sectors that focused on Computers ,Navigation, Transportation and Industrial Controls/Instrumentation as market examples. I managed the core technology R & D business development group within the Imaging & Graphics Division whose responsibility it was to spin evolving nascent technology into short term tactical design win potential so Gould could bid on mega project opportunities that covered various disciplines. The exercise was one of seeking large programs where Gould could supply most of the technology required from it’s internal divisions with the missing pieces coming from technology we spun out of our Imaging & Graphics R 7 D lab. While most of the lab work was funded from within Gould several million dollars flowed in from outside research contracts we were leveraging. Design wins achieved using this strategy were efforts in Medical PACS ( Picture Archive Retrieval System) where medical personal could view patient imagery on a networked basis around the hospital complex. Using Gould Computers and Image Displays combined with spun out lab technology we were able to grow a 10 M /Year business and begin challenging some of the major tier medical imaging suppliers. The eventual outcome was this business formed the basis of the establishment of a new Gould Division and was latter enhanced with acquisitions and transfers of other Gould Groups under the Medical Divison umbrella.
· Rapid Prototyping: The ability to rapidly and economically design and build functioning prototype systems.
I have developed several rapid prototyping systems for Hardware In The Loop Simulation ,Linux SW support and Image Processing. I wrote the product plan, conceived the technical idea and performed initial system SOW activity. My background in a variety of disciplines such as embedded computing, DS ,virtual reality and real time software combined with applications knowledge in DOD & Aerospace areas such as radar,sonar,SIGINT,ELINT ,C4ISR ,etc. have assisted in being able to quickly generate concepts for Rapid Prototyping Systems
· Consultancy: The ability to rapidly find and recommend valid solutions to complex technical problems encountered within product lines in business units throughout the enterprise. Two examples come to mind . One in hardware and one in software. I have supported this type of activity for two organizations while functioning in the capacity of technical advisor. While at Intel I oversaw a group that was charged with cutting the technical overlap in the three separate product lines they had acquired under three separate buyouts into one cohesive product line that Intel could support. The three areas were related to Software for Real Time Operating Systems, Design Tools and Compilers. After amalgamation of these three separate lines into one functioning Software package I assisted in the sale of that unit to Texas Instruments. While supporting an industrial computer manufacturer I was responsible for the Global Group that organized engineering development, product development and market launch of various telecommunications hardware representing several lines ; storage, computing, Internet Switching and Routing as well as wireless.
Program Management: The ability to successfully manage projects or programs that have high levels of known technical risks and/or unknown unknowns
Introduction
The below concepts are ones I have used to manage a number of DOD & Aerospace projects with. A spread sheet covering specific programs can be submitted as additional back up data. The programs cover Army, Air Force , Navy and various Intel Agencies as well as lead prime contractors . Scope of service provided includes traditional program manager role. Proposal Manager in the Bid and Capture Phase , technical resource , support resource and
Customer liason as well as proposal researcher. I feel comfortable in all roles.
Certifying embedded software to meet project requirements can be challenging and expensive. You need the best tools to simplify and to shorten the process while reducing overall costs and increasing overall quality. The tools are necessary, but by themselves they are insufficient. You also need an approach, a process, to tie the tools together. The process will incorporate an architecture, providing structure and procedures. With the addition of best practice guidelines gained from experience, the process becomes a full-blown methodology. You will also need support to help in the transition to a new toolset and a new methodology. besides training, support can customize the tools for your specific needs, help to integrate legacy code, and provide expertise with the use of the tools. So a total solution is comprised of the triad: software tools, a methodology, and support.
Figure 1 Solution Triad - Software Tools, a Methodology, and Support
I have effectively used the defined Solution Triad to facilitate project management
responsibilities that I have been involved with. Representative project Areas include the vertical markets of video phone design, vehicles ; both commercial and military and industrial
automation. I favor the traditional “requirements v” approach to establish the foundation of my
project management strategy. I have led project management teams to develop products as well as system integration efforts. Project team management utilized techniques from such methodologies as QED and TRIZ.
Managing and preserving intellectual property is one of the key aspects of project management today. In a technical world where there are hundreds of ways in which a potential product/system integration effort can be rolled out the way in which your organizations I.P. can be packaged and transferred as “value add” or protected can become a huge corporate advantage. I have assisted my clients in gaining the highest return of value add on their IP in terms of revenue generation.
Keeping The Process Simple
Here is a close look at my favorite project kick off approach. Define things in the below fashion.
Figure 1 Traditional V Process
Software Verification & Validation (V&V) is a system engineering process for evaluating the correctness and quality of a software product throughout its life cycle. It employs a variety of software engineering methods, techniques, and tools. Unintentionally overlooked during the beginning of a product’s life cycle, the costs of V&V rise dramatically the longer it is deferred. V&V is not easy because
· Software applications are numerous, novel, and complex.
· Each application has unique design elements and a large number of potential states or modes.
· Although software technology is essentially unlimited in its applicability to real world problems, it is extremely sensitive to minor details in program and/or data.
· Software products are difficult to specify with precision and difficult to test exhaustively. Often they are engineered with immature processes.
I have effectively the various components of product teams including design , marketing and customer support. These teams ranged in size from 5 to 15 people and in many instances were spread across multiple locations ,sometimes internationally.
posted by James Falasco at
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