Activities Implemented to Achieve CMMI^® Level 5

Improved Software Development Model: The organization has implemented the Incremental Software Development (ISD) process, which provides for finding defects earlier in development, as well as better handling of requirements and requirements changes. For some smaller projects, or as needed, the process still allows for use of the Waterfall Model.

Advanced Reuse: Maintaining a reuse repository, administering its use, and "wiring" it into the process has provided significant gains in efficiency and quality. This advanced reuse capability is fully supported by the processes and is made possible because Techrizon has software responsibility for numerous related domain specific systems.

Automated Tools: The organization has developed automated tools that provide significant improvements in project management, software development, and testing. Some of these are:

• TRACKER: A locally developed tool used to manage the contract dependencies between the government customer and its support contractors.
  
• CMDB: A locally developed tool used to control the creation of software systems and their components. This tool has numerous features in "one" product, which can only be found through "multiple" products on the market.
  
• ABTCS and TSS: Locally developed tools that provide fast and thorough means for testing software and validating a system's software baseline capabilities as the system's software continues to evolve.
  

Formal Inspections: Although implemented years ago, the organization continues to refine this process, and looks deeper into the various products to identify and eliminate errors. These inspections begin during requirements development and go through the testing and training products.

Open Systems Operating System: Techrizon is one of the first to move all tactical systems from vendor specific Operating System solutions to a solution based on a free an open system Operating System kernel (i.e. Linux). This has relieved Techrizon from being held hostage to external vendors and their market driven desires, provided uniform processes, tools and engineering methodologies to be applied across the multiple systems. Techrizon is responsible for maintaining and enhancing these systems for the Army and Marine Corps.

User Interface: The organization has found that one of the most significant advances was through the establishment of local and worldwide interface/interoperability boards. These groups provide for the direct involvement of user representatives in the details and decisions throughout software and system development. These groups are proving extremely critical in a world that is moving more toward common interfaces.