A Formal Process for Evaluating COTS Software Products

A s government agencies and businesses become more dependent on commercial offthe-shelf (COTS) software products to automate tasks, the ability to determine product quality and suitability has become increasingly important. Unfortunately, the lack of a standard, well-defined software product evaluation approach has resulted in many organizations making large investments in poor product choices. An effective software product evaluation uses a formal process commensurate with the investment required for product acquisition and support to assess product quality and suitability prior to purchase. Anything less can only serve to justify a predetermined choice. Our requirements-driven COTS product evaluation process (RCPEP) ensures a quality outcome. We demonstrate its use in a case study that resulted in the selection of a product by the US Air Force for a large, component-based training management system. We believe that the successful application of this scientifically based method could mature into an industry standard.