The importance of including Quality Engineering resources early in the program lifecycle cannot be overstated. Currently, there is no standard government contracting methodology that ensures sufficient attention is placed on quality early in a program’s life cycle. This often results in unnecessary defects and process failures as the program progresses into the manufacturing phases, leading to schedule delays, increased costs, and reduced product safety. The recommendations in this paper are intended to provide options for program managers as they consider how to best allocate scarce resources during the program lifecycle.
