Coordination of software-development activities among sites that are geographically separated

The Department of Defense is sponsoring development of a centralized, integrated database, which will be a repository of international surface cargo movement data. Scheduled for implementation in early 1994, the system will include a relational database management system, processing modules, and complex communication components. Four geographically separated sites are involved with development. Design and development of a major computer system is never simple, but when design and development occur at multiple sites, the problems are compounded, especially when the timeframe for project completion is extremely tight. Issues such as identical development platforms and communications strategies must be addressed. A design plan must be strictly followed to ensure consistency and to coordinate integration of modules developed at different sites