LORAL

[Robert Phillips <robp -at- SYDNEY -dot- DIALIX -dot- OZ -dot- AU>]

In a posting yesterday, Mike Johnston asked some questions about LORAL.
Perhaps the best testimony is to be found in Sci. Am. September, 1994.

Loral was only one of two companies to earn the Carnegie Mellon Uni
rating of 5 for the organization's maturity level.  A rating of 5 is the
best you can get.  Out of approximately 263 companies, only 2 were this
good.  In terms of their attitude to ISO 9000, I will quote the article:

        The Loral team has learned to control bugs (in the on-board shuttle
        software project) so well it can reliably predict how many will be
        found in each new version of the software.  .....

        Tom Peterson, head of Loral's shuttle software project, attributes
        its success to "a culture that tries to fix not just the bug but
        also the flaw in the testing process that allowed it to slip
        through."

My advice is to look forward to working there and soak yourself in the
management of the processes.  When you decide you have had enough - say,
about three to five years - go consulting in the ISO 9000 methodology.
With an ability to write and the knowledge gained by first hand
experience in such an excellent environment, you should be able to
charge about $500 per hour and not even get a flinch from the client.

Oh, the other company to score a level 5 was Motorola's Indian
programming team in Bangalore.

I envy your chance at gaining such first hand experience.

Bye

Rob Phillips
Lasotell Pty Ltd                    Internet: robp -at- sydney -dot- dialix -dot- oz -dot- au
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