Tailoring process requirements for software product assurance

The DLR Space Administration designs and implements the German space program. While project management rests with the agency, suppliers are contracted for building the space devices and their software. As opposed to many other domains, these are often unique devices with uncommon and custom-built peripherals. Its software is specifically developed for a single mission only and controls critical functionality. A small coding error can mean the loss of a mission. For this reason, customer and supplier closely collaborate on the field of software quality. We report from a customer's perspective on lessons and management tools for influencing suppliers' processes and product quality: standards, single-source tailoring and cross-company product assurance.