Manage selected interfaces.

Managing interfaces includes the maintenance of the consistency of the interfaces throughout the life of the product, compliance with architectural decisions and constraints, and the resolution of conflict, noncompliance, and change issues. In a system-of-systems environment, the management of interfaces between products or services acquired from suppliers and other systems within the system of systems is critical for success of the project.

Interface changes are documented, maintained, and readily accessible.

Refer to the Acquisition Requirements Development process area for more information about validating requirements.

Refer to the Configuration Management process area for more information about tracking and controlling changes.

Refer to the Requirements Management process area for more information about managing requirements changes.

Example Work Products

1.    Table of relationships among the supplier’s product or service and the external environment

2.    Updated interface description or agreement

Example Supplier Deliverables

1.    Table of relationships among the product components and the external environment (e.g., main power supply, fastening product, computer bus system)

2.    Reports from interface control working group meetings

3.    Action items for updating interfaces

4.    Application program interface (API)

Subpractices

1.    Review and analyze selected interface definitions and designs.

2.    Confirm that interface descriptions adhere to allocated requirements.

3.    Confirm the compatibility of selected interfaces throughout the life of the product or service.

Confirm that interface descriptions adhere to applicable standards, criteria, and interface requirements between the supplier’s product and acquirer’s intended environment.

4.    Verify that interfaces have been sufficiently tested by the supplier.

5.    Verify that issues identified during testing have been resolved appropriately, with product revisions, if necessary.

6.    Resolve conflict, noncompliance, and change issues for the selected interfaces.

7.    Periodically review the adequacy of interface descriptions.

Once established, interface descriptions should be periodically reviewed to ensure there is no deviation between existing descriptions and the products being developed, processed, produced, or bought.

The interface descriptions should be reviewed with relevant stakeholders to avoid misinterpretations, reduce delays, and prevent the development of interfaces that do not work properly.