Acquisition Archetypes: Longer Begets Bigger

SEI Report
By
Planning for a long development period doesn't always solve acquisition scheduling problems. Sometimes it makes them worse.
Publisher

Software Engineering Institute

Abstract

From the Acquisition Support Program, one in a series of short papers on acquisition patterns of failure. Acquisition Archetypes is an exportation of failure patterns in software acquisition using systems thinking concepts.

Cite This SEI Report

Software Engineering Institute (2009, April 1). Acquisition Archetypes: Longer Begets Bigger. Retrieved September 18, 2026, from https://www.sei.cmu.edu/library/acquisition-archetypes-longer-begets-bigger/.

@techreport{Citekey_2009,
author={Software Engineering Institute},
title={Acquisition Archetypes: Longer Begets Bigger},
month={Apr},
year={2009},
institution={Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University},
url={https://www.sei.cmu.edu/library/acquisition-archetypes-longer-begets-bigger/},
note={Accessed: 2026-Sep-18}
}

Software Engineering Institute. "Acquisition Archetypes: Longer Begets Bigger." Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University. Software Engineering Institute, April 1, 2009. https://www.sei.cmu.edu/library/acquisition-archetypes-longer-begets-bigger/.

Software Engineering Institute, "Acquisition Archetypes: Longer Begets Bigger," Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University. Software Engineering Institute, 1-Apr-2009 [Online]. Available: https://www.sei.cmu.edu/library/acquisition-archetypes-longer-begets-bigger/. [Accessed: 18-Sep-2026].

Software Engineering Institute. "Acquisition Archetypes: Longer Begets Bigger." Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Software Engineering Institute, 1 Apr. 2009. https://www.sei.cmu.edu/library/acquisition-archetypes-longer-begets-bigger/. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

Software Engineering Institute. Acquisition Archetypes: Longer Begets Bigger. Software Engineering Institute. 2009. https://www.sei.cmu.edu/library/acquisition-archetypes-longer-begets-bigger/