A central component of the test facility was a digital computer. Although Sturdivant had prepare the performance specifications for the computer, it was major piece of equipment not design and built by the company.When the subcontractor delivered the machine to the test facility,its installation and software development remained to be done.Consequently a group of technicians from the subcontractor accompanied the computer to help the Sturdivant staff bring it up to operation.Eden,Abrams,and Smith had all spent a good deal of time the design and production stage of the computer project back and forth between Sturdivant headquarters in Allentown and the subcontractor's headquarters in Concord,Massachusetts,so they were familiar with the problems involved. Sturdivant's contract with the government stipulated that the supplier demonstrate that the computer would perform correctly and reliably during acceptance tests, based on the performance specification.