Abstract

One of the principle tenets of Smart Acquisition is the adoption of a Through Life Systems Approach, which takes account of the whole life costs of a project. In order to respond to this Through Life Systems Approach, applied within the acquisition environment, a process (discipline) of Acquisition Systems Engineering has evolved. Within Acquisition Systems Engineering a number of sub-disciplines interact inside the methodology to provide the design solution.

System Supportability Engineering is an evolving Acquisition Systems Engineering discipline made necessary by the lack of confidence (Industry and latterly US DoD and UK MOD) in the ILS process in isolation, and the perception that ILS can be an expensive programme luxury. System Supportability Engineering begins at the Concept Phase of a programme and is applied throughout the system's life, only concluding at system disposal - a truly 'lust to dust' discipline.

System Supportability Engineering provides the following benefits to the programme:

It must educate the design and/or integration process with regard to Reliability, Maintainability, Testability and Supportability.

The ILS process, which underpins System Supportability Engineering, must be cost-effective.

It must provide the foundation for effective and cost-effective through life system support.

The ILS process should guide you to the optimum support solution.

The above benefits are achieved through:

Taking a systems engineering approach to the derivation of a support solution.

Design optimisation - trading off the various design and support characteristics.

Providing assurance that the right support resources will be in place in time to operate the system or equipment.

Providing assurance that supportability requirements can be met through the media of:

ILS, as a discipline, has a poor reputation amongst the engineering fraternity. Indeed, given the choice, many programme managers would dispense with ILS altogether. Consequently, one needs to examine and comment on the perceptions associated with ILS's poor name. The bad name of ILS centres on poor strategy, the speed of the process or lack of it, ILS programme expense and its prescriptive application.

During the last several years there has been an increasing tendency to include a significant element of Commercial Off The Shelf items in proposed system solutions. There is also an increasing tendency to make the statement, 'It's COTS so we do not need to do ILS'. As System Supportability Engineers we need to address that tendency.

The system manufacturer needs operational information in order to be able to understand system performance in terms of reliability, maintainability, supportability and, thus, operational availability. The equipment manufacturer can then act on this information in an effort to improve the design and its support system - if it is cost-effective to do so. Overall, the understanding of operational availability and how it can assist in the measurement of system performance is lacking in the Defence industry

In the support arena of today, many US and UK Defence Programmes have an element of Contractor Logistic Support (CLS) within them. The common denominator within these support packages is the need for the Customer to be able to recognise and prove that the support solution is value for money. However, arguments continue over what are effective performance indicators and it is still too early in the process for the Customer to be sure of what is to be measured.

 Introduction 

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 Mirce 14 Follow-up  Mark Willis Paper 

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last update:  December 27, 2004