Publication

Many approaches to improving system affordability focus on one or two strategies (e,g., automation, outsourcing, repurposing, reuse, process maturity), and miss the opportunity for further improvements. Often, they focus on one phase (e.g., acquisition)at the expense of other factors that increase total ownership cost (TOC). Based on several related research projects, we have developed, applied, and evolved an orthogonal framework of strategies for improving Affordability. The framework includes:

• Get the best from people (Staffing, Teambuilding, Facilities, Kaizen)
• Make tasks more efficient (Tools, Work and Oversight Streamlining, Collaboration Technology)
• Eliminate tasks (Lean and Agile Methods, Automation, Model-Based Product Generation)
• Eliminate scrap and rework (Early Risk and Defect Elimination, Evidence-Based Decision Gates, Modularity around Sources of Change, Evolutionary Development, …)
• Simplify products: KISS (Risk-Based Prototyping, Value-Based Capability Prioritization, Satisficing vs. Optimizing)
• Reuse components (Domain Engineering, Composable Components and Services, Legacy Repurposing)
• Reduce O&S costs (Automate Tasks, Design for Maintainability,Streamline Supply Chain, Anticipate/Prepare for Change)
• Perform value-based tradespace analysis among the above.

The research presented will also summarize the use of calibrated quantitative cost models for reasoning about the strategy elements and their tradeoffs.