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System Engineering in the Acquisition Process

System Engineering in the Acquisition Process. Presented to INCOSE Enchantment Chapter August 18, 2004. Presented By: Murray Elowitz JJ & E Research Corp. 11045 Greenview NE Albuquerque, NM 87111 melowitz@comcast.net (505) 856 - 2244. Murray Elowitz

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System Engineering in the Acquisition Process

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  1. System Engineeringin theAcquisition Process Presented to INCOSE Enchantment Chapter August 18, 2004 Presented By: Murray Elowitz JJ & E Research Corp. 11045 Greenview NE Albuquerque, NM 87111 melowitz@comcast.net (505) 856 - 2244

  2. Murray Elowitz • Aerospace engineering at GE, Autonetics, TRW • Inertial navigation, guidance, control • Modeling and simulation • Orbital mechanics and mission planning • Avionics development • Embedded Processing • Communication Systems • Formed JJ & E Research Corp • Consulting on systems and business development • Many SBIR proposals to DOD, DOE, NIH • Publications • Avionics, Spacecraft, Autonomous Operations, Software Maintenance, et al

  3. Today • Show how System Engineering applies during acquisition • Where and How • Payoff of the process • Describe roles of the System Engineer • Provide a small company/ project focus and big business comparison

  4. Kinds of Acquisition • Integrate other people’s disparate technologies and capabilities (SETD) • Apply new technology to improve mission capability • Key revolutionary breakthrough • Evolutionary upgrade • Demonstrate feasibility of concept • Productize concept • Ongoing-Program recompete • Engineering support services

  5. Classic Program Life Cycle MISSION ANALYSIS

  6. FEASIBILITY (CONCEPT EXPLORATION AND DEFINITION) PRELIMINARY DEFINITION (CONCEPT DEMONSTRATION AND VALIDATION) PRELIMINARY DEFINITION (ENGINEERING AND MANUFACTURING DEVELOPMENT) PROD, UTILI- ZATION AND DISPOSAL MISSION ANALYSIS QUALIFICATION AND (INITIAL) PRODUCTION Level of System EngineeringVery similar for big and small projects SYSTEM ENGINEERING LEVEL OF EFFORT Not To Scale SYSTEM ENGINEERING PER CENT OF EFFORT

  7. Classic New Business Cycle Customer Contact Final RFP Pre-Proposal Phase (Long Lead Phase) Proposal Preparation Phase Deliver WIN PARTY Post - Proposal Phase

  8. Acquisition Process – Getting to Win • For every phase, the steps are similar and the emphases vary • The system engineering process is always a valuable tool • The System Engineer (person) is key to success Requirements Design Analysis Verification

  9. Example of Role: MILSTAR Proposal • A huge spacecraft system, highly competitive Dem / Val Phase Full-Scale Proposal PM System Engineering conceived key technology architecture requirement allocations trade studies And Arbitrated, fought off turf battles SE Vs. Product Area Control of technologies, and approach Sys Eng SE for Architecture SE for Data System SE for Payload Integration SE for Structure SE for Power Etc. 500 people touched the proposal

  10. STRENGTHS Tremendous resources available Exciting, high value targets and payoff (career builders) Exposure to broad areas of company, technology (Fill in the blank space) WEAKNESSES Very hard to direct and control Hard to motivate all players Usually lots of teammates with own agendae A lot of play-for-guts politics (Fill in the blank space) Big Proposals

  11. Draft RFP Bid/ No-Bid Final RFP CBD Announcement Initial Planning Respond Plan Approach Technical Solution $ Pre-Proposal Phase Pre-Proposal Phase • Customer Contact • Spend seed money • Get ready for RFP • Phase begins when customer has money and a schedule • Contact your customers regularly and help ‘em shape RFP • Respond to RFP • Attend Bidder’s Conference • Identify the barriers to you winning • Analyze you competition’s strengths & weaknesses • Begin serious teaming discussions and mating dances • Develop your technical approach and solution Know how you will win before the RFP

  12. THE System Engineer Person • Responsibility is to be the overall technical lead on a program or acquisition • Attributes include • Technical breadth and related areas • Leadership • Understands program process • Business acumen • In a Small Company/ Project • Is the system engineering team • Usually knows the whole company • Knows the technology and related • Product line • Will probably have other work • at the same time. • In a Big Company/ Project • Leads system engineering team • Knows people in the division • and customers • May not have worked on this key • technology • This will be his ONLY job for ever

  13. System Engineer is part of a team • Main Teammates are: • Marketing • System Engineering • Management • Each has distinct role • Customer Contact • Resource Allocation • Technical Leader • Others include • Design • Technologists

  14. NEED Req Role: From the beginning • Contact your customer and develop your approach System Engineering ? Architecture Key Technologies Missing Capabilities

  15. Team Building Corporate Capabilities • A joint effort of the leadership • Business Area lead • Upper Management • System Engineering • People Managers + Competitors Capabilities + Other Companies { } } Requirements Application Required Skills =

  16. Products of System Engineering • Intangible Products • Leadership of technical efforts • Planting ideas • Image to the customer • Tangible Products • Interpretation of “Mission” Requirements • Appropriate level of specification • System Architecture • Especially decisions selecting “DISCRIMINATORS”

  17. Proposal PhaseExample – SBIR 2001 • Air force topic: Need for advances in handling video in operational planning • More data than existing technology can handle • Client had conceived a digital video recorder with simultaneous read/write • Solution: Invent architecture built around DVR to enhance planners capabilities • Allow planners to review recon video without losing incoming stream • Allow editing and sharing • Required some prior knowledge of state-of-the-art • Exploit experience with UAV’s recon capabilities • Extrapolated from spacecraft operations experience WINNING PHASE ONE PROPOSAL

  18. $ Time Big Company Lessons Learned • Applying lessons learned to small companies and small projects • Each element of System Engineering process has value in large programs • Discipline is vital • Each element of System Engineering process costs money up front • Pays off later if FOCUSED • Getting clients to recognize value of structured program FROM THE BEGINNING • Cost to repair similar to Boehm curve • Lack of concern for life of program • Sources of problem include customers

  19. More Lessons Learned • Elements of the job include • Being political internally • Being a marketeer • Being a technologist • The System Engineer has to be strong! • Demonstrate personal vision • Drive discipline throughout acquisition, project • Arbitrate issues between constituents • Strong enough to let others excel

  20. CONCLUSIONS • Elements of System Engineering process are present in all technical acquisition efforts • The System Engineer’s role is to drive toward success • Understanding the roles and responsibilities helps the System Engineer perform better

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