The Influence of Reliability, Maintainability, Quality, Supportability and Interoperability on System Affordability

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The Influence of Reliability, Maintainability, Quality, Supportability and Interoperability on System Affordability

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This publication, reflecting the specific mission of the Reliability Information Analysis Center (RIAC), discusses how the effective application of Reliability, Maintainability, Quality, Supportability and Interoperability (RMQSI) tools and processes will ensure that essential warfighting capabilities are delivered that meet system suitability requirements at the most affordable cost. The publication describes how each of the RMQSI disciplines impacts the overall affordability of a system during the evolving phases of its life cycle.

*Available as a PDF Download File and Hardcopy

Quanterion Solutions Incorporated has developed the Optimized Reliability Requirements and Cost Analysis (OR2CA) tool for one purpose: to present a methodology that develops contractual reliability requirements that are fully aligned with stated End-User Operational Reliability needs and expectations based on all of the categories of root failure cause that contribute to potential mission loss or degradation. To implement this methodology in a manner that supports the Department of Defense (DoD) “Better Buying Power” initiatives, Quanterion has automated the DoD RAM-C Rationale Report Manual to integrate the Sustainability and Availability Key Process Parameters (KPPs) and the Reliability and Ownership Cost Key System Attributes (KSAs) requirements into a comprehensive “solution” for developing and specifying contractual reliability requirements based on optimized Total Life Cycle Cost (TLCC).

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Product Description

Realigning and refocusing Information Analysis Center (IAC) capabilities and products on defense system affordability, in conjunction with current DoD Better Buying Power initiatives, is an essential task for DoD and the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) leadership going forward. This publication, reflecting the specific mission of the Reliability Information Analysis Center (RIAC), discusses how the effective application of Reliability, Maintainability, Quality, Supportability and Interoperability (RMQSI) tools and processes will ensure that essential warfighting capabilities are delivered that meet system suitability requirements at the most affordable cost. The publication describes how each of the RMQSI disciplines impacts the overall affordability of a system during the evolving phases of its life cycle. To be most effective, RMQSI processes and analyses must be initiated very early in the acquisition process, Pre-Milestone A, and continue throughout the system life cycle in order to create the greatest Return on Investment (ROI) and an optimal Ownership Cost (OC) and Total Life Cycle Cost (TLCC).

The relationship of RMQSI costs to the Sustainment and Availability Key Performance Parameters (KPPs), the Reliability and Ownership Cost Key System Attributes (KSAs) and the RAM-C Manual processes are discussed. The publication comes with a MS Excel-based tool titled “Optimized Reliability Requirements and Cost Analysis” (OR2CA), developed by Quanterion Solutions Incorporated, that automates the RAM-C process and incorporates three innovative ideas from the Authors presented in the publication: (1) how to define better specified inherent system design reliability requirements from stated warfighter operational reliability needs, (2) cost optimization to support investment decisions regarding reliability growth activities during design/development and test, and (3) a more effective Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) to capture actual reliability costs as a function of measured reliability improvement to provide more accurate ROI analysis and interpretation.

This publication (and the OR2CA tool) are available for free (by contacting Quanterion) to:

  • DoD Acquisition personnel, including combat developers, Systems Engineers, logisticians, RAM engineers, etc. (Must have a valid .mil email address; Description of the acquisition program and/or an active government contract number must be provided with the request)
  • DoD Contractors working on active government contracts (Contract Number and description of role in the acquisition program must be provided with the request).

Additional information

ISBN:

978-1-933904-48-1
Product Format:

Download, Hardcopy

Table of Contents

1. Introduction       1
  1.1 A Note on Return on Investment (ROI)     4
2. The Impact of Reliability on Acquisition Costs and ROI Assessment       5
  2.1 Availability KPP     8
    2.1.1 Materiel Availability   8
    2.1.2 Operational Availability   8
  2.2 Reliability KSA     8
  2.3 Ownership Cost KSA     8
    2.3.1 Total Life Cycle Cost   9
  2.4 Customer/End-User Reliability Requirements and Expectations     12
    2.4.1 Warranties   13
    2.4.2 Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA)   16
    2.4.3 Essential Performance Requirements (EPR)   21
3. The Impact of Maintainability on Acquisition Costs and ROI Assessment       23
  3.1 The Concept of Availability     27
    3.1.1 Materiel Availability (AM)   29
  3.2 The Effect of Maintainability on Cost     30
4. The Impact of Manufacturing and Quality on Acquisition Costs and ROI Assessment       33
  4.1 Manufacturing Readiness Levels     36
  4.2 Manufacturing Development Guide Best Practices     36
    4.2.1 Manufacturing Capability Assessment and Risk Management   36
    4.2.2 Production Cost Modeling   36
    4.2.3 Key Suppliers   37
    4.2.4 Key Characteristics and Processes   37
    4.2.5 Variability Reduction   37
    4.2.6 Virtual Manufacturing & Virtual Prototyping   37
    4.2.7 Design Trade Studies   37
    4.2.8 Process Failure Modes, Effects and Criticality Analysis   38
    4.2.9 Product and Process Validation   38
    4.2.10 Manufacturing Process Control and Continuous Improvement   38
    4.2.11 Factory Efficiency   38
    4.2.12 Obsolescence and Diminishing Manufacturing Sources (DMS)   38
    4.2.13 Supplier Process Audits   39
    4.2.14 Counterfeit Parts Prevention   39
    4.2.15 Improving Product Affordability   39
  4.3 Quality Management Systems     44
5. The Impact of Supportability on Acquisition Costs       49
  5.1 Major Supportability Criteria     51
    5.1.1 Cost   51
    5.1.2 Operational Readiness   51
    5.1.3 Manpower and Personnel Constraints   51
    5.1.4 Open-System Supportability Approaches   52
  5.2 Supportability Analysis Tools     52
6. The Impact of Interoperability on Acquisition Costs       55
7. Development of Sustainment Requirements       59
  7.1 Reliability, Availability, Maintainability and Cost Report Overview     59
    7.1.1 “Who” Documents the Sustainment Requirements Rationale?   59
    7.1.2 “Why” Develop a RAM-C Rationale Report?   62
    7.1.3 “When”: Overview of the RAM-C Rationale Report from Start to Finish   63
    7.1.4 “How”: Overview of the RAM-C Rationale Report from Start to Finish   64
  7.2 General Documentation Approaches when Developing the Sustainment Metrics     65
    7.2.1 Sustainment Metric Tracking Matrix   65
  7.3 Maintenance Concept and Support Plan Considerations     67
  7.4 Sustainment Requirements Development     68
    7.4.1 Materiel Availability   68
    7.4.2 Reliability   71
    7.4.3 Ownership Cost   71
  7.5 Developing a Balanced Solution: Performance and Sustainment     71
    7.5.1 The Effect of Requirements on Life Cycle Costs   71
    7.5.2 How Warfighter Capability Needs Are Used To Establish System Requirements   75
    7.5.3 Why Materiel Availability is Different from Operational Availability   76
    7.5.4 Sub-Components of the Availability KPP: Reliability KSA and Total Ownership Cost KSA   77
    7.5.5 Considerations for Developing Sustainment Metric Requirements   81
8. Example Approach to Sustainment KPP Requirements Development       89
  8.1 Materiel Solution Analysis Phase Considerations     89
    8.1.1 Determination of the Minimum Reliability Requirement   89
    8.1.2 Maintenance and Product Support Concepts Development   89
    8.1.3 Determination of OC and AM Design Values through Tradeoffs   90
    8.1.4 Sustainment Requirement Refinement throughout Program Development   90
  8.2 Example of Sustainment Requirements Development     90
    8.2.1 Concept of Operations Analysis   91
  8.3 OR2CA – A Microsoft Excel® Workbook Based on the RAM-C Rationale Report Manual     92
    8.3.1 ‘Inputs and Calculation’ Worksheet (STEPS 1 through 5)   92
9. Translating Operational Reliability Needs into Affordable System Reliability Requirements       109
  9.1 Background     109
  9.2 Examining the Problem     109
  9.3 Proposing a Solution     115
  9.4 OR2CA – Continuation of Example     117
    9.4.1 ‘Life Unit-Based 50% CL’ Worksheet (STEP 6)   117
    9.4.2 ‘Life Unit-Based Testing’ Worksheet (STEP 7)   119
    9.4.3 ‘Life Unit-Based Rel Demo’ Worksheet (STEP 8)   119
10. Optimizing Reliability Improvement       123
  10.1 Cost Optimization for Life Unit-Based Design and Test Reliability     123
    10.1.1 Introduction to Sequential Testing   124
    10.1.2 Sequential Tests (SPRTs) for Continuous Random Variables   124
    10.1.3 Improving the SPRT Calculations   128
    10.1.4 The relationship between the Exponential and Poisson Distributions   130
    10.1.5 Average Sample Number, Average Test Time, and Test Truncation   131
    10.1.6 Combining Confidence Bounds with the Sequential Test Process   132
  10.2 OR2CA – Continuation of Example     133
    10.2.1 ‘Cost Optimization for Life Unit-Based Design and Test Reliability’ Worksheet (STEP 8)   133
    10.2.2 Reliability Growth Test Planning (AMSAA/Crow) Based on Life Units (STEP 9)   135
    10.2.3 Cost of Reliability Improvement and Testing   137
    10.2.4 Reliability Program Cost Optimization   144
    10.2.5 Total Life Cycle Cost Summary   145
11. Determining the Impact of Reliability Investment Costs       149
12. Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations       159
  12.1 Summary and Conclusions     159
  12.2 Recommendations     160
    12.2.1 Basic Recommendations   160
    12.2.2 Enhancement of the RIAC TRACK Methodology and Software Tool   161
13 Bibliography       165
  13.1 Better Buying Power Related Documents     165
  13.2 Standards and Handbooks     167
  13.3 General     168
Appendix A: Acronym List       173

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