INSTRUMENTATION AND LOGISTICS: INFLUENCING DESIGN AND OWNERSHIP COSTS

Abstract

A program’s success is measured by the three parameters of cost, schedule and performance. This is true of any acquisition program, including instrumentation development and procurement. The primary purpose of Logistics is to influence and reduce the Total Ownership Costs (TOCs) to the Department of Defense while procuring a supportable system that meets the customer’s needs. The time to influence the TOCs is as early in the life-cycle of the program as can be done - where it is cheapest to affect a “fix.” This paper will briefly describe where Logistics influences ownership costs in the acquisition process. Examples of cost drivers identified in the Hardened Subminiature Telemetry Sensor System (HSTSS) program will be provided and the role of Integrated Product Team (IPT) members in influencing and reducing the TOCs will be discussed. This process is not just in the purview of the traditional logistician, but is also performed by each member of the program’s IPT. Each IPT member brings his unique knowledge and experiences to the teams pool of corporate knowledge. Examples will be provided of decisions made by the IPT that reduced TOCs.