Acquisition Cycle Time: Defining the Problem

Abstract

Acquisition cycle timeroughly speaking, the development lead time to field a working system once we have identified a need for a new materiel solutionis a hot topic in defense circles. This work takes a data-driven look at historical and current acquisition program cycle times. We show that the trend toward longer cycle times over the past few decades is restricted to a handful of high-profile programs, which has profound implications for effective policy response. We also show evidence that cycle times are driven by system complexity, and that schedule slip is associated primarily with overly optimistic schedule estimates. We conclude with a discussion of the increasing importance of software for development lead times, and the general problem of trading capability for timeliness in acquisition programs.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 2016
Accession Number
AD1011684

Entities

People

  • David M. Tate

Organizations

  • Institute for Defense Analyses

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Cyber
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acquisition
  • Aircrafts
  • Contracts
  • Cost Estimates
  • Department Of Defense
  • Engineering
  • Fighter Aircraft
  • Governments
  • Law
  • Lead Time
  • Military Acquisition
  • Operations Research
  • Software Development
  • Space Systems
  • Statistical Analysis
  • Systems Engineering
  • Transport Aircraft

Readers

  • Defense Acquisition Program Management
  • Educational Psychology
  • Life Cycle Cost Analysis