Best Practices. An Integrated Portfolio Management Approach to Weapon System Investments Could Improve DOD's Acquisition Outcomes

Abstract

Over the next several years, the Department of Defense (DOD) plans to invest $1.4 trillion in major weapons programs. While DOD produces superior weapons, GAO has found that the department has failed to deliver weapon systems on time, within budget, and with desired capabilities. While recent changes to DOD's acquisition policy held the potential to improve outcomes, programs continue to experience significant cost and schedule overruns. GAO was asked to examine how DOD's processes for determining needs and allocating resources can better support weapon system program stability. Specifically, GAO compared DOD's processes for investing in weapon systems to the best practices that successful commercial companies use to achieve a balanced mix of new products, and identified areas where DOD can do better. In conducting its work, GAO identified the best practices of: Caterpillar, Eli Lilly, IBM, Motorola, and Procter and Gamble.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 2007
Accession Number
ADA465170

Entities

Organizations

  • United States Government Accountability Office

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • C4I
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acquisition
  • Best Practices
  • Business Administration
  • Commerce
  • Congress
  • Department Of Defense
  • Governments
  • Investments
  • Knowledge Management
  • Law
  • Military Acquisition
  • Money
  • Organizational Structure
  • United States
  • United States Government
  • War Colleges
  • Weapon Systems

Readers

  • Defense Acquisition Program Management