Improving Naval Shipbuilding Project Efficiency through Rework Reduction
Abstract
The rising cost of U.S. Naval Ships and the rate of change in technology require a thorough analysis of current shipbuilding practices. The Navy wants the latest and greatest technology, while at the same time keeping overall cost low. Some technologies are obsolete before completion of the ship's design and construction. A design locked in at Critical Design Review (CDR) undergoes multiple modifications prior to ship's delivery. Design changes drive up cost. The goal is to provide the Warfighter Battlespace Dominance while keeping cost low enough to allow a consistent purchase of additional ships. To accomplish this goal, both industry and the Navy must be aware of what is driving design changes and willing to revise existing practices. The objectives of this thesis are to identify the major sources of rework and to suggest modifications and improvements to existing practices. A review of DoD Acquisition and the Shipbuilding process identifies design changes resulting from requirements volatility, inconsistent execution of Defense Acquisition, and the rigidity of the design and construction process as major sources of rework. Recommendations include improving change management, optimizing the schedule for resilience, and the use of a modular open systems approach to reduce rework.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2007
- Accession Number
- ADA473801
Entities
People
- Charles E. Wilson
- Deborah L. Clark
- Donna M. Howell
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School