A Lean Approach to Improving SE Visibility in Large Operational Systems Evolution

Abstract

It is often difficult to understand the status of capability development in large operational systems. Schedules are rarely stable. This is due to factors such as: the size and complexity of capabilities; unexpected changes in priorities; depth of supplier chains; variety and availability of special engineering resources; contract structure; and the inherently complex nature of such operations. Lean approaches use the concepts of work in progress (WIP) and capacity to maximize flow through a process. Under certain circumstances, these concepts can be applied to systems engineering and development processes. This paper describes an example implementation of the concept in a large health care system of systems. To enhance both visibility and flow, the approach utilizes visualization techniques, pull-scheduling processes, and a services approach to systems engineering.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 2013
Accession Number
ADA599758

Entities

People

  • Dan Ingold
  • Joann Lane
  • Ray Madachy
  • Richard Turner

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Engineered Resilient Systems
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Availability
  • Complex Systems
  • Computer Programs
  • Configuration Management
  • Contracts
  • Engineering
  • Engineers
  • Health Care
  • Health Services
  • Lead Time
  • Personal Information Managers
  • Scheduling (Production)
  • Software Development
  • System Of Systems
  • Systems Engineering
  • Visibility
  • Visualizations

Fields of Study

  • Computer science
  • Engineering

Readers

  • Logistics and Supply Chain Management.
  • Software Engineering.
  • Systems Analysis and Design