How Full Is the Toolbox? A Look at Product Support Analysis Tools

Abstract

We have long known the value of using tools to make our jobs easier, and our guidance and policy actually advocate the use of applicable tools. But when asked to do a task, does the logistician actually have the tools in the toolbox to help in accomplishing the task? Clearly the Government Accountability Office (GAO) didn t think so, based upon GAO Report-09-41, Defense Logistics: Improved Analysis and Cost Data Needed to Evaluate the Cost-Effectiveness of Performance Based Logistics (PBL), which stated . . . although DoD s guidance recommends that business case analyses be used to guide decision making regarding the implementation of PBL to provide weapon system support, the services are not consistent in their use of such analyses. The report went on to say additionally, most of the services have not established effective internal controls to ensure that the analyses are prepared or that they provide a consistent and comprehensive assessment of weapons system support options. The results published by the GAO were further substantiated when the DoD Weapon System Acquisition Reform Product Support Assessment Team (PSAT), a 65-member cadre of DoD and industry members, hypothesized, If the DoD clarifies and codifies the larger group of analytical tools by which product support Business Case Analyses [BCAs]) are conducted, it will improve the effectiveness of the BCA as a decision-making tool.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 01, 2013
Accession Number
ADA608908

Entities

People

  • Michael A. Bayer

Organizations

  • Defense Acquisition University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acquisition
  • Business Administration
  • Commerce
  • Cost Effectiveness
  • Costs
  • Cycles
  • Databases
  • Defense Industry
  • Engineering
  • Financial Management
  • Guidance
  • Life Cycles
  • Logistics
  • Logistics Management
  • Military Acquisition
  • Systems Engineering
  • Weapon Systems

Readers

  • Defense Acquisition Program Management
  • Software Engineering.