paying the upfront cost for the technical data rights did not seem justified; there was simply no intention to sustain the sys- tem long term. However, other programs in planning stages should err on the side of caution when making this decision, and favor paying the cost of procuring the data rights from the outset if a reasonable likelihood exists that
the program will ever be extended into sustainment.
Because it does not have the data rights for CSS VSAT, the Army is limited to purchasing replacement parts through the original
equipment manufacturer.
No competition exists among vendors, and the government cannot reverse- engineer comparable parts.
Te Better Buying Power (BBP) tenet of promoting effective competition, first outlined in BBP 1.0 and continued in BBP 2.0 and now 3.0, underscores the importance
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER SPC Matthew J. Cavey, left, of the 4th Battalion, 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) and SGT Benford J. Holland of the Alabama Army National Guard simulate troubleshooting a CSS VSAT system error during the logistics demonstration. The demonstration was completed in July 2015—unusual timing for a product that was fielded a decade ago and has since supported military and humanitarian efforts around the world. (Photo by Jeff Wright, PM DCATS)
of planning the procure-
ment of data rights early in the product life cycle to leverage competition. Expe- rience confirms the importance of this initiative. For rapid fielding programs, an intellectual property plan that includes procuring data rights must consider— and weigh heavily—the likelihood of extended contingency operations.
GET THE TECHNICAL MANUAL With the data rights now too expensive to procure for CSS VSAT, the government has spent substantial time and money to produce a technical manual for the system from scratch. Tis leads to the sec- ond lesson learned: If the program might transition to organic sustainment at any point in the future, build the technical manual into the original contract.
While the system was in development, the CSS VSAT contractor
did not
produce a technical manual for the gov- ernment. Only now are the contractors
who support the system developing a technical manual based on their years of experience in the field. System developers generally possess a more intimate knowl- edge of the system as a whole and should be able to produce a detailed technical manual more readily than the field engi- neers who have been involved only with maintaining it.
Relying on field engineers’ expertise will produce a high-quality manual but will greatly lengthen the process because it requires translating hands-on, trial-and- error approaches to diagnose and repair failures and convert that information into reliable, step-by-step instructions that Soldiers can use in the field. Tis delays the entire transition of the system to CECOM sustainment.
Validation and verification of the CSS VSAT
technical manual will take
more than a year and stretch into FY17, representing the longest piece of the tran- sition process. Validation and verification events require page-by-page scrutiny of
the manual by the system’s proponent, CASCOM, working with the program office to confirm the accuracy and clar- ity of every step, every word and every National Stock Number. Te time and costs associated with this roundabout way of developing a technical manual should provide a cautionary tale for other rapid fielding initiatives. Upfront procurement of the technical manual, as with data rights, enables industry competition and ultimately provides the government with a better price.
CONCLUSION As CSS VSAT approaches readiness for organic sustainment, the lessons brought to light in that transition are already a consideration in planning for the next iteration of
CASCOM, HQDA G-4’s U.S. Army Logistics Innovation Agency and end users are capturing requirements that will expand the role of CSS VSAT to carry more enterprise resource planning systems and more maintenance data in the program’s next generation.
ASC.ARMY.MIL 29
the capability. PL DWTS,
LOGISTICS
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