The art of acquisition lies partially in
avoiding the elevation of new products or systems to major defense acquisition program status whenever possible.
ACAT III radio product from a milestone C decision out to testing in two weeks. Te entire process from milestone C to successful, full-rate production decision took just seven months.
Remember: Be creative in how you tailor a program. For example, to deliver capa- bility more rapidly,
if possible leverage
DOD 5000.02 Enclosure 13, a provision that allows for reduced acquisition time- lines based on urgent operational need. Te EMC program office leveraged this approach and was able to deliver capabil- ity in two years.
Challenge convention and use nonstan- dard programs of record to accelerate the process where applicable. Tis approach gets capability into the hands of Soldiers rapidly while creatively meeting acqui- sition requirements and staying ahead of obsolescence. Get away from unique capabilities or designs where possible. In a previous assignment as an assistant
product manager in the PEO for Enter- prise Information Systems, I led a team that standardized strategic network architecture for long-haul communica- tions by putting the engineering up front and standardizing the product selections on the back end, the reverse of traditional approaches.
Car manufacturers know there is no sense in doing a custom design for each new vehicle. Similarly,
this concept worked
well for the Army in the delivery of modular network capabilities that con- nected countries across Southwest Asia. Te concept is repeatable and can apply to any network by figuring out capability based on mission and scale and address- ing it with basic configurations such as mini, small, medium or large, then work- ing out the engineering in advance with room for à la carte, Lego-like additions. At that point, a commander simply needs to select a scalable package that best fits his or her situation.
TESTING Tough it sounds simple, think through the test strategy early in the process, well before testing begins. Ensure that testing is done in accordance with the require- ments and does not extend into other factors outside of what is actually needed, adding little additional value. Make Sol- diers, the end users, part of the process early and grow capability through user feedback in both laboratory and opera- tional environments, to improve products using a test, fix, test approach. Don’t be afraid to find problems.
Also, do not be afraid to use capabilities and limitations reports or operational assessments in lieu of formal testing where applicable. When a formal test is required, partner with the test com- munity early and leverage development tests or operational assessments with
Soldiers in conjunction with the testers to eliminate surprise and reduce overall test risk. Remember to leverage teams and relationships by working closely with the requirements generators as well as the test community. Testers want to see the best capabilities get into Soldiers’ hands, and are typically willing to work with a product office to help move the ball down the field.
CONCLUSION A little creativity and innovation can speed acquisition timelines, and despite recent news headlines, we as a community have been doing just that. DOD 5000.02 provides the authority to tailor the pro- cess, cut through bureaucracy, think holistically while leveraging relationships and apply creativity to get to “yes.” Rapid acquisition is real and can flourish with a little bit of innovative thinking.
For more information, go to the PEO C3T website at
http://peoc3t.army.mil/c3t/ or contact the PEO C3T Public Affairs Office at 443-395-6489 or
usarmy.APG.peo-
c3t.mbx.pao-peoc3t@
mail.mil.
LT. COL. MARK P. HENDERSON is the product manager for Network Modernization, assigned to PEO C3T’s Project Manager for Tactical Network. He holds an executive MBA with emphasis in information systems management and a master of education with emphasis in counseling and psychology from Troy University, and a B.S. in political science and government from Kennesaw State University. He is Level III certified in program management and holds master’s certificates in Lean Six Sigma, negotiations, expert selling, applied program management and advanced program management. He is a member of the Army Acquisition Corps.
HTTPS: / /
ASC.ARMY.MIL
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