Integrated Product/Process Development Approach For Balancing Technology Push and Pull Between the User and Developer

Previous Army Aviation successful concept formulation efforts came from a direct exchange and collaborative dialogue of information transfer between combat developer's systematic operational analysis and the material developer/industry design trade studies. This was accomplished through four products developed by the combat and material developers. Once a Mission Need Statement (MNS) was issued, the material developer was responsible for conducting a Trade-Off Determination (TOD), which identified the technologies that were available or being developed. The combat developer was then responsible for conducting a Trade-Off Analysis (TOA) to evaluate and determine the applicable operational concepts and potential material alternatives for consideration. The Trade-Off Analysis (TOA) results were then provided back to the material developer for identifying the Best Technical Approach (BTA). The material developer finally provided the BTA back to the combat developer for conducting the Cost and Operational Effectiveness Analysis (COEA), which verified and substantiated the need for a material solution. Unfortunately, over almost the past thirty years this concept formulation package approach has not been successfully applied. In some cases, the technology push has been for a concept that didn't fit the prioritized needs of the user. In other cases, the technology push drove toward technology solutions that were not considered affordable. As a result, this lack of consensus between the user and material developer has resulted in a lack of top Army commitment and, therefore, no new development of Army vertical lift systems over the past almost thirty years. With the recent recognized need for Future Vertical Lift (FVL) aircraft, it is very important for balancing technology push and pull during multi-service combined material developer trade studies and user systematic operational analysis. This paper will review previous programs, and present how a modern systems engineering approach, Integrated Product/Process Development (IPPD), can be used to provide the necessary balance. An example will be provided of a notional FVL concept formulation trade study.