Avionics Collabortive Engineering An Automated Methodology for Affordability Evaluations

Technical planners are required to prioritize the development of technologies for new systems relative to user needs. Designs for these new systems or technologies typically only exist at the conceptual or preliminary design level, yet trade studies must be performed to assess cost and effectiveness, as well as overall affordability. Collaborative Engineering is being implemented within Air Force Materiel Command to improve the quantity and quality of information available to the designer/planner to make the necessary design trades. Designers require a methodology and tool-set which provide concept cost and affordability estimation based on industry standards for development and production costs, and accurate system operating costs. Objectives of this SBIR are to modify an existing methodology and cost tool set to operate within the Collaborative Engineering Environment. The new tool set will estimate total system life-cycle affordability considering cost as an independent variable. The Phase I program will demonstrate feasibility of the proposed approach and provide a limited functionality prototype of a PC-based software tool. The Phase II program would fully develop the System Affordability Tool.