PRODUCT SUPPORT
and guidance, including driving value engineering early in programs and services to reduce life cycle costs.” Value Engineering (VE), the applica - tion of Value Methodology, is a sys - tematic, function-based approach to improving the value of a product, sys - tem, or process by analyzing its func - tions and identifying cost-effective alternatives without compromising performance or quality (Figure 3). When applied to Integrated Logistics Support (ILS), VE offers significant benefits across the entire life cycle of a system. VE helps reduce costs across the life cycle by identifying ILS compo - nents, processes, or support elements that can be replaced or optimized to reduce cost while maintaining or im - proving functionality. This leads to reduced TOC, a primary ILS goal. For example, selecting more reliable com - ponents during design reduces failure rates, cutting maintenance costs, and logistics footprint over time. Through VE analysis, systems can be redesigned for easier maintenance and better supportability, using fewer tools or standardized parts. This sim - plifies logistics and minimizes down - time, improving operational readi - ness. VE also encourages modular design, making replacements faster and reducing training requirements for maintenance personnel. By focusing on function and per - formance, VE can drive design im - provements that enhance system reliability and availability. This trans - lates into fewer failures, less need for spares, and lower maintenance de - mand—all key factors in effective ILS
Te Acquisition Transformation Strategy directs us “to reestablish the right balance of program and technical authority and enable tighter col- laboration with industry to deliver safe, suitable, and efective systems on relevant timelines and achieve cost baselines.”
other IPSEs, contribute to mission success and life-cycle sustainment goals. More information on HSI can be found at https://www.cto.mil/sea/hsi/ and the Warfighting Acquisition Univer - sity’s Acquisition Knowledge Matrix https://www.dau.edu/acquisition-knowledge- matrix?field_acquisition_category_target_id= 185158&page0 . Design for System Safety In the high-stakes environment of military operations, safety is a para - mount need to preserve the force for the fight. The Acquisition Transforma - tion Strategy directs us “to reestab - lish the right balance of program and technical authority and enable tighter collaboration with industry to deliver safe, suitable, and effective systems on relevant timelines and achieve cost baselines.” System Safety engi - neering is dedicated to identifying and mitigating hazards throughout the system life cycle, protecting the Warfighter, the equipment, and the public. “Safety by design” focuses on proactively integrating safety con - siderations into the design process, rather than treating it as an after - thought. MIL-STD-882E w/CHANGE 1, September 27, 2023, Department of Defense Standard Practice for System Safety, is one of very few policy stan - dards for use in engineering military systems. It addresses both system safety and environmental safety and occupational health. System safety must be embedded at the earliest stages of system design rather than introduced late in devel - opment. PSMs should participate in
system Preliminary Hazard Analy - ses, Functional Hazard Analyses, and System Requirements Hazard Analy - ses during concept and early design phases. Wherever possible, hazards should be eliminated through design selection—choosing an alternative design, material, or configuration that removes the hazard entirely. When elimination is not feasible, risk-reduc - ing features should be incorporated into the design. Importantly, safety trade-offs must be elevated to the same level of consideration as cost, schedule, and performance in acquisi - tion reviews, ensuring that risk to the Warfighter and public is addressed as a core program decision factor. More information on System Safety can be found at https://www.cto.mil/sea/sse/ and the Warfighting Acquisition Univer - sity’s Acquisition Knowledge Matrix https://www.dau.edu/acquisition-knowledge- matrix?field_acquisition_category_target_id= 185161&page=0 . Implement Value Engineering The Acquisition Transformation Strategy states, “The Department must continually modernize systems engineering processes and tools to provide the most modern capabilities
Figure 3. Value Engineering—Optimization Domains
Source. Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering
24 DEFENSE ACQUISITION MAGAZINE | JANUARY FEBRUARY 2026 –
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