PRODUCT SUPPORT
bilities for collaborating with the lead systems engineer on DE and digital product support, evaluating enterprise-level innovations in digi - tal product support, and leverag - ing digital models and simulations. Later in 2022, OSD also revised the DoD Life Cycle Sustainment Plan (LCSP) Outline to require that PSMs summarize as - pects of their program’s DE strategy and implementation plan, consistent with the SEP, that relate to executing the PSS. The outline further instructs PSMs to document the digital product support products (e.g., models) and processes (e.g., simulations) that will be used to implement the PSS. In 2025, the Office of the Secre - tary of War (OSW) prepared and for - mally coordinated (but has not yet published) Change 1 to DoDI 5000.91 Product Support Management for the Adaptive Acquisition Framework. Among the updates is a proposed new requirement (that aligns with PSM Guidebook and LCSP Outline up - dates) for the PSM to implement dig - ital product support in concert with the SEP, pursuant to DoDIs 5000.88 and 5000.97, and to document the strategy in the LCSP. When published, the change also will establish the formal definition of digital product support. Also in 2025, the OSW prepared and staffed an up - dated Military Handbook (MIL-HDBK) 539A, Digital Engineering Modeling Practices that, when published, will include several new pages of guid - ance for and practical examples of digital product support.
Digital product support is neither a silver bullet to solve all problems nor a substitute for good PSM funda - mentals, but its focus on the “how” versus the “what” has the potential to deliver improved sustainment out - comes for many DoW systems. The 12 integrated product support elements that comprise the PSS can each ben - efit, in many cases substantially, from utilizing digital system models, CAD models and point cloud models, graphical modeling languages, and discrete event simulations. To enable an informed decision on whether to pursue traditional or digital support, a PSM should thoroughly evaluate the costs (including the DEE, processes and workflows, tools, training, and culture change) and risk(s) versus the potential return on investment. A Brief Word About Models and Simulations Digital product support derives benefits from four primary types of models. (These are the author’s char - acterizations, not necessarily aligned to DoW policy or industry bodies of knowledge.) 1. Graphical modeling languages, like Systems Modeling Language (SysML®) and the accompanying tools, are used for specifying, an - alyzing, designing, and verifying complex systems. They embody Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and include diagrams for managing requirements, product structure, and behavior (such as activities, sequencing, states,
a DE implementation plan as part of their Systems Engineering Plan (SEP). Given that about 70 percent of a weapon system’s life-cycle costs are attributed to sustainment (usually over decades of service), it is impor - tant to also emphasize the use of DE for sustainment. The 2018 DoD Digital Engineering Strategy acknowledged the role of DE in sustaining systems and specifically included “product sup - port models” among the seven cate - gories of models connected to the Au - thoritative Source of Truth (ASoT). In addition, Product Support Managers (PSMs) have a statutory requirement (10 U.S.C. § 4324) to “ensure the life cycle sustainment plan (LCSP) is informed by appropriate predictive analysis and modeling tools that can improve the material availability and reliability, in - crease operational availability rates, and reduce operation and sustain - ment costs.” Enter Digital Product Support In 2022, in an effort to encourage more widespread adoption of DE for sustainment, the Office of the Sec - retary of Defense (OSD) included in the revised DoD PSM Guidebook a defi - nition of and substantial new con - tent regarding a new concept, digi- tal product support . The guidebook stated Digital Product Support is an approach that “leverages authorita - tive system data and models to imple - ment the Product Support Strategy (PSS) , enable data-driven decision-mak - ing, and deliver effective and effi - cient product support outcomes.” Furthermore, it stated that this ap - proach applies to: (1) systems that are “born digital” (e.g., clean-sheet designs); (2) digitally engineered modifications to legacy systems; and (3) sustainment activities employing DE principles. Digital product support includes terms such as model-based sustainment, model-based product support, digital sustainment, and model-based logistics engineering. The revised PSM Guidebook also updated PSM roles and responsi -
Digital product support is neither a silver bullet to solve all problems nor a substitute for good PSM fundamentals, but its focus
on the “how” versus the “what” has the potential to deliver improved sustainment outcomes for many DoW systems.
28 DEFENSE ACQUISITION MAGAZINE | JANUARY FEBRUARY 2026 –
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