PSMs, Catalysts to Availability and Performance by ANDREW MORRIS
The Warfighter’s focus remains on the mission, a testament to effective product support profes- sionals who, led by product support managers (PSMs), ensure the complexities of acquisition and sustainment are seamless and invisible. For Warfighters, the military’s vast, complex busi- ness model boils down to one brutal reality: a mission-capable system in their hands at the right time or the mission—and perhaps their life—is at stake. This stark metric is the only thing that matters, rendering the unseen, tireless work of PSMs almost invisible. In this high-stakes world, where process is irrelevant and outcome is everything, success is silent and failure is deafening.
Navigating the complex terrain of product support, PSMs must harmo- nize the numerous and often conflict - ing demands of defense acquisition and sustainment with inputs from the Warfighter. Their task is to balance in - novative, performance-based solu- tions with a complex web of govern- ing statutes, policies, and guidance. This necessitates providing the best possible product support outcomes at the lowest operations and support costs, all while under intense scrutiny
from stakeholders and oversight bod- ies. To optimize sustainment, PSMs use data-driven decisions to manage risks like supply chain disruptions and technology obsolescence, ulti- mately ensuring mission capability. This intricate balancing act requires a strategic mindset and granular under- standing of both product support and operational realities, creating con- stant pressure to deliver on time, on budget, and on performance. Given this environment, PSMs confront new
challenges daily, with never a short- age of tasks to complete and issues to resolve. While the PSM reports to the pro- gram manager (PM), ultimately the entire program office, including the PSM, is accountable to the Warfighter. This accountability involves manag- ing the entire product support pack- age, from developing and executing system strategies to ensuring the sys- tem remains effective and affordable throughout its life cycle. Ultimately,
28 DEFENSE ACQUISITION MAGAZINE | MARCH – APRIL 2026
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