Developing the PSS. The PSM maximizes the likelihood that the product support organization can achieve outcomes required by the Warfighter. Central to the PSM’s role is developing the PSS, a continuous, data-driven process driven by exten- sive collaboration. The PSM leads this effort, directing comprehensive anal - yses, such as the Product Support Business Case Analysis and various logistics and engineering studies, by engaging a wide array of stakehold- ers, including systems engineers, cost analysts, and sustainment com- mands. This cross-functional partner- ship is critical for making informed decisions on sustainment methods and providers. For instance, the PSM works with legal and technical teams to define contract requirements for intellectual property rights, thereby securing essential government data for the system’s entire life cycle. This strategic, PSM-led engage- ment aligns stakeholder interests and proactively manages sustainment risks. The resulting PSS becomes the primary management reference for the LCSP, a living document the PSM continuously evaluates to guide con- tracting, performance monitoring, and overall life-cycle management. This integrated approach allows the PSM to create an actionable road- map, ensuring the system remains both effective and affordable for the Warfighter throughout its life cycle. Team leadership. Operating as a dynamic team leader, the PSM is far more than a manager, continuously orchestrating efforts across a vast network of stakeholders to deliver affordable and effective product sup - port solutions to the Warfighter. This requires leading a complex integra- tion effort that incorporates diverse perspectives, from systems engineers focused on supportability and cost analysts ensuring affordability, to contracting professionals managing performance-based outcomes in con- tracts. The PSM collaborates actively with the Defense Industrial Base (DIB), including the Organic Indus-
the technical viability of a Condition- Based Maintenance Plus strategy. This requires evaluating integrated sensor technologies, assessing data analytics for predicting component failure, and analyzing network archi- tecture for secure maintenance data transfer in operational environments. This technical knowledge allows the PSM to proactively shape the design, enabling more efficient and predic - tive sustainment methods that re- duce life-cycle costs and boost War- fighter readiness over the course of a system’s multidecade life cycle. Performance champion. The PSM also operates as a performance champion, objectively evaluating sustainment metrics to report on a system’s overall performance. This role mandates the establishment of clear, performance-based metrics, including materiel availability, reli- ability, and operating and support costs, in collaboration with require- ments developers early in a program’s life cycle, with documentation in the system’s LCSP. The PSM continuously monitors and analyzes these metrics, lever- aging predictive tools and provider data to assess whether the system meets Warfighter needs. At program and sustainment reviews, the PSM presents this data to a range of lead- ership, from PMs and program ex- ecutive officers to department heads and Service Acquisition Executives, offering a transparent assessment of performance, affordability, support - ability, and risks. This critical func- tion not only ensures accountability but also informs strategic decisions and drives the iterative optimization of sustainment strategies and plans to deliver the most effective and Ultimately, the role of the PSM is far more than a job title; it is a call to service that has a direct and profound impact on Warfighter readiness and lethality. Through the strategic de- velopment of the PSS and the LCSP, affordable solution. A Call to Service
The role of a PSM is not dissimilar to the conductor of an orchestra where all the musicians belong to a different union. There is no better sound in the world when it all comes together, and you delivered an effective and sustainable system to the Warfighter.
—Glen Broman Assistant Program Executive Officer
U.S. Army Combat Support and Combat Service Support
trial Base, to harness public and pri- vate sector sustainment capabilities. Throughout the system’s life cycle, PSMs proactively identify co-sustain- ment and Foreign Military Sales op- portunities to achieve cost savings via burden sharing. This multifac- eted leadership, intensely focused on Warfighter requirements, is essential for forging a comprehensive and re- silient product support strategy that maximizes readiness while ensuring effectiveness and affordability. Subject matter expertise. As a key technical partner within a pro- gram, the PSM’s role extends beyond strategic oversight and team leader- ship to provide deep subject matter expertise on sustainment. PSMs are technical integrators, not mere gen- eralists, able to delve into specific en - gineering and design considerations that affect a system’s long-term sup - portability. Consider, for example, a new weapons system where a tech savvy PSM collaborates directly with sys- tems engineers and the DIB to analyze
30 DEFENSE ACQUISITION MAGAZINE | MARCH – APRIL 2026
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