Design for Supportability

Supportability characteristics include many performance measures of the individual elements of a total system. This chapter provides several examples to explain why it is important to consider design for supportability during the system design and development phase of a program. Supportability involves all related activities to achieve the totality of a logistics and service support infrastructure, from training to transportation to technical documentation, from spares and warehousing to tools and test equipment. The chapter also provides that structure to help the reader to understand the basic elements of supportability. While every development program is different, all supportability programs are driven by the same three major criteria: cost, equipment readiness, and manpower and personnel constraints. The output of the supportability analysis is the defined requirements as specified by the elements. This is summarized in the Integrated Logistics Support Plan, which the asset owning and operating organization can use to prepare for the asset.