Product System Development & Design

Product Roadmap

All systems benefit from an analytically based Roadmap which is developed through the use of a disciplined and logical methodology. No matter how new a system is, a long range Roadmap should address  factors such as changes in mission, changes in the environment (operational, threat, political and fiscal), and changes to system capabilities both in the employment and sustainment areas. None of these factors are stagnant and a methodology to develop a Roadmap which is repeatable, traceable and supportable is critical to any program office.  Another factor which must be integrated into a solid Roadmap is the march of technology. Obsolescence and the need to update these systems is an issue which even the most recently fielded systems face. 

WBB has developed a Roadmap process/methodology which considers all of the above factors as well as the fiscal constraints that are the reality in any Program Manager’s world. Product development and design changes are often necessary for products remaining in service for many years. These products often require capability upgrades in order to remain viable throughout their life cycle. WBB clients find themselves with systems that are gradually becoming outdated, especially with respect to product development of electronic components as their product designs are becoming lighter, smaller, less expensive, but more capable. The environment these systems operate within also changes over time and the systems must now be adapted with a product roadmap to account for new and emerging user demands.

WBB clients typically lack the internal capability to objectively evaluate their systems among all these changes and develop short and long-term product roadmaps that will address these investment decisions. WBB consultants possess the requisite backgrounds and operational experience, coupled with an understanding of a system's capabilities, to best understand future system integrated needs. WBB uses a collaborative product development process to bring all these factors together into a model from which its output provides a reasoned set of cost versus capability alternatives such that reasonable investment decisions benefit both the system producer and the end-user. WBB first works with the system producer to thoroughly understand its current and projected capabilities. Research is then conducted to project the future operating environment for the system in consideration. This product design research allows WBB consultants to approach this problem not only from a product modernization perspective, but also and from a product sustainment perspective. WBB then develops analytic hierarchy process (AHP) models to weight and prioritize those capabilities that are important to the end-user. Subject matter experts from varying end-user communities, system developers, and program managers are utilized in these weighting efforts. This process uses a group decision software applications, such as Team Expert Choice™ and ThinkTank™, to analyze and assess capability gaps. System upgrades are then rated by the subject matter experts against these capabilities to determine the value and benefit provided over time. Cost estimates to the product design upgrades are then introduced to provide a cost benefit analysis. This product development approach provides a product and technology roadmap for that enables a decision-maker to have the ability to conduct comparisons quickly and efficiently, providing tremendous insight to a much greater depth and rigor than was previously available. As funding or program strategies change, the tool will highlight the change in total benefit and identify potential upgrades for addition or deletion to maintain an optimal investment strategy. The end goal is to provide the customer an optimization tool that maximizes capability within a given resource constrainedt environment of resources.

Please feel free to contact us for additional information about Product Development at: 703-448-6081 ext: 0