Accession Number:

AD1011684

Title:

Acquisition Cycle Time: Defining the Problem

Descriptive Note:

Technical Report,01 Feb 2016,31 Mar 2016

Corporate Author:

Institute for Defense Analyses Alexandria United States

Personal Author(s):

• Tate,David M.

Report Date:

2016-04-01

Pagination or Media Count:

24.0

Abstract:

Acquisition cycle timeroughly speaking, the development lead time to field a working system once we have identified a need for a new materiel solutionis a hot topic in defense circles. This work takes a data-driven look at historical and current acquisition program cycle times. We show that the trend toward longer cycle times over the past few decades is restricted to a handful of high-profile programs, which has profound implications for effective policy response. We also show evidence that cycle times are driven by system complexity, and that schedule slip is associated primarily with overly optimistic schedule estimates. We conclude with a discussion of the increasing importance of software for development lead times, and the general problem of trading capability for timeliness in acquisition programs.

Descriptors:

• ACQUISITION
• SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT
• WEAPON SYSTEMS
• DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Subject Categories:

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE