Integrated Product Support (IPS)

Integrated Product Support (IPS), use to be integrated logistics support (ILS), is a unified and iterative approach to the management and technical activities needed to influence operational and materiel requirements and design specifications for logistics support.

Definition: Integrated Logistics Support (ILS) is the management and technical process through which supportability and logistic support considerations are integrated into the design of a system or equipment and taken into account throughout its life cycle. It is the process by which all elements of logistic support are planned, acquired, tested, and provided in a timely and cost-effective manner [2].

Integrated Product Support (IPS) Purpose

The purpose of IPS is to define the support requirements best related to system design and to each other, develop and acquire the required support, provide required operational support at the lowest cost, seek readiness and Life-Cycle Cost (LCC) improvements in the materiel system and support systems during the operational life cycle, and repeatedly examine support requirements throughout the service life of the system. [2]

Integrated Product Support (IPS) Manager

Product Support Managers develop, plan, and implement a comprehensive product support strategy for all integrated product support elements and their material readiness. Product support managers will make use of data-driven decision-making tools with appropriate predictive analysis capabilities to improve systems availability and reduce costs. (DoDI 5000.02)

Integrated Product Support (IPS) Main Reference

The main reference for IPS that is used throughout the industry is the DAU Integrated Product Support (IPS) Element Guidebook. The guidebook focused on the product support manager and everything that is needed to successfully execute product support from system development to disposal. The guidebook is below:

Guidebook: Integrated Product Support (IPS) Element Guidebook – Mar 2021

Integrated Product Support (IPS) Elements

The ten (12) Integrated Product Support (IPS) elements are as follows: [1]

Product Support Management: Plan, manage, and fund weapon system product support across all Integrated Product Support (IPS) Element.
Design Interface: The design interface is the integration of the quantitative design characteristics of systems engineering (reliability, maintainability, etc.) with the functional IPS Elements.
Sustaining Engineering: Sustaining Engineering spans those technical tasks (engineering and logistics investigations and analyses) to ensure continued operation and maintenance of a system with managed (i.e., known) risk.
Maintenance Planning & Management: Identity, plan, resource, and implement maintenance concepts and requirements to ensure the best possible equipment/capability is available when the Warfighter needs it at the lowest possible LCC.
Manpower and Personnel: Identify, plan, resource, and acquire personnel, civilian, and military, with the grades and skills required;
- to operate equipment, to complete the missions, to effectively fight or support the fight, and to win our Nation’s wars;
- to effectively support the Soldier and to ensure the best capability is available for the Warfighter when needed.
Supply Support: Identify, plan, resource, and implement management actions to acquire repair parts, spares, and all classes of supply to ensure the best equipment/capability is available to support the Warfighter or maintainer when it is needed at the lowest possible LCC.
Support Equipment: Identify, plan, resource, and implement management actions to acquire and support the equipment (mobile or fixed) required to sustain the operation and maintenance of the system to ensure that the system is available to the Warfighter when it is needed at the lowest LCC.
Technical Data: Identify, plan, resource, and implement management actions to develop and acquire information;
- to operate, maintain, and train on the equipment to maximize its effectiveness and availability;
- effectively catalog and acquire spare/repair parts, support equipment, and all classes of supply; and
- to define the configuration baseline of the system (hardware and software) to effectively support the Warfighter with the best capability at the time it is needed.
Training and Training Support: Plan, resource, and implement a cohesive integrated strategy to train military and civilian personnel to maximize the effectiveness of the doctrine, manpower, and personnel to fight, operate, and maintain the equipment throughout the life cycle.
Information Technology (IT) Systems Continuous Support: Identify, plan, resource, and acquire facilities, hardware, software, documentation, manpower, and personnel necessary for planning and management of mission-critical computer hardware and software systems.
Facilities and Infrastructure: Identity, plan, resource, and acquire facilities to enable training, maintenance, and storage to maximize the effectiveness of system operation and the logistic support system at the lowest LCC. Identify and prepare plans for the acquisition of facilities to enable responsive support for the Warfighter.
Packaging, Handling, Storage, and Transportation (PHST): Identify, plan, resource, and acquire packaging/preservation, handling, storage, and transportation requirements to maximize availability and usability of the material to include support items whenever they are needed for training or the mission.

Where is Integrated Product Support (IPS) Documented

The Acquisition Strategy and Life Cycle Sustainment Plan (LCSP) will ensure that the requirements for each of the elements of IPS are properly planned, resourced, and implemented. These actions will enable the system to achieve the operational readiness levels required by the warfighter at the time of fielding and throughout the life cycle.

AcqLinks and References:

Updated: 11/21/2022

Rank: G1.2

Logistics & Supply Management