The Product Support Manager (PSM) is responsible for managing the support functions required to field and maintain the readiness and operational capability of major weapon systems, subsystems, and components. They’re also responsible for accomplishing the overall integration of Product Support through government activities or via a contract with a commercial organization. The support functions the PSM need to manage related to weapon system readiness include: [1]
- Providing weapon systems product support subject matter expertise
- Developing and implementing a comprehensive Product Support Strategy
- Promoting opportunities to maximize competition while meeting the objective of best-value long-term outcomes to the warfighter
- Seeking to leverage enterprise opportunities across programs and DoD Components
- Using appropriate analytical tools to determine the preferred product support strategy
- Developing appropriate product support arrangements for implementation
- Periodically assessing and adjusting resource allocations and performance requirements to meet warfighter needs during strategy implementation
- Documenting the product support strategy in the Life-Cycle Sustainment Plan (LCSP)
- Conducting periodic Product Support Strategy (PSS) reviews
Guidebook: DoD Product Support Manager – June 2016
In developing and implementing the Performance-Based Product Support Strategy the PSM can delegate responsibility for delivering specific outcomes. The Program Manager (PM) and PSM may employ any number of sub-system PSMs or Product Support Integrator(s) (PSI) to integrate support from all support sources to achieve the performance outcomes specified in a Performance-Based Agreement (PBA). [1]
While product support execution is accomplished by numerous organizational entities, the PSI is accountable for integrating all sources of support necessary to meet the agreed-to-support performance metrics as specified in product support arrangements. To effectively coordinate the work and business relationships necessary to satisfy the user agreement the product support integrator should be knowledgeable about the system, involved early in the program life, and incentivized to continuously improve reliability, maintainability, and sustainment technology. [1]
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Updated: 7/14/2021
Rank: G3.2