Supportability analysis is the procedures and methodologies employed to accomplish the planning, development, systems engineering, production, and management that are essential to ensure logistics supportability of military systems and equipment delivered to users. It’s conducted as an integral part of the Systems Engineering Process beginning at program initiation and continuing throughout program development. Supportability analyses form the basis for related logistics/supportability design requirements included in the system specification and for subsequent decisions concerning how to most cost-effectively support the system over its entire life-cycle. [2]

Supportability Analysis Goals

The goal of supportability analysis is to reduce logistics and maintenance costs and increase availability by optimizing the support system and influencing the system design.

Supportability Analysis Objectives

Supportability analysis in each program phase should be scoped to the objectives and level of design anticipated. It should address all supportability analyses needed to analyze, define, and verify the supportability thresholds and objectives for a system and to assess the risks in accomplishing these thresholds and objectives. The supportability objectives and analyses should be based on the following considerations: [2]

• The probable hardware and software designs, support concepts, and operational approaches for the new total system which include gross estimates of the reliability and maintainability, Operations & Support (O&S) costs, logistic support resources, and readiness characteristics of each total system component design and the operational concept.
• The availability, accuracy, and relevance of readiness, O&S cost, and logistic support resource data required to perform the proposed support analyses.
• The potential design impact of performing the analyses including the estimated supportability, cost and readiness improvement, and the reduction in program risks.

Supportability Analysis Cost Estimate

Supportability analysis should also include an initial estimate of the cost of each analysis. It should also rate the degree of cost-effectiveness of performing each analysis, given the projected costs, the anticipated benefit to be derived, and the program schedule constraints under which it must be conducted. These ratings should then be used to tailor supportability analyses to conform to the overall Acquisition Strategy, plans, schedules, and funding. [2]

Supportability Analysis Techniques

Supportability analysis includes the integration of various analytical techniques with the objective of designing and developing an effective and efficient logistics support infrastructure. The primary techniques used in supportability analysis are: [1]

• Failure Mode
• Failure Effects and Criticality Analysis (FMECA)
• Fault Tree Analysis (FTA)
• Reliability Centered Maintenance Analysis (RCMA)
• Level of Repair Analysis (LORA)
• Maintenance Task Analysis

Supportability Analysis Procedures

Procedures and schedules should be established and integrated with the overall systems engineering program and other program activities. Supportability reviews should be scheduled consistent with the overall program plans. It should have a set of established review procedures that provide consistency of review among the participating disciplines. These procedures should define the acceptance and rejection criteria pertaining to total system supportability requirements. [2]

AcqLinks and References:

• [1] Defense Acquisition Guidebook (DAG) – Chapter 5
• MIL-HDBK-502A “Product Support Analysis” – 8 Mar 2013
• (Old) [2] Mil-Handbook 502 “DoD Handbook Acquisition Logistics” – 30 May 1997

Updated: 7/9/2021

Rank: G1.5