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TASK 4: Business Case Methodology
Final Business Case Model Acquisition Guidebook (April 1997)
An Integrated Data Environment (IDE) Business Case is a business case prepared by Program Management Office (PMO) personnel in response to the Department of Defense's (DoD's) strategic objective for the implementation of the IDE environment. Its context is the IDE and the program's life-cycle, and its perspective is that of the program manager. The purpose of an IDE business case is to provide Program Managers with a clear and consistent method of determining the costs and benefits associated with the creation, use, storage, manipulation, and transmission of defense technical data in digital format.
This guidebook provides a program manager with the methodology and tools to prepare an IDE Business Case. The focus of this guidebook is to lay the foundation for the program manager to prepare IDE business cases in a practical and manageable manner. This guidebook provides an overall view of the Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) methodology, introduces the program manager to tools that are available to ease the preparation of IDE business cases, and provides the framework for IDE business case development. Because, by definition, the IDE Business Case deals solely with technology-related initiatives and alternatives, particular attention is given to documenting the program's geo-technical baseline, and the impact of initiatives and alternatives on that baseline.
Microsoft Word 6.0 for Windows (8850 KB)
Final IDE Defense System Business Case Model Plan of Actions and Milestones (October 27, 1995)
The full value of the Continuous Acquisition and Life-cycle Support (CALS) Integrated Data Environment (IDE) cannot be achieved unless its implementation proceeds as rapidly as economically feasible. This view is supported by Defense Secretary William Perry's draft memorandum, "Acquisition of Information in Digital Format." The draft memorandum mandates the acquisition of information in digital format after January 1996. Further, it stipulates, effective immediately, that all Program Managers shall:
- Plan for the on-line access to, or delivery of, defense system information in a digital form.
- Review all existing information relevant to weapon systems with an expected life-cycle greater than ten years, at a minimum, to initiate the actions necessary, including contract changes, to convert that information to appropriate digital/electronic formats, using accepted national and international standards. This is required for systems with an expected life-cycle of ten years, and must be considered for all others.
- Request waivers for those acquisitions for which digital/electronic formats may not be feasible (older systems with limited life times). Simple or expendable items with minimal data may be excluded if the required information is not available or cost effective in electronic form.
- Request for waivers must include justification based on full life-cycle cost.
The goal of this effort is to provide Program Managers with the tools and guidance needed to implement the requirements delineated in the draft memorandum. This effort will also provide a clear and consistent method of determining the costs and benefits associated with the creation, use, storage, manipulation, and transmission of defense technical data in digital format. To accomplish this goal, business case methodology provided at the conclusion of the previous effort ("Final Model Business Case Report for the Office of the Secretary of Defense [OSD] CALS Project, December 2, 1994") will be expanded to include the guidance, controls, and metrics required to develop objective economic and programmatic arguments required to determine and support investment in, and management of, the migration from current paper data formats to digital data formats, and ultimately to the envisioned CALS IDE. There are three key elements to the successful implementation of this approach:
- Develop and validate standard activity node trees, models, and charts for both the current and desired weapon system environments. To the extent possible, the Department of Defense (DoD) Enterprise Model will be the basis of these activities.
- Develop and validate guidance for further decomposition of the standard activity node trees, models, and charts to reflect weapon system unique processes, procedures, and concepts of operation.
- Provide guidance material to support consistent application of the models, metrics, and charts developed.