Integrated Sustainment
Corrosion Control
Case Studies
GSA Schedules
White Papers
Product Life Cycle Support & Management
Integration & Test
Electronic Product Solutions
Data Visualization
Space/Ground Operations Support & Simulation
Satellite/Launch Operations Support
Configuration & Data Management
Decision Support
Software/Hardware Engineering
System Analysis
System Support Engineering
Technical Order/Document Digitization
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Our system support engineering capabilities encompass all aspects related to the maintenance, repair and sustainment of C4ISR systems, subsystems, components, parts and the integration of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products to ensure optimal network operational availability and maximum mission readiness.
The E&TS System Support Engineering role is to identify, prioritize, integrate, sustain and in some cases redesign system configurations that will meet and exceed customer requirements in a timely, effective, and efficient manner. These functions are executed during the support of existing and mature (legacy) systems and during the implementation and design of new systems as well as throughout the sustainment phase providing a fully integrated “cradle to grave” capability driving normally escalating lifecycle costs downward over time. This translates to an ongoing and iterative process of assessment (and validation) throughout the operational use, maintenance support phases, configuration/data management process throughout the system lifecycle; any changes in requirements are reflected back into the system (redesign, refurbishment, reengineering) providing a continuous product/process improvement feedback loop and total cost visibility. We follow and comply with Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) disciplines.
Reliability, Maintainability and Supportability
E&TS categorizes its main systems engineering functions and the associated accountability criterion into the following:
Reliability predicts the probability of a system surviving for a designated period of time without failure. Measurements include mean time between failure (MTBF), mean time to failure (MTTF), mean cycle between failure (MCBF), Turn-Around Time (TAT), Mean Time Between Critical Failures (MTBCF), and failure rate (?). We incorporate a failure reporting, analysis and corrective-action system (FRACAS) into the process to provide system engineering feedback and a control loop.
Maintainability measures the combination of maintenance times (uptime and downtime), personnel labor hours, maintenance frequency factors, maintenance cost, and related logistics support factors. Categories of maintenance include:
- Corrective maintenance: The unscheduled actions, initiated as a result of failure (or a perceived failure), necessary to restore a system to required levels of performance. Activities include troubleshooting, disassembly, repair, reassembly, alignment and adjustment, test, etc. This includes unplanned software maintenance.
- Preventative: The scheduled actions necessary to sustain a system at specified levels of performance. This includes periodic inspections, servicing, calibration, condition monitoring, and/or replacement of critical system items. Measurements include total maintenance downtime (MDT), mean time between maintenance or uptime (MTBM), and operational availability (Ao).
Operational Availability (Ao), mission readiness and response time are major components of our Metrics Concentricity model, with Ao expressed as:
E&TS offers a Reliability, Maintainability, Availability Tool Suite (RMATS) that includes: monthly statistical reporting and trending, lifecycle analysis, systems and work unit code analysis.
Supportability provides the purchasing, materials processing and handling, inventory management, packaging and transportation, warehousing and storage, distribution, customer service, information flow, and all of the related business practices to support the effective and efficient implementation of the operation. Inherent in this important support mechanism is a full spectrum of logistics activities and the ongoing sustaining customer service and maintenance of the system throughout its planned lifecycle, including:
Integrated logistics support (ILS) - covers planning and design activities, procurement and acquisition activities, and sustaining system support (data collection, analysis and feedback) activities.
Logistics engineering - establishment of design-to criteria, conductance of feasibility studies and trade-off analyses, accomplishment of supportability analysis (SA), review of supplier activities, participation in formal design reviews, and participation in test, evaluation and validation of systems.
Performance-based logistics (PBL) - is our preferred sustainment strategy for system product support delivering an integrated, affordable performance package designed to optimize system readiness.
E&TS offers an Integrated Support Active Tool (ILSAT) for inventory and property management. The ILSAT is a web-based, real-time access tool with asset tracking, a master parts list with part history, alternate parts management, log book and spares lists. ILSAT is tailorable to meet customer requirements as well the inventory processes and procedures to perform daily functions.
L-3 Communications also offers an Obsolete Parts Tool Suite (OPTionS) for Diminishing Manufacturing Sources and Material Shortages (DMSMS) programs.
Our system support engineering, processes and approach enable Total Lifecycle Systems Management (TLCSM), and provides the framework to aid decision making about trade-offs between system performance, cost, and schedule. TLCSM and PBL concepts provide more effective, affordable, operationally-ready systems through increased reliability, supportability, and maintainability.
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