Understanding the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) requirements, processes, and product development lifecycle allows for more effective new product engineering and development within the DoD marketplace. In addition, understanding how industry can apply currently available commercial vehicle technologies as a platform to meet current and future DoD needs may become an important factor in reducing costs and conforming to DoD budget constraints.
The overall objective of this two day seminar is to establish a working knowledge of the military tactical vehicle product development process. The instructor will provide attendees an in-depth explanation of the DoD product development lifecycle. This will include the product specifications during the infancy stage of development on the government side and continue through the various technical development stages required for the full production launch of various military vehicle platforms, including wheeled and tracked vehicles. This course will give those who are entering the military tactical vehicle market, or those who want to effectively move commercial products into the DoD market the foundation to do so.
By attending this seminar, you will be able to:
- Identify the requirements and philosophies of DoD Product Development and Key Metrics for success
- Recognize the roles of contracting, the program office, testing requirements, and the overall acceptance process of militarized products by the DoD
- Evaluate and support product specifications to key metrics (KPP¿s) that allow you to successfully meet your end customer¿s expectations
- Identify and explain, with a clear understanding, the product development life cycle and the key gates a particular product is required to pass through to be successfully adopted by the DoD
- Identify and associate the similarities and differences between tracked and wheeled vehicles and component level product development and the various paths that can be taken to successfully develop militarized products
DAY ONE
- Product Development Lifecycles
- Program of Record ¿ Full Vehicle Platform
- Component Level Refinement / Sustainment / Depot / Recapitalization
- Small Business, Large Business, Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)
- Product Specifications
- Automotive Tank Purchase Description (APTD)
- Capability Production Document (CPD)
- Operational Requirements Document (ORD)
- Contractor Performance and Reporting System (CPARS)
- Other vehicle platform specifications
- Military Standards (MIL-STD)
- Technology Readiness Level (TRL)
- Technical Operating Procedures (TOP)
- Performance vs. Development
- Acceptance
- Input from customer
- Testing: Laboratory
- Testing: Finite Element Analysis (FEA)
- Testing: Aberdeen Test Center (ATC)
- Testing: Yuma Proving Grounds (YPG)
- Other testing facilities
DAY TWO
- Contracting
- Proposals
- Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL), process, and mechanisms
- Challenges - Trends
- Time of development
- Transition from war support to sustainment and recapitalization
- How to successfully tie all elements of contracting, program office and acceptance testing into product development
- Large programs (vehicle development)
- Component level
Mr. Glen Simula is President and CEO of GS Engineering, Inc., a company he founded in 2001 to provide lightweight vehicle technology to the military and commercial vehicle sectors. Mr. Simula¿s expertise includes tactical vehicle design and development, structural optimization of lightweight components for military vehicles, and dynamic analysis and simulation of tracked and wheeled vehicles. His program experience includes Lightweight Military Track, MRAP Development, and FMTV Development. Prior to founding GS Engineering, Mr. Simula was a Senior Research Engineer at the Keweenaw Research Center - Michigan Technological University where he was the program manager for military vehicle design and analysis and the subject matter expert for military vehicle suspensions. Prior to joining Michigan Technological University, he was a Senior Staff Stress Analyst for Bechtel Power Corporation where he conducted finite element analysis of Class I nuclear systems. Mr. Simula received his B.S. Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Technological University and a M.S. Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.