Tradespace and Affordability - Phase 1

Abstract : RT-46, Tradespace and Affordability, is a major SERC initiative within SE Transformation. It particularly focuses on the tradespace among a system's Ilities, or non-functional requirements. Its project name is ilities Tradespace and Affordability Project (iTAP). The ilities differ from functional requirements in that they are systemwide properties that specify how well the system should perform, as compared to functions that specify what the system should perform. Adding a functional requirement to a system's specification tends to have an incremental, additive effect on the system's cost and schedule. Adding an ility requirement to a system's specification tends to have a systemwide, multiplicative effect on the system's cost and schedule. Also, ilities are harder to specify and evaluate, as their values vary with variations in the system's environment and operational scenarios. Phase 1 Objectives, Approach, and Results The major objectives of the initial 5-month Phase 1 activity have been: * To lay strong foundations for ITAP Phase 2, including knowledge of Department of Defense (DoD) ility priorities; foundations and frameworks for ITAP analysis; extension and tailoring of existing ITAP methods, processes, and tools (MPTs); and exploration of candidate Phase 2 pilot organizations for ITAP MPTs. * To help develop an Ilities Tradespace and Affordability community of interest via collaborative activities with the DoD Engineering Resilient Systems (ERS) program and counterpart working groups in the International Council for Systems Engineering (INCOSE), the Military Operations Research Society (MORS), and the National Defense industry Association (NDIA).