{"id":25770,"date":"2023-08-24T13:07:30","date_gmt":"2023-08-24T17:07:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.parsons.com\/?p=25770"},"modified":"2023-09-27T15:23:12","modified_gmt":"2023-09-27T19:23:12","slug":"digital-engineering-enabling-success-across-the-dods-acquisition-process","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.parsons.com\/2023\/08\/digital-engineering-enabling-success-across-the-dods-acquisition-process\/","title":{"rendered":"Digital Engineering: Enabling Success Across The DoD\u2019s Acquisition Process"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The DoD\u2019s Opportunity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Department of Defense\u2019s (DoD) acquisition process is facing significant challenges in meeting the rapidly evolving demands of modern warfare. The traditional acquisition methods are often slow and cumbersome, resulting in delayed delivery of critical capabilities and increases costs. The complexity and interdependency of modern defense systems require a more integrated and holistic approach to design, development, verification, and sustainment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The DoD is grappling with the need to keep pace with technological advancements and leverage cutting-edge innovations to maintain military superiority and outperform and outpace our adversaries. However, the current acquisition process often struggles to effectively incorporate emerging technologies, resulting in outdated systems that cannot adapt to evolving threats or take full advantage of breakthrough capabilities. Moreover, the DoD\u2019s acquisition process lacks the necessary level of digitization and standardization, leading to fragmented data, communication gaps, and limited collaboration across stakeholders. This fragmented approach hampers the ability to make informed decisions, share critical information, and efficiently manage the entire lifecycle of defense systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is a pressing need for the implementation of Digital Engineering principles within the DoD\u2019s acquisition process. Digital Engineering, as outlined in the DoD Digital Engineering Strategy, offers a transformative solution to address these challenges. The DoD Digital Engineering Strategy emphasizes the use of digital models, simulations, and data-driven decision-making to enhance acquisition practices and improve system performance throughout the lifecycle. Ultimately, Systems Engineering and Integration (SE&I) still has the fundamental processes; that is, Requirements Analysis with Use Cases and environments to capture, validate and refine requirements. A Functional Solution is still developed, decomposing requirements, defining of a Functional Architecture with flow down of performance and functional interfaces. Moreover, a Physical Solution is still developed, whereby we define alternative system physical concepts, configuration items, and system elements. The evaluation of alternatives and selection of the most effective alternative employing optimization is still performed. So, what is different?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The difference is that document-based SE&I or traditional SE is focused on the generation of textual specifications and design documents. Hardcopy or electronic files are the basis of exchange between the user, developer, and tester. System requirements are expressed in documents containing textual descriptions, graphical depictions generated from CAD, drawing tools, and tabular data. This results in diverse models and analyses from a variety of engineering groups whose data is not integrated. Our observation has been that the emphasis is on controlling the documentation, ensuring its validity, completeness, consistency, and compliance. Whereas, with Digital Engineering, the primary artifact is a coherent model of the system or systems of systems. A collaborative deliberative environment allows engineering teams to unify their analytical efforts around a key data aspect and the creation of the authoritative sources of truth (ASoT).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By leveraging advanced modeling & simulation tools, Digital Engineering enables a more efficient, agile, and cost-effective approach to the design, development, and sustainment of defense systems. It promotes early identification and mitigation of risks, enables virtual prototyping, facilitates collaboration among stakeholders, and improves the overall decision-making process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is crucial to address the challenges of the DoD\u2019s acquisition process by embracing Digital Engineering principles and fostering a digital transformation in line with the DoD Digital Engineering Strategy. This will ensure timely, cost-effective delivery of cutting-edge defense capabilities that can adapt to emerging threats and technological advancements, ultimately enhancing the effectiveness and readiness of our warfighters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are industry leaders in Digital Engineering tradecraft and have deployed and applied Digital Engineering practices to the DoD\u2019s most complex systems.<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Our Solution\u2014Parsons Digital Engineering Framework (PDEF)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We apply Digital Engineering (DE) to every aspect of the system acquisition process\u2014including design, engineering, software, manufacturing, testing, and sustainment efforts\u2014resulting in high-speed innovation, reduced risks, reduced program costs, <\/strong>and accelerated delivery. <\/strong>This is accomplished via a multidisciplinary approach, integrating Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), Digital Engineering, Agile processes, and an open architecture tailored to the DoD\u2019s Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA), Sensor Open Systems Architecture (SOSA), Weapon Systems Open Architecture (WOSA), and Modular Open Radio Frequency Architecture (MORA). We implement a Digital Ecosystem through the Parsons Digital Engineering Framework (PDEF).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PDEF provides the capability for accelerated, technically credible analytics, and fast and agile prototyping, supporting the rapid transition of capabilities from the laboratory to the warfighter. PDEF is an innovative tool suite of MBSE and Modeling and Simulation tools, which can be any mix of COTS\/GOTS and\/or customer-derived tools, as required. The mix of tools in the suite is tailored to the needs of each customer project, providing optimal and cost-effective use of resources. The PDEF approach yields:<\/p>\n\n\n\n