Tradespace Organizational Practices: A Case Study

Abstract

Tradespace analysis capabilities are critical for organizations either selecting large programmatic efforts or those engaged in providing solutions to major program opportunities. The ability of an organization to effectively use the tradespace in their decision-making process had a substantial impact upon programmatic success. Poorly bounded tradespaces may lead to prototype vehicles (or any other system to be designed) that are ultimately unacceptable due to performance, cost, or technical risk issues. Tradespaces that are over-constrained can unduly limit design options and lead to stagnant designs that are unable to incorporate technical innovations. Most organizations find that tradespace analysis presents numerous challenges, so this research aims to address the evaluation of strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement within an organization. In this study, we explain how an interview-based process was used to perform this analysis and make recommendations for opportunities for process improvement within an organization (Ground Vehicle Systems Center or GVSC). Similar approaches could be applied to other organizations to facilitate the development of an organizational self-assessment that can aid in the identification of internal strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement within organizations performing tradespace activities.