The manufacturing development guide: a new Air Force paradigm for best value weapon system acquisition

This paper introduces the 1998 version of the Air Force Aeronautical Systems Center's Manufacturing Development Guide (MDG). The new MDG is a complete rewrite of a breakthrough acquisition guide first published in 1993. It is the culmination of a three year effort to produce a comprehensive guidance document to help identify and implement on weapon system acquisition programs the appropriate systems, processes, tools, and techniques that facilitated the quality revolution in the commercial sector. As acquisition reform, having the same ultimate objective, continues to gain momentum, the MDG will also serve to provide guidance on implementing numerous new initiatives related to this "New Way of Doing Business" (June 1994). The expected audience for the MDG includes Air Force personnel working in weapon system acquisition program offices and their defense contractor counterparts.