An innovative Information System for Life Cycle Cost optimization

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An innovative Information System for Life Cycle
Cost optimization
G.F. De Luca ASI - Italian Space Agency
17-21/05/2004
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LCC iceberg-effect

• Well known iceberg-effect (from Blanchard B.)

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What do we mean as Data?

• Data are meant as those information governing
  the undersea costs over the entire mission life
  cycle, and whose efficient management can
  actually contribute to the optimization of the
  overall life cycle costs.
• Data are one of the ubiquitous cost elements,
  which incur in design, development, production,
  operation, maintenance and disposal phases.

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The context
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Information System Overall Flow
FEEDBACK
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I.S. Objectives Use Context
Time
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I.S. Objectives Geo. Distribution
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Information System Domain for LCC

• Operation and Logistics Data Management data
  repository (database) and analysis tools,
  allowing the collection and management of data
  along system life-cycle (maintenance data,
  failures, operational problem reports, inventory
  data, statistics)
• Product Design Data Management data repository
  (database) and analysis tools for system
  specifications and design data, system
  performances data, reliability data (RAM
  reports), test procedures and results, etc
• Data Configuration Management tools to support
  operational data management of satellite and
  ground-operations related products, such as
  databases, operations documentation, procedures,
  and ground assets.

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Information System Effectiveness

• Maximization of Concurrency. To share data
  through common sources (data repository), to
  reduce risks of replicated data inconsistency,
  and allow concurrent use (e.g. Operations, ILS,
  RAMS, System Engineering).
• Early data collection. To optimise anomaly
  resolution and correct tuning of system logistics
  and operations support (reduction of
  time-to-repair, spare parts optimisation,
  maintenance policies).
• Easy Data transition. Complete and troubleless
  translation of technical data developed and
  produced during system design and manufacturing
  phases to the operational phases.

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Information Systems Building-up

• I.S. implementation depends on a variety of
  factors, such as
• Level of user requirements/constraints
• Expected quality of the service
• Technology level of the products (high-end
  systems, critical technologies)
• Number of hardware and software composing the
  system
• Geographical distribution of the system
• Number of companies and sponsors that oversee
  program development
• Number of contractors that are involved in
  production phases
• Complexity of the here above organization
  breakdown structure
• Total development schedule (time-to-market
  delay)
• Total investment costs.
• Etc

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Information System Implementation drivers
Simplicity
Suitability for every kind of users
Suitability for adapting to different Programs
Modularity
Reusability
Suitability to be reused with limited effort
Capability to be adapted to the peculiar
characteristics of each program
Adaptability
Use of COTS, of existing infrastructures, open to
technological innovations, common procurement
Cost-effectiveness
Suitability to be interfaced to external
applications
Interoperability
Suitability to cope with confidentiality,
Integrity and Availability security constraints
Security
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Information System Architecture (example)
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Information System Lesson learned
FEEDBACK
Authors Experience on actual cases
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Example of applications (1) SICRAL

• SICRAL 1 Italian military telecommunication
  system (satellite and mobile/fixed terminals)

• An Information System has been developed to
  support the ILS activities
• This system was extensively used in a concurrent
  approach by Configuration Management, ILS and
  RAMS functions, allowing
• Collection and common repository of data from
  Configuration Management, RAMS and system
  engineering.
• Collection of dataproduced by ILS and
  Operations duringoperative phases

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SICRAL Lesson learned

• Technical Data are shared in common source (data
  repository), which reduce risks of replicated
  data inconsistency, and are available at
  authorized users/teams for concurrent use (e.g.
  ILS, RAMS, System Engineering)
• Advantages are both technical and organizational,
  leading to cost optimization in the areas of Data
  Management and Configuration Management.
• The following Factors have been applied
• Modularity suitability of the Information System
  to be scaled according to different needs, each
  user/function use its own module
• Interoperability suitability to be interfaced to
  external applications (corporate applications for
  easy data import/export)
• Simplicity simple use, suitability for every
  kind of users
• Security

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Example of applications (2) EGNOS

• EGNOS European Geo-stationary Navigation Overlay
  System (Satellite navigation 1st generation)
• An Information System has been implemented to
  support, under an integrated approach, the
  activities of Operations, ILS, PHST and
  deployment of G/S assets
• Design technical data (ILS and engineering data)
  have been used to support the deployment of G/S
  assets worldwide
• This allowed to easily track G/S assets
  configuration during deployment process
• Final G/S configuration promptly available for
  the start of the Operations phase.

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EGNOS Lesson learned

• Technical data developed and produced during
  system design and manufacturing phases can be
  completely and troubleless translated to
  operational phases
• Advantages are both technical and organizational
• the handover from system manufacturer to final
  user is more efficient in terms of schedule and
  costs
• Pre-operations or Interim phases duration can be
  reduced
• System can enter in-service as soon as possible,
  with decreased risks of early operations.
• The following factors have been applied
• Modularity
• Interoperability
• Expandability suitability of the Information
  System to be expanded with new functions/requireme
  nts linked to modularity

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Example of applications (3) ALTEC

• ALTEC Italian Advanced Logistics and
  Technological facility, the Italian support
  centre for the activities related to the
  International Space Station program, including
  embarked payloads and Mini Pressurised Logistics
  Modules

• A Logistics Information System has been developed
  making use of innovative architecture and
  technologies
• Object Oriented,
• Java,
• Web-based approach
• Three-tier architecture

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ALTEC Lesson learned

• Investments for an Information System are not
  negligible in the system life-cycle.
  Nevertheless, use of innovative architectures and
  technologies strongly improve the overall
  cost-effectiveness and increase the
  return-on-investment
• With three tier architecture, use of a well
  suited COTS and Java capabilities, it is very
  easy to implement interfaces with the external
  world to deal with data from different sources.
• Three-tier architectures increase adaptability
  and portability to port the system from one
  platform (desktop based for example) to another
  one (palmtop based for example) is easier, faster
  and cheaper.
• Three-tier architecture improve the
  flexibility/customizability due to high
  isolation between tiers, define new
  relationships, introduce new functionalities,
  alter the user interface, manage extremely
  variable data volumes.
• COTS independence is preserved multi-tier
  architectures allow changing the resource level
  with low impact on software coding and design.
• Simplicity and modularity are assured through
  use of COTS, of existing infrastructures,
  technological innovations, common procurements.
• The overall architecture can be designed to easy
  expand the system (expandability).
• Risk related to software modifications
  (reusability) is reduced.

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Example of applications (4) COSMO-SkyMed

• COSMO-SkyMed Satellite Earth-Observation
  Program (SAR exploitation)

• An Information System is now being designed, with
  specific modules for operational and maintenance
  data collection
• The Information System will be deployedat the
  beginning of pre-operational phase,allowing
  early data collection duringsatellite
  constellation deployment (4 satellites deployed
  over a two-years period).
• Peculiar characteristics of the COSMO-SkyMed
  Information System are related to data
  collection and monitoring of the global system
  availability and performances, as a support to
  decision Service Availability and Performance
  Monitoring (SAPM)

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SAPM Operative Context
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Data fed to the SAPM

• Data sources
• monitor and control data,
• event/alarms,
• mid-long term analysis data provided by the SW
  tasks running at GGS elements level (UGS, CPCM,
  CGS),
• analysis of the related operational and logistic
  personnel.
• inputs from dedicated System Project Support team

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SAPM data processing

• Data are collected both automatically and
  through specific Operational Procedures.
• Data are held locally at each the G/S element
  in a given reporting time period.
• Synthesis reports are periodically or on-demand
  forwarded to remote positions, as part of the
  normal data reporting process established within
  the Global G/S.
• At the SAPM console, data are stored into a
  Database and submitted to elaboration, in order
• to generate statistics evaluation and figures of
  system performance and global availability
  parameters,
• to be dispatched to other consoles, in charge to
  further elaborate/display such data at the due
  level of visibility (Customer, Management, User,
  Operators, etc).

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Focus on Security

• One issue for information systems needs to be
  tackled with greater attention security
• Security key design parameters
• Confidentiality of information (design data,
  performance data),
• Integrity of the information and related
  databases,
• Vulnerability from threats
• Security issues are extremely challenging in a
  dual-use environment, where commercial
  requirements merge with military ones.
• Facing these issues implies
• Use of security-aware or certified COTS,
• Database security policies (to configure access
  policies to the data, to avoid unauthorized
  access to or modification of information, whether
  in storage, processing or transit),
• Network security policies (firewalls, air
  gaps,..)

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COSMO-SkyMed Lesson (to be) Learned (1)

• Technical data are collected as early as possible
  since factory qualification and pre-operations
  activities (equipment failures, anomaly reports)
• This early data collection can be actually used,
  in terms of statistics on system availability and
  performances
• Advantages are both technical and organizational
• Historic data are available at the beginning of
  system operations helping the user and support
  service providers in anomaly resolution
• Improvement of historic database allow better
  results of decision support systems (reduction of
  time-to-repair, spare parts optimization,
  maintenance policies)
• The following factors shall be applied
• Modularity, Interoperability, Expandability,
  Security

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COSMO-SkyMed Lesson (to be) Learned (2)

• COSMO-SkyMed SAPM shall be effectively used to
  collect, measure and analyse performances and
  operational parameters, in support to decisional
  processes.
• Characterization of system performance, via
  collection and analysis of appropriate data, is
  considered capable to provide important benefits
  over ground operations and maintenance
  activities, that is over the entire system
  life-cycle.
• Output of the SAPM evaluation process is not
  limited to the global Service Availability and
  Performance Monitoring (SAPM) report but has
  important benefits on the costs reduction
  strategy for the entire mission management chain.

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Information Systems near future trend

• Hypermedia and advanced Technologies
• which will allow the development, exploitation
  and maintenance of electronic documentation, both
  for manuals and training courses, to be tailored
  to each user
• Artificial Intelligence
• able to support a large group of users providing
  them the right interface, the right data in
  the right time with the required QoS on the
  net. Users do not need special hardware or
  software to consult such intelligent servers.
  Java programs could act as user interfaces to
  expert systems by opening network connections to
  knowledge servers.

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Conclusions

• The establishment of an Information System (IS)
  is essential during all system life-cycle in
  order to
• Provide the proper level of visibility relative
  to the project status in a timely manner
  (configuration management and control)
• Enable the identification of potential problem
  areas (technical risks) as early as practicable
• Reduce the effort for data management and
  distribution
• Improve schedule control and critical tasks
  identification (e.g., activities on the "critical
  path")
• Track performed activities
• Conclusion
• A good and complete Information System (IS) is a
  significant driving factor of the LCC
  optimization process and a conditio sine qua
  non for achieving the concurrent engineering
  approach for system life-cycle.