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Advanced Product Transitions Corp.
Acquisition Phase Materiel Solution Analysis (MSA) Technology Development (TD) Engineering & Mfg Development (EMD) Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP)
Technical Reviews ASR SRR/SFR PDR CDR PRR/SVR PCA
Thread Sub-Thread MRL 4 MRL 5 MRL 6 MRL 7 MRL 8 MRL 9
. Technology Maturity Should be assessed at TRL 4 Should be assessed at TRL 5 Should be assessed at TRL 6 Should be assessed at TRL 7 Should be assessed at TRL 8
 Should be assessed at TRL 9
A - Technology and Industrial Base A.1 - Industrial Base Industrial base capabilities surveyed and known gaps/risks identified for preferred concept, key technologies, components, and/or key processes Industrial base capabilities assessment initiated to identify potential manufacturing sources. Sole/single/ foreign source vendors and vendors of technologies with potential obsolescence issues have been identified and planning has begun to minimize risks.   Industrial base capabilities assessment for MS B has been completed. Industrial capability in place to support manufacturing of development articles. Plans to minimize sole/ foreign sources and obsolescence issues complete. Need for sole/single/foreign sources justified.  Potential alternative sources identified. Industrial capability to support production has been analyzed. Sole/single/foreign sources stability and obsolescence issues are assessed/monitored. Developing potential alternate sources as necessary.  Industrial base capability assessment for MS C has been completed. Industrial capability is in place to support LRIP.  Sources are available, multi-sourcing where cost-effective or necessary to mitigate risk. Industrial capability assessment for FRP has been completed and capability is in place to support start of FRP. 
A.2 - Manufacturing Technology Development Mfg Science & Advanced Mfg Technology requirements identified Required manufacturing technology development efforts initiated, if applicable. Manufacturing technology efforts continuing.  Required manufacturing technology development solutions demonstrated in a production relevant environment. Manufacturing technology efforts continuing.  Required manufacturing technology development solutions demonstrated in a production representative environment. Primary manufacturing technology efforts concluding, and some improvement efforts continuing.  Required manufacturing technology solutions validated on a pilot line. Manufacturing technology process improvements efforts initiated for FRP.
B - Design  B.1 - Producibility Program IInitial producibility and manufacturability assessment of preferred systems concepts completed.  Results considered in selection of preferred design concepts and reflected in Technology Development Strategy key components/ technologies Producibility and manufacturability assessments of key technologies and components initiated as appropriate.   Ongoing design trades consider manufacturing processes and industrial base capability constraints. Manufacturing processes assessed for capability to test and verify in production, and influence on Operations & Support.  Producibility assessments and producibility trade studies (performance vs. producibility) of key technologies/components completed.  Results used to shape Acquisition Strategy, Systems Engineering Plan (SEP),  Manufacturing and Producibility plans, and planning for EMD or technology insertion programs.  Preliminary design choices assessed against manufacturing processes and industrial base capability constraints.  Producibility enhancement efforts (e.g. Design For Mfg, Assembly, Etc. (DFX)) initiated. Detailed producibility trade studies using knowledge of key design characteristics and related manufacturing process capability completed.   Producibility enhancement efforts (e.g. DFX) ongoing for optimized integrated system.  Manufacturing processes re-assessed as needed for capability to test and verify potential influence on Operations & Support.  Producibility improvements implemented on system. Known producibility issues have been resolved and pose no significant risk for LRIP.  Prior producibility improvements analyzed for effectiveness during LRIP.  Producibility issues/risks discovered in LRIP have been mitigated and pose no significant risk for FRP. 
B.2 - Design Maturity SEP and Test and Evaluation Strategy recognize the need for the establishment/validation of manufacturing capability and management of manufacturing risk for the product lifecycle. Initial potential Key Performance Parameters (KPPs) identified for preferred systems concept. System characteristics and measures to support required capabilities identified. Form, fit, and function constraints identified and manufacturing capabilities identified for preferred systems concepts. Lower level performance requirements sufficient to proceed to preliminary design.  All enabling/critical technologies and components identified and considers the product lifecycle.  Evaluation of design Key Characteristics (KC) initiated. Product data required for prototype component manufacturing released. System allocated baseline established.  Product requirements and features are well enough defined to support preliminary design review. Product data essential for  subsystem/system prototyping has been released, and all enabling/critical component have been prototyped. Preliminary design KCs have been identified and mitigation plans in development. Product design and features are well enough defined to support critical design review, even though design change traffic may be significant. All product data essential for component manufacturing has been released.   Potential KC risk issues have been identified and mitigation plan is in place. Detailed design of product features and interfaces is complete. All product data essential for system manufacturing has been released.  Design change traffic does not significantly impact LRIP. Key Characteristics are attainable based upon pilot line demonstrations. Major product design features and configuration are stable. System design has been validated through operational testing of LRIP items.  Physical Configuration Audit (PCA) or equivalent complete as necessary.  Design change traffic is limited.  All KCs are controlled in LRIP to appropriate quality levels.
C - Cost & Funding C.1 - Production Cost Knowledge (Cost modeling) Manufacturing, material and special requirement cost drivers identified.   Detailed process chart cost models driven by process variables.  Cost driver uncertainty quantified. Prototype components produced in a production relevant environment, or simulations drive end-to-end cost models.   Cost model includes materials, labor, equipment, tooling/Special Test Equipment (STE), setup, yield/scrap/rework, Work In Progress (WIP), and capability/capacity  constraints.    Cost model updated with design requirements, material specifications, tolerances, integrated master schedule, results of system/subsystem simulations and  production relevant prototype demonstrations.   Cost model updated with the results of systems/sub-systems produced in a production representative environment, production plant layout and design, and  obsolescence solutions. Cost models updated with results of pilot line build. FRP cost model updated with result of LRIP build. 
C.2 - Cost Analysis Producibility cost risks assessed.  Initial cost models support Analysis of Alternatives (AoA) and Alternative Systems Review (ASR). Costs analyzed using prototype component actuals to ensure target costs are achievable.  Decisions regarding design choices, make/buy, capacity, process capability, sources, quality, key characteristics, yield/rate, and variability influenced by cost models.     Costs analyzed using prototype system/sub-system actuals to ensure target costs are achievable.  Allocate cost targets to subsystems. Cost reduction and avoidance strategies developed.  Provide manufacturing cost drivers for "Should-Cost" models. Manufacturing costs rolled up to system/sub-system level and tracked against targets.   Detailed trade studies and engineering change requests supported by cost estimates.   Cost reduction and avoidance strategies underway. Update manufacturing cost drivers for "Should-Cost" models. Costs analyzed using pilot line actuals to ensure target costs are achievable.  Manufacturing cost analysis supports proposed changes to requirements or configuration.  Cost reduction initiatives ongoing.  Update manufacturing cost drivers for "Should-Cost" models. LRIP cost goals met and learning curve analyzed with actual data.  Cost reduction initiatives ongoing. Touch labor efficiency analyzed to meet production rates and elements of inefficiency are identified with plans in place for reduction.
C.3 - Manufacturing Investment Budget Manufacturing technology initiatives identified to reduce costs.   Program has reasonable budget estimate for reaching MRL 6 by MS B. Estimate includes capital investment for production-relevant equipment. All outstanding MRL 4 risk areas understood with approved mitigation plans in place.  Program has updated budget estimate for reaching MRL 6 by MS B. All outstanding MRL 5 risk areas understood with approved mitigation plans in place.  Program has reasonable budget estimate for reaching MRL 8 by MS C. Estimate includes capital investment for production-representative equipment by CDR and pilot line equipment by MS C. All outstanding MRL 6 risk areas understood with approved mitigation plans in place.  Program has updated budget estimate for reaching MRL 8 by MS C. All outstanding MRL 7 risk areas understood with approved mitigation plans in place.  Program has reasonable budget estimate for reaching MRL 9 by the FRP decision point. Estimate includes investment for LRIP and FRP. All outstanding MRL 8 risk areas understood with approved mitigation plans in place.  Program has reasonable budget estimate for FRP. All outstanding MRL 9 risk areas understood with approved mitigation plans in place. 
D - Materials (Raw Materials, Components, Sub-assemblies and Sub-systems) D.1 - Maturity Projected materials have been produced in a laboratory environment. Program has updated budget estimate for reaching MRL 6 by MS B. All outstanding MRL 5 risk areas understood with approved mitigation plans in place.  Program has reasonable budget estimate for reaching MRL 8 by MS C. Estimate includes capital investment for production-representative equipment by CDR and pilot line equipment by MS C. All outstanding MRL 6 risk areas understood with approved mitigation plans in place.  Program has updated budget estimate for reaching MRL 8 by MS C. All outstanding MRL 7 risk areas understood with approved mitigation plans in place.  Program has reasonable budget estimate for reaching MRL 9 by the FRP decision point. Estimate includes investment for LRIP and FRP. All outstanding MRL 8 risk areas understood with approved mitigation plans in place.  Program has reasonable budget estimate for FRP. All outstanding MRL 9 risk areas understood with approved mitigation plans in place. 
D.2 - Availability Projected lead times have been identified for all difficult to obtain, difficult to process, or hazardous materials. Quantities and lead times estimated.   Availability issues addressed for prototype build. Significant material risks identified for all materials. Planning has begun to address scale-up issues.   Availability issues addressed to meet EMD build. Long-lead items identified. Components assessed for future DMSMS risk.  Availability issues addressed to meet LRIP builds. Long lead procurement identified and mitigated. DMSMS mitigation strategies for components in place. Availability issues pose no significant risk for LRIP. Long lead procurement initiated for LRIP. Availability issues addressed to meet FRP builds. Availability issues pose no significant risk for FRP. Long lead procurement initiated for FRP.  
D.3 - Supply Chain Management Survey completed for potential supply chain sources.  Potential supply chain sources identified and evaluated as able to support prototype build. Lifecycle Supply Chain requirements updated.  Critical suppliers list updated.  Supply chain plans in place (e.g. teaming agreements, etc.) supporting an EMD contract award. Effective supply chain management processes defined, documented, and in place. Plan developed for predictive indicators. Assessment of critical first tier supply chain completed  (e.g. capability, capacity, etc.).  Assessment of critical second and lower tier supply chain completed.  Robust requirements flow down processes in place and verified.  Validated supplier compliance with program requirements and changes. Plan for predictive indicators updated and to be used in production. Supply chain adequate to support LRIP. Long term agreements in place where practical.   Prime's supplier management metrics (including thresholds and goals) in place and used to manage risks. Predictive indicators to manage suppliers in place. Supply chain is stable and adequate to support FRP.

D.4 - Special Handling
(i.e. Government Furnished Property (GFP), shelf life, security, hazardous materials, storage environment, etc.)

 List of hazardous materials updated.  Special handling procedures applied in the lab. Special handling requirements identified.  Special handling procedures applied in production relevant environment. Special handling requirement gaps identified. New special handling processes demonstrated in lab environment.  Special handling procedures applied in production relevant environment. Plans to address special handling requirement gaps complete.  Special handling procedures applied in production representative environment. Special handling procedures developed and annotated on work instructions for pilot line. Special handling procedures applied in pilot line environment. Special handling procedures demonstrated in EMD or Technology Insertion Programs.  Special handling issues pose no significant risk for LRIP. All work instructions contain special handling provisions as required. Special handling procedures applied in LRIP environment. Special handling procedures demonstrated in LRIP.  Special handling issues pose no significant risk for FRP.  
E - -Process Capability & Control E.1 - Modeling & Simulation (Product & Process) Production modeling/simulation approaches for process or product are identified.   Initial models/simulation (product or process) developed at the component level and used to determine constraints. Initial models/simulation developed at the sub-system or system level, and used to determine system constraints. Models/simulation used to determine system constraints and identify improvement opportunities.  Models/simulation verified by pilot line build. Results used to improve process and determine that LRIP requirements can be met.  Models/simulation verified by LRIP build, assists in management of LRIP, and determines that FRP requirements can be met.  
E.2 - Manufacturing Process Maturity Complete a survey to determine the current state of critical processes.  Maturity has been assessed on similar processes in production.  Process capability requirements have been identified for pilot line, LRIP and FRP. Manufacturing processes demonstrated in production relevant environment.  Begin collecting or estimating process capability data from prototype build and refine process capability requirements. Manufacturing processes demonstrated in a production representative environment. Continue collecting or estimating process capability data and refine process capability requirements. Manufacturing processes verified for LRIP on a pilot line.  Process Capability data from pilot line meets target.  Refine process capability requirements for LRIP and FRP based upon Pilot line data. Manufacturing processes are stable, adequately controlled, capable, and have achieved program LRIP objectives.  Variability experiments conducted to show FRP impact and potential for continuous improvement. 
E.3 - Process Yields and Rates Yield and rates assessment on proposed/similar processes complete and applied within Analysis of Alternatives (AoA).  Target yields and rates established for pilot line, LRIP, and FRP. Yield and rate issues identified. Improvement plans developed/initiated.  Yields and rates from production relevant environment evaluated against targets and the results feed improvement plan. Yields and rates from production representative environment evaluated against pilot line targets and the results feed improvement plans. Pilot line targets achieved. Yields and rates required to begin LRIP refined using pilot line results. Improvement plans ongoing and updated. LRIP yield and rate targets achieved.  Yields and rates required to begin FRP refined using LRIP results. Yield improvements on-going. 
F - Quality Management F.1 - Quality Management  Quality strategy identified as part of the Technology Development Strategy and included in Systems Engineering Plan (SEP).   Quality strategy updated to reflect Key Characteristic identification activities.   Initial quality plan and quality management system is in place.  Quality risks and metrics have been identified and improvement plans initiated.  Quality targets established.  Quality Management System (QMS) elements (e.g., control of nonconforming material, corrective action, etc.) meet requirements of appropriate industry standards. Program-specific Quality Program Plan being developed.    Program-specific Quality Program Plan and Quality Manager established.  Quality targets assessed against pilot line, results feed continuous quality improvements.  Quality targets verified on LRIP line. Continuous quality improvement on-going.  Management review of Quality measures is conducted on regular basis and appropriate action is taken.
F.2 - Product Quality Product inspection and acceptance testing strategy identified as part of the Technology Development Strategy and included in Systems Engineering Plan (SEP).   Roles and responsibilities identified for acceptance test procedures, in-process and final inspections, and statistical process controls for prototype units.  requirements for EMD units.  Appropriate inspection and acceptance test procedures identified for prototype units.   Quality data from the production representative environment collected and analyzed and results used to shape improvement plans.  Control plans completed for management of Key Characteristics.  Test and Inspeciton plans being developed for EMD units.  Key Characteristics managed. Measurement procedures and controls in place (e.g. SPC, FRACAS, audits, customer satisfaction, etc.). Pilot line data meets capability requirements for all Key Characteristics.  Test and Inspection plans complete and validated for production units. Data from LRIP demonstrates production processes for all Key Characteristics and other manufacturing processes critical to quality are capable and under control for FRP.
F.3 - Supplier Quality Management Potential supplier base quality capabilities and risks identified, including subtier supplier quality management.  Supply base quality  capabilities and risks identified, including subtier supplier quality management. Supply base quality improvement initiatives identified addressing supplier Quality Management System shortfalls, including subtier supplier quality management.  Key supplier Quality Managemetn Systems meet appropriate industry standards.  Supplier quality data from production representative units collected and analyzed.  Strategy for audits of critical supplier processes outlined. Supplier program-specific Quality Management Systems are adequate. Supplier products have completed qualification testing and first article inspection.   Acceptance testing of supplier products is adequate to begin LRIP.  Plan for subcontractor process audits in place and implemented by prime contractor. Supplier management of quality of Key Characteristics and other critical manufacturing processes demonstrates capability and control for FRP.  Acceptance testing of supplier products reflects control of quality adequate to begin FRP.  Subcontractor Quality Audits performed as necessary to ensure subcontractor specification compliance.
G - Mfg Workforce (Engineering & Production) G.1 - Mfg Workforce (Engineering & Production) Mfg skill sets identified and production workforce requirements (technical and operational) evaluated as part of AoA. Determine availability of process development workforce for the Technology Development Phase. Skill sets identified and plans developed to meet prototype and production needs. Special skills certification and training requirements established.   Mfg workforce skills available for production in a relevant environment. Identify resources (quantities and skill sets) and develop initial plans to achieve requirements for pilot line and production.  Mfg workforce resource requirements identified for pilot line.  Plans developed to achieve pilot line requirements.  Plans updated to achieve LRIP workforce requirements.  Pilot line workforce trained in production representative environment. Mfg workforce resource requirements identified for LRIP. Plans developed to achieve LRIP requirements.   Plans updated to achieve FRP workforce requirements.  LRIP personnel trained on pilot line where possible. LRIP personnel requirements met. Implement plan to achieve FRP workforce requirements. 
H - Facilities H.1 - Tooling / Special Test and Inspection Equipment (STE/SIE) Tooling/Special Test Equipment (STE)/Special Inspection Equipment (SIE) requirements are considered as part of AoA. Identify tooling and STE/SIE requirements and provide supporting rationale and schedule.  Prototype tooling and STE/SIE concepts demonstrated in production relevant environment. Production tooling and STE/SIE requirements developed. Production tooling and STE/SIE design and development efforts underway.  Mfg equipment maintenance strategy developed. Tooling, test and inspection equipment proven on pilot line and additional requirements identified for LRIP.  Mfg equipment maintenance demonstrated on pilot line. All tooling, test and inspection equipment proven in LRIP and additional requirements identified for FRP.  Mfg equipment maintenance schedule demonstrated.
H.2 - Facilities Availability of manufacturing facilities for prototype development and production evaluated as part of AoA. Manufacturing facilities identified and plans developed to produce prototypes. Manufacturing facilities identified and plans developed to produce pilot line build. Manufacturing facilities identified and plans developed to produce LRIP build.  Pilot line facilities demonstrated. Mfg facilities adequate to begin LRIP.  Plans in place to support transition to FRP.    Mfg facilities in place and demonstrated in LRIP.   Capacity plans adequate to support FRP. 
I - Mfg Management I.1 - Mfg Planning & Scheduling Mfg strategy developed and integrated with acquisition strategy. Prototype schedule risk mitigation efforts incorporated into Technology Development Strategy (TDS).  Mfg strategy refined based upon preferred concept.  Prototype schedule risk mitigation efforts initiated.   Initial mfg approach developed.  All system design related mfg events included in Integrated Master Plan/Schedule (IMP/S).  Mfg risk mitigation approach for pilot line or technology insertion programs defined.  Initial mfg plan developed. Mfg planning included in IMP/S. Mfg risks integrated into risk mitigation plans.   Initial work instructions developed.  Effective production control system in place to support pilot line.  Mfg plan updated for LRIP.  All key manufacturing risks are identified and assessed with approved mitigation plans in place. Work instructions finalized. Effective production control system in place to support LRIP. Mfg plan updated for FRP.  All manufacturing risks tracked and mitigated.  Effective production control system in place to support FRP.
I.2 - Materials Planning   Technology development article component list developed with associated lead time estimates.  Technology development part list maturing, Make/buy evaluations begin, and include production considerations reflecting Pilot line, LRIP, and FRP needs. Lead times and other risks identified.  Most material decisions complete (make/buy), material risks identified and mitigation plans developed.  Bill of Materials (BOM) initiated.  Make/Buy decisions and BOM complete for pilot line build.  Material planning systems in place for pilot line build.  Make/Buy decisions and BOM complete to support LRIP.  Material planning systems proven on pilot line for LRIP build. Make/Buy decisions and BOM complete to support FRP.  Material planning systems proven in LRIP and sufficient for  FRP.
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