4.3.18.8. Diminishing Manufacturing Sources and Material Shortages
4.3.18.8. Diminishing Manufacturing Sources and Material Shortages
Diminishing Manufacturing Sources and Material Shortages (DMSMS) is the loss, or impending loss, of manufacturers or suppliers of items, raw materials, or software. DMSMS-generated shortages in the ongoing production capability or life-cycle support of a weapon system or shortages in any training, support, or test equipment already in the field can endanger mission effectiveness. While DMSMS issues can be caused by many factors, their occurrence is inevitable.
The Program Manager should incorporate a technology management strategy into design activities as a best practice to reduce DMSMS cost and readiness impacts throughout the life cycle. The Program Manager and Systems Engineer should develop a technology management strategy for maintaining insight into technology trends, and internal product changes by the manufacturer and testing the effects of those changes on the system when necessary. This insight into technology trends could potentially:
- Result in seamless upgrade paths for technologies and system elements
- Provide a timetable for replacing system elements even if they are not obsolete
The Systems Engineer should be aware of and consider DMSMS management during system design. Following are several practices that the program should consider to minimize DMSMS risk throughout the life cycle of the system:
- Avoid selecting technology and components that are near the end of their functional life
- During the design process, proactively assess the risk of parts obsolescence while selecting parts
- When feasible, use an Open Systems Architecture (OSA) to enable technology insertion/refreshment more easily than with design-specific approaches
- Proactively monitor supplier bases to prevent designing in obsolescence; participate in cooperative reporting forums, such as the Government-Industry Data Exchange Program (GIDEP), to reduce or eliminate expenditures of resources by sharing technical information essential during research, design, development, production and operational phases of the life cycle of systems, facilities and equipment
- Proactively monitor potential availability problems to resolve them before they cause an impact in performance readiness or spending
A useful resource for additional guidance is SD-22, "Diminishing Manufacturing Sources and Material Shortages (DMSMS) Guidebook."
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