New IPDS Version Delivers a Streamlined Process Foundation
IPDS – we love it, we hate it. We follow its precepts (usually) and get the desired, predictable results that our customers expect from our products and services. But how rewarding (or painful) was the journey through that process? Or more importantly, was the process rigorous and flexible enough to achieve performance excellence without sacrificing agility and speed?
The Need for Change
There's a fine line between maintaining process discipline and allowing freedom to operate unencumbered – a line that must be held tight to achieve real business success. On one hand, when discipline is not maintained, processes are loosely followed or not documented, which in turn results in cost overruns, poor performance history, diminished customer confidence and reduced profit margin. On the other hand, when the process becomes too unwieldy and restrictive, the results can be just as detrimental, including:
A process that is open to many interpretations
Sub-processes that are not easily understood or followed
A process that's difficult to navigate and find what you need
Redundant task descriptors that often overlap
A New Approach
With the release of IPDS version 3.2, a major focus has been to transform the Integrated Product Development Process (IPDP) into a concise, integrated common process. This can be achieved by implementing the following:
A common, tailorable process across all businesses describing what is required to capture, execute and support any program
A focus on clarity of direction vs. verbose narrative process descriptions
A focus on integrating essential "whats" from sub-processes
A more useful set of results of IPDP tailoring for program planning
Additionally, the Process Asset Library (PAL) will promote more commonality while acknowledging business preferences. The PAL consists of common and business-unique assets describing how IPDP tasks are executed within programs. All assets share a common framework and are associated with the tasks they intend to help execute.
The Benefits
So how will version 3.2 make a difference? The improvements will be evident in a more streamlined, user-friendly IPDS that performs these functions:
Makes it easier for users to see what needs to be done and how it fits into the flow of a program
Facilitates building an Integrated Master Schedule and identifies the enablers that implement tasks
Allows programs to see an integrated flow of tasks as the program progresses
Eliminates redundancy, speeds tailoring and supports key work products Makes related processes available without cluttering the IPDP layer with redundant content
Governance
One of the most significant changes to complement IPDS version 3.2 is the implementation of a new governance model. The need for a new model was underscored by some specific inadequacies in the current process. A few of these inadequacies included lack of sufficient stakeholder involvement on process changes, confused responsibilities for shared content, difficulties with maintaining configuration control, and difficulties committing and retaining development resources.
The new model addresses existing concerns by keeping the IPDP and the PAL process materials under the control of the IPDS Configuration Control Board (CCB), corporate-level council CCBs, or business CCBs. Endorsement of the IPDP will be given by consensus of the business CCBs. Likewise, PAL common content endorsement will come from business CCBs on an asset-by-asset basis.
The real value of the new governance model comes from allowing business endorsements to provide insight into the ROI of "common assets," which will help direct our council process activities. It also lets us identify and cull uncontrolled assets, while still allowing users to submit potential council or business assets for inclusion in the PAL. Finally, this model will drive more efficient implementation of approved changes.
Moving Forward
Each of our Raytheon businesses is making plans for the implementation of IPDS version 3.2 as a part of its overall process definition and deployment over the next few months. In parallel, key roles will be filled by subject matter experts across the businesses for the improvement and governance of the IPDP and the IPDS/PAL system as a whole. These are critical steps on our path to deploy a potent combination of common and business-specific processes for the benefit of Raytheon programs and customers.
