How is the innovation process developed in traditional companies by combining the plan-oriented and flexible process models, and in which situations is it utilized?

This paper analyzes how the innovation process is developed in traditional companies by combining the plan-oriented and flexible process models, and in which situations it is utilized. To answer the research question, a multiple case study was selected. This research compared three traditional manufacturing companies within the same industry with in-depth interviews, follow-up interviews, observations, and secondary research. Traditional manufacturing companies today have begun to focus more on innovations, even so, how they organize for innovation differ amongst the companies. Five out of the eight boundary conditions presented by Paluch et al., (2019), proved highly important for the traditional companies researched, but the findings revealed investment and time influence, strategic fit and willingness to change and mindset to be of equal importance for selecting the general Hybrid innovation process. Nevertheless, three separate situations were revealed to affect the development of the combined process in traditional manufacturing companies. These situations were then based on four out of nine conditions initially found through both expected and observed pattern matching during the analysis; investment, consumer preferences, managerial control, and approach to risk. The different combination of the conditions resulted in three situation-based approaches to the Hybrid process model: short-term incremental-, short-term radical- and long-term radical innovations. From a theoretical perspective, this study emphasizes a need for a combined process. When considering large traditional manufacturing companies’ approach to innovation and how the degree of leaning towards the Agile or Stage-Gate method, whilst still being a Hybrid process, highly varies based on the innovational situation related to time and radicality. From a practical perspective, the three combined processes developed through research can serve as a guideline for innovation managers and help simplify the practice for mutual understanding of how to organize the innovation process based on three separate situations

Examining the Critical Success Factors of Rapid Acquisition: A Human Capital Perspective

Department of Defense (DoD) acquisition programs continue to encounter schedule delays and cost overruns despite past reforms. Global threat uncertainties and high-velocity technological advances are also prevailing. Given the current rate at which program offices are fielding weapon systems, the United States (US) may be fighting with obsolete weapons and technology. Gaining superiority demands a new approach – to expedite the rate of capability delivery through rapid acquisition programs who have demonstrated success in delivering capabilities with speed. This research examines whether the attributes in the people dimension of an expedited framework contribute to success of rapid defense acquisition programs. Through standard statistical techniques, this research finds the following nine attributes--autonomy and empowerment, customizable team, SME in traditional acquisition process, retention of good talent, customer involvement, tangible connection, motivated culture, debrief culture, and government technical competence--are critical to success of rapid programs. Out of those factors, retention of good talent, debrief culture, and autonomy and empowerment emerge as the best predictors for rapid programs. This research also finds that the attributes autonomy and empowerment, retention of good talent, and motivated culture are embodied by rapid programs but not by traditional (non-rapid) programs

Representing Advances in Systems Engineering by Using an Electronic Process Guide

AbstractSystems Engineering is a discipline that never stops growing. Systems Engineers are just like students or life-long learners who have to keep themselves up to date with new best propositions. With recent additions of novel concepts in systems engineering such as Social Networking concepts, Value-Based Requirements Prioritization, and Program Model, it is often challenging to translate these concepts into practices. An Electronic Process Guide (EPG) for Incremental Commitment Spiral Model (ICSM) aims to define clear systems engineering practices by providing necessary roles, tasks, step-by-step practical guidance to perform each task, and input, output, and supporting artifacts. This paper introduces the advances in systems engineering field and reports on how this EPG helps in expediting the learning process and supports the process authors in continuous maintenance and enhancement of the process guide

and Cost/Benefits Opportunities

Acquisition Research Program Sponsored Report SeriesSponsored Acquisition Research & Technical ReportsThe acquisition of artificial intelligence (AI) systems is a relatively new challenge for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). Given the potential for high-risk failures of AI system acquisitions, it is critical for the acquisition community to examine new analytical and decision-making approaches to managing the acquisition of these systems in addition to the existing approaches (i.e., Earned Value Management, or EVM). In addition, many of these systems reside in small start-up or relatively immature system development companies, further clouding the acquisition process due to their unique business processes when compared to the large defense contractors. This can lead to limited access to data, information, and processes that are required in the standard DoD acquisition approach (i.e., the 5000 series). The well-known recurring problems in acquiring information technology automation within the DoD will likely be exacerbated in acquiring complex and risky AI systems. Therefore, more robust, agile, and analytically driven acquisition methodologies will be required to help avoid costly disasters in acquiring these kinds of systems. This research provides a set of analytical tools for acquiring organically developed AI systems through a comparison and contrast of the proposed methodologies that will demonstrate when and how each method can be applied to improve the acquisitions lifecycle for AI systems, as well as provide additional insights and examples of how some of these methods can be applied. This research identifies, reviews, and proposes advanced quantitative, analytically based methods within the integrated risk management (IRM)) and knowledge value added (KVA) methodologies to complement the current EVM approach. This research examines whether the various methodologies—EVM, KVA, and IRM—could be used within the Defense Acquisition System (DAS) to improve the acquisition of AI. While this paper does not recommend one of these methodologies over the other, certain methodologies, specifically IRM, may be more beneficial when used throughout the entire acquisition process instead of within a portion of the system. Due to this complexity of AI system, this research looks at AI as a whole and not specific types of AI.Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited

A Big Bang versus a Small Bang Approach: A Case Study of the Expeditionary Combat Support System (ECSS) and the Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul Initiative (MROi)

In 2003, the United States Air Force embarked on one of the largest and most comprehensive logistical transformation to delineate the logistics community’s strategy for supporting the warfighter. A key aspect of this campaign plan was to leverage information technology through an enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution called the Expeditionary Combat Support System (ECSS), a “big-bang” approach. In early 2012, the ECSS program was cancelled mainly due to uncontrollable increases in costs and schedule overruns. In late 2012, the Air Force Sustainment Center (AFSC) launched the Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul initiative (MROi), a “small-bang” approach, to increase enterprise visibility and efficiency across all three Air Logistics Complexes and Aircraft Maintenance and Regeneration Group. Additionally, MROi should fill some of the gaps deferred by ECSS. MROi is a means to salvage, correct, and continue the work started during the ECSS project. AFSC attempts to transform itself into a more capable organization thru MROi while providing savings to the taxpayers from resulting improvements in efficiencies. The MROi team attempts not to ignore lessons learned from ECSS; however, MROi is delayed by acquisition category determination, system implementation source selection, and network architecture evaluation, which are out of their control. Critical success factors, antecedents, and theories were discovered that can help develop a framework that may be of great importance to the government

Tradespace and Affordability – Phase 1

One of the key elements of the SERC’s research strategy is transforming the practice of systems engineering – “SE Transformation.” The Grand Challenge goal for SE Transformation is to transform the DoD community’s current systems engineering and management methods, processes, and tools (MPTs) and practices away from sequential, single stovepipe system, hardware-first, outside-in, document-driven, point-solution, acquisition-oriented approaches; and toward concurrent, portfolio and enterprise-oriented, hardware-software-human engineered, balanced outside-in and inside-out, model-driven, set-based, full life cycle approaches.This material is based upon work supported, in whole or in part, by the U.S. Department of Defense through the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (ASD(R&E)) under Contract H98230-08- D-0171 (Task Order 0031, RT 046).This material is based upon work supported, in whole or in part, by the U.S. Department of Defense through the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (ASD(R&E)) under Contract H98230-08- D-0171 (Task Order 0031, RT 046)

Recent developments and current policy issues in road pricing in the US and Canada

The United States and Canada lag Europe and Singapore in implementing road pricing on a large scale. But the two countries have shown interest in tolling roads as a way to curb congestion and to generate revenues. The US is funding congestion pricing demonstration projects through its Value Pricing Pilot Program, and Canada has examined new ways to charge for road use and to finance road construction and maintenance. This paper reviews the current state of road pricing and funding in the two countries. The prospects for extensive road pricing appear to be brighter in the US than in Canada

Volume II Acquisition Research Creating Synergy for Informed Change, Thursday 19th Annual Acquisition Research Proceedings

ProceedingsApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited

A biography of open source software: community participation and individuation of open source code in the context of microfinance NGOs in North Africa and the Middle East

For many, microfinance is about building inclusive financial systems to help the poor gain direct access to financial services. Hundreds of grassroots have specialised in the provision of microfinance services worldwide. Most of them are adhoc organisations, which suffer severe organisational and informational deficiencies. Over the past decades, policy makers and consortia of microfinance experts have attempted to improve their capacity building through ICTs. In particular, there is strong emphasis on open source software (OSS) initiatives, as it is commonly believed that MFIs are uniquely positioned to benefit from the advantages of openness and free access. Furthermore, OSS approaches have recently become extremely popular. The OSS gurus are convinced there is a business case for a purely open source approach, especially across international development spheres. Nonetheless, getting people to agree on what is meant by OSS remains hard to achieve. On the one hand scholarly software research shows a lack of consensus and documents stories in which the OSS meaning is negotiated locally. On the other, the growing literature on ICT-for-international development does not provide answers as research, especially in the microfinance context, presents little empirical scrutiny. This thesis therefore critically explores the OSS in the microfinance context in order to understand itslong-term development and what might be some of the implications for MFIs. Theoretically I draw on the 3rd wave of research within the field of Science and Technology Studies –studies of Expertise and Experience (SEE). I couple the software ‘biography’ approach (Pollock and Williams 2009) with concepts from Simondon’s thesis on the individuation of technical beings (1958) as an integrated framework. I also design a single case study, which is supported by an extensive and longitudinal collection of data and a three-stage approach, including the analysis of sociograms, and email content. This case provides a rich empirical setting that challenges the current understanding of the ontology of software and goes beyond the instrumental views of design, building a comprehensive framework for community participation and software sustainability in the context of the microfinance global industry