Implementing Set-Based Design in DoD Acquisitions

Abstract

Set-based design (SBD) is a technical and managerial approach that is increasingly being used to improve quality and responsiveness in U.S. naval ship design projects. It was employed on the Ship-to-Shore connector, the Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV), and the Small Surface Combat Task Force, and is being applied in ongoing surface combatant and submarine design studies. In contrast to iterative point-based design approaches, SBD projects arrive at a design solution by systematically eliminating regions of the design space rather than by selecting a solution early and iterating it through a design spiral to make it work. This paper reviews the fundamentals of SBD and discusses implementation strategies to reduce technical, schedule, and market risk; accelerate design convergence; enable distributed design teams; and improve cost estimates. We discuss how SBD enables early identification and resolution of knowledge gaps, enabling quicker design progress. The role of SBD in organizational learning and the ability to re-use knowledge products across acquisition programs is highlighted.