A Modern Maintainability Prediction Technique

This paper describes recently developed maintainability prediction techniques that are comprised of two distinctly separate procedures. The first is a detailed procedure that can produce very accurate predictions limited only by the quality of the input data. The second is an early procedure (applicable earlier in the equipment development than the detailed procedure) that yields less accurate predictions due to its use of estimated rather than actual equipment data. Both procedures can be applied at any equipment or system level, at any level of maintenance, and for any maintenance concept pertinent to avionics, ground electronics, and shipboard electronics. The implementation of these mehtodologies allows the user to track the overall system maintainbility parameters throughout the design and development of a system. Using these techniques and procedures, the user can evaluate whether or not the maintainability design requirements will be met, before the system is fully developed. If it appears that the maintainability requirements will not be met, then the designers can be informed. Thus, time and money can be conserved by carefully tracking the maintainability parameters through system development. The techniques are being incorporated into MIL-HDBK-472, ``Maintainability Prediction''.