Value-based scheduling in system of systems evolution

Delivering the most value for money when developing capabilities for a large system of systems is a complex issue. Several key factors affect the value of every particular piece of work, and those factors can change over time as the actual work effort evolves, the requirements change, and the value of desired capabilities independently rise and fall. Most scheduling approaches are predictive and based on predetermined fixed values to support earned-value requirements or contracting guidelines. This paper investigates an on-demand scheduling approach with a continuous assignment of value to work. Value for work is based on current work in progress, task dependencies, resource capabilities and availability, development system capacity, and the intrinsic value of the work with respect to the capabilities under development.