Diagnostic metrics-a critical element of the diagnostic architecture

Integrated Diagnostics is an iterative process that lives within Systems Engineering but to date there has not been a consistent approach for implementing metrics to monitor diagnostic system enhancements or performance. The DoD has often fielded systems or incorporated "diagnostic enhancements" to systems without having a standardized way for acquisition managers to evaluate or monitor these improvements as the system matures. Acquisition managers need to be provided a standardized process that identifies high cost drivers in a system and provides for diagnostic system performance monitoring. The Logistics and Reliability disciplines have been standardized on metrics for some time but the same cannot be said for diagnostics. Diagnostic metrics for the most part have been relegated to Fl, FD, and False Alarm indicators. We need to make another step in the diagnostic community and produce additional relevant metrics specific to the diagnostic engineering process. This paper addresses the feasibility of establishing a standardized set of metrics for monitoring integrated diagnostics functionality. These metrics need to encompass on-system (BIT/BITE), at system (pilot and maintainer interface management) and off-system (information architecture and data mining) performance monitoring. These metrics should integrate all relevant diagnostic support elements, Including but not limited to BIT/BITE, external SE, technical information troubleshooting and technology insertions.