The architecture design and evaluation process: A decision support framework for conducting and evaluating architecture studies

As the scope and complexity of programs and missions increase, so does the need to conduct architecture trade studies, such as Analyses of Alternatives, in a systematic, structured way to ensure they are successful at informing the acquisition decisions they were chartered to support. These studies should be comprehensive in scope, cover the solution space of alternatives, follow repeatable processes, and provide decision-makers with insight into the essential tradeoffs between competing objectives. In this paper, a decision support process framework is presented that establishes a traceable structured process for making defensible acquisition decisions and recommendations. While many aspects of any specific study require tailoring and negotiation, we emphasize the need to start with an established framework or a set of guiding principles to provide a solid foundation for the study. Often, these studies are confined to technical solutions, but we emphasize here the need to capture the programmatic elements, such as cost, schedule, risk, and especially the transition from the current architecture to new proposed architectural concepts. The Architecture Design and Evaluation (AD&E) process used at The Aerospace Corporation is presented here. This process consists of six phases: 1) Problem Definition, 2) Implementation & Operational Context, 3) Alternatives Exploration and Downselect, 4) System Concept Definition, 5) Analysis & Evaluation, and 6) Integration and Tradespace Depiction. A key to this process is the active engagement of specialty subject matter experts to contribute to the overall shaping of the study and formulation of the results. In other words this process forms an effective organizing principle for bringing experts in, so that they can not only efficiently `plug-in' to the study where they are needed but also ensure that their input is utilized in all the correct places. Everybody sees the overall roadmap of how the study is planned and executed. This framework brings together a wide variety of tools and technical disciplines to address the multifaceted concerns and issues that impact architecture decisions. This paper will discuss the AD&E process and some of the other capabilities that are part of the broader framework.