Developing and implementing activity-based metrics to manage ground system sustainment cost and schedule

Following delivery of a major satellite Ground System (GS), significant operationalization effort may be required to ensure that the system is configured and ready to support launch and operations. In the case of the GOES-R GS, metrics were established early in the transition to operations period in order to manage the effort required by subject matter experts (SMEs) and to ensure the preservation of key expertise following the completion of the development phase of the GS. Using prior analogous missions as a baseline, the GS Project (GSP) team established an initial prediction for system Work Requests (WRs) following the completion of development. This estimate was used in conjunction with planned mission readiness events to baseline SME support requirements. A set of metrics was then established and maintained in order to effectively track progress against this estimate. Key metrics proved to be the creation and closure rates of WRs; the effort required to close WRs; and tracking “stale” WRs that had been open for abnormally long periods of time. In addition, the GSP implemented a series of controls to ensure the effective prioritization of WRs. A weekly cycle of WR reviews assessed the state of each issue, the allocation to the appropriate development organization to resolve the issue, the target event at which the issue must be resolved, and the amount of effort required to address the problem. Based on these metrics, the GSP was able to effectively adjust forward-looking staffing projections on a semi-annual basis, which provided a reliable method to control cost growth and manage schedule. Through regular dialogue and periodic reviews with both the operations team and the developer, the GSP was able to successfully manage the flow of WRs, prioritize them according to criticality and need, and ensure that the GS was prepared to support GOES-R launch and on-orbit operations on schedule.