A Case Study in Developing an Integrated Data and Model Management System for the Development of a Complex Engineered System

Ahstract- This paper presents a case study in implementing an integrated data and model management system in the development of a complex system. Joint Acquisition Task Force (JATF) Tactical Light Operator Suit (TALOS), a subordinate organization of U.S. Special Operations Command, is attempting to build a powered exoskeleton to support dismounted special operators. The project is, at its core, a research and development project, but it is challenged by the fact that it is also a Department of Defense acquisition project that must balance the requirements of cost, schedule, and performance. To balance these competing needs, the team has developed an integrated approach to sharing information among the models necessary to support cost, schedule, and performance analysis. Notably, the team makes significant use of model-based systems engineering (MBSE) to support information integration. This paper presents the challenges associated with developing TALOS, its approach to information management, and ongoing findings on how this approach has improved its performance.