Requirements-Based Cost Models

Accurate projection of costs remains an intractable problem in the defense industry despite more than a decade of focus on affordability. The impact to DoD acquisition programs, from cost escalation and the cost of countering capability shortfalls, runs to billions of dollars annually. The objective of this proposal is to develop and demonstrate an ontology-based framework for requirements-based cost modeling. On-tologies offer a unique capability to manage the large knowledge bases and rule sets essential to understanding cost relationships in complex systems. InRAD's innovative approach uses a systems concept where domain-specific, plug-in compatible ontologies are populated with relevant knowledge for the products, processes, materials, and functions that must be considered in cost model. Product require-ments, captured using SLATE, DOORS, or similar tools, will be used to create a requirements-based life-cycle cost modeling framework structured to align with the ontology set. The resulting capability will enable engineering and production staff to draw on a far larger base of knowledge in projecting costs; re-fine estimates faster and with greater precision; better account for uncertainties and risks; and recalculate "on the fly" when requirements change or are traded off to define the optimal balance of cost and per-formance.