Lean Techniques for Project Management in the Acquisition Environment

Unrealistic project schedules for system and technology acquisitions leading to poor investment decisions is a significant issue within the Department of Defense and supporting industry. The result of this research will be trained acquisition managers, capable of making effective investment decisions, within a comprehensive decision space created by knowledge, computer tools, and effective training at multiple levels within an organization, using innovative techniques to plan, manage and execute development projects. This research will apply the principles of “Lean Project Management” to programs within the DoD acquisition environment. Applying “lean techniques”, such as Critical Chain Project Management, may be the most promising approach available today to reduce development cycle time and cost of system development projects to meet the warfighter’s needs for effective, timely and affordable weapon systems. With training and tools provided from this research, and knowledge gained to create an improved investment decision space, project managers can more effectively plan and execute system acquisition projects to support the warfighter.