This document discusses product lifecycle management (PLM) and its application at NASA. PLM is used widely in industry to improve product quality and reduce costs by managing information across the entire product lifecycle. At NASA, PLM and systems engineering are important for sustainable space exploration as 85% of project costs are locked in during system design. NASA processes support implementing PLM to better manage information from concept to operations and disposal.

1. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Product Lifecycle Management
and Sustainable Space Exploration
Pamela W. Caruso, Manager, Engineering Technical Management Office
Daniel L. Dumbacher, Engineering Director
Dr. Michael Grieves, Consultant
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
www.nasa.gov
February 2011

2. Agenda
• PLM Used Widely Across Industry
• Information Underpins Aerospace Systems
• PLM: Information Mirroring Model
• NASA’s Product Lifecycle
• Product Lifecycle Cost Allocation
• NASA’s Systems Engineering Approach
• NASA Processes Support PLM Implementation
• Marshall’s Systems Engineering Scope
• Marshall’s PLM Efforts
• Strategic Partnership for the Advancement of Collaborative Engineering
Education (SPACE)
• Questions
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3. Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Used Widely Across Industry
Manufacturing
Engineering
Manufacturing
& Production
Product
Engineering People
Sales &
Distribution
INFORMATION
PLATFORM
Concept
Engineering
Processes Technology
& Practices
Disposal &
Recycling
Requirements
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Adopted out of Financial Necessity and to Improve Product Quality 3

4. Information Underpins Aerospace Systems
Systems Test Design
Engineering
Development Operations
Disparate Tools and Data Sources across Product Lifecycle
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create Information Inefficiencies 4

5. PLM: Information Mirroring Model
Real Space Virtual Space
Data
Information
Process
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Trading Atoms for Bits Increases Efficiency and Innovation 5

6. NASA’s Product Lifecycle
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Systems Engineering is an Integral Part of PLM 6

7. Product Lifecycle Cost Allocation
100%
Committed Costs 95%
90% 85%
80%
500-1000X
Cumulative Percentage Lifecycle Cost
70%
70%
Operations
60% 20-100X Prod/Test Through
Phase Disposal
50%
40% 3-6X
30% 100%
Design Development 50%
20%
Concept Phase
Phase
10%
15% 20%
0%
8%
Time
Defense Systems
Full Program Expenditures Management College - 9/1993
By the Time System Level Design is Complete, 85% of the Costs have been
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Committed and the Cost to Correct Defects goes up Exponentially 7

8. NASA’s Systems Engineering Approach
SYSTEM DESIGN TECHNICAL MANAGEMENT PRODUCT REALIZATION
PROCESSES PROCESSES PROCESSES
Requirements Definition Technical Planning Product Transition Cost
Stakeholder Expectations Technical Planning Product Transition System
Definition Aerodynamics
Affordability
Technical Requirements Technical Control Trajectory
Definition Requirements Management Evaluation Performance
Interface Management Product Verification
GN&C
Technical Risk Management Product Validation
Configuration Management Structures
Technical Solution Definition Technical Data Management Thermal
Logical Decomposition Design Realization Propulsion
Design Solution Definitions Technical Assessment Product Implementation Avionics
Technical Assessment Product Integration
Materials
Manufacturing
Technical Decision Other
Analysis
Decision Analysis
System design processes applied to each Product realization processes
work breakdown structure model down and applied to each product up and
across system structure across system structure
Developing Exploration Options That Can Be Implemented
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9. NASA Processes Support PLM Implementation
Manufacturing
Engineering
Manufacturing
Product People
Engineering
Prototype
INFORMATION
PLATFORM
Concept
Engineering
Operations
Processes Technology
& Practices
Requirements
Decommissioning
Integrated Product Lifecycle is Key to Affordability
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of Next Generation Space Launch System 9

10. Marshall’s Systems Engineering Scope
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Marshall is Engaged in All Product Lifecycle Phases 10

11. Marshall’s PLM Efforts
People
Held PLM Classes open to all Center personnel
Benchmarked similar organizations
Built stronger relationship between Engineering
Directorate and Chief Information Officer
Engaged students in PLM through the SPACE program
INFORMATION
PLATFORM
Windchill DDMS
Process Mapping and forward planning
Marshall Engineering
Systems Engineering Process
Knowledge Management
Management Tiger Team
Benchmarked systems
Processes Technology
& Practices
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Making Significant Cultural Changes Important to PLM Success 11

12. Strategic Partners for the Advancement of Collaborative
Engineering Education (SPACE)
U.S. Science • 2 projects per semester
Partner • 3 teams per project
U.S. International Radio Astronomy
Engineering • Mechanical and Aerospace
Engineering on the Moon
Partner Engineering Partner
• Electrical Engineering
• Industrial & Systems Engineering
• Modeling & Simulation
M
• Technical Communications S
F J
C S
CK
S
High School High School High School
(InSPIRESS Level I) (InSPIRESS Level I) (InSPIRESS Level II) C
Europa Mission Design
Two high schools compete Level 2 project is to design an element of the mission
to be payload on Sr. Design Experience (students selected from “best” of Level 1 project)
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Educating and Learning from Industry and Academia 12

13. For more information:
www.nasa.gov
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National Aeronautics and Space Administration