THE ANALYTICAL BASES OF SYSTEMS ANALYSIS

Abstract : The role of systems analysis is discussed in the context of decision making by the military in making long-range plans. The desire is for systems analysis to assist the decision maker so that his intuition and judgment are better than they would have been without the results of the analysis. One example given is for analysis to provide a solution in a short time in a complex situation. One solution is to develop summary analyses of cost and utility and to present them along with a qualitative statement of some of the key implications. A diagram shows the total system cost vs force size (number of ready missiles) for alternative systems, while a table shows the selected data bearing on the utility considerations for the alternative systems. System cost includes research and development, investment, and operating cost. The alternatives include ground-based missile systems and airborne-alert, long- endurance-aircraft systems, with the aircraft serving as missile-launching platforms. Such a technique is postulated to be of value in instances of uncertainty where optimization is desired.