ANALYSIS OF CHANGES IN THE AEGIS CRUISER SHIPBUILDING PROGRAM

The Aegis cruiser program's objective has been to deliver ships to the fleet that are not only “war ready” but also reflect state-of-the-art combat systems technology. Therefore, change has been mandatory. The types of changes have covered the spectrum from major combat system and mission capability improvements to minor INSURV items. Since the sources of changes have been so varied and the quantities so substantial, attention must be placed on change management. A “source-based” change categorization scheme has been developed and implemented to enable the Aegis cruiser program manager to maintain an overview of change status on the ships. Developed as an outgrowth of the existing automated configuration management database, the change categorization scheme provides data to maintain an awareness of changes from many standpoints, including cost on a per ship basis as well as the categories which have been the largest cost drivers. More importantly it enables the SHAPM to determine the originating source, thus providing the knowledge needed to manage the change. Change can significantly improve products, but it must be prudently controlled, budgeted and scheduled.