How Important is Getting It Right the First Time? A Case in Applying Agile Acquisition Management

摘要

How important is getting it right the first time? For systems where evolutionary improvements and modernization are not logistically or economically feasible, like a new satellite or a Food and Drug Administration-approved vaccine, "getting it right" may be paramount. But in many DOD systems, program managers and stakeholders should instead ask: How right does it need to be the first time? As warfare environments and adversaries change, the definition of "getting it right" changes, too. Additionally, human nature is not about perfection; our society thrives on lessons learned. In acquisition, we spend far too much time and resources focusing on absolutely meeting all requirements in our capability documents. We should be coordinating more closely with the user community throughout the acquisition process to focus on meeting the most critical requirements and making key tradeoffs that can be addressed after production. Additionally, as programs progress, the priorities of requirements may change based on performance data, intelligence information and threat information.