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Abstract
The Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS) on the Queen Elizabeth Class (QEC) Aircraft Carriers for the Royal Navy is the largest and most integrated ship control system ever delivered. To achieve the successful delivery of this system, with a project lifecycle of 15 years, has necessitated the need for un-paralleled alliance working between companies; the deployment of novel, agile processes; the need to produce an architecture that finds a balance between safety and operability; proactive obsolescence management; the need to trade-off customer requirements and expectations with technical and financial risk, plus the alignment of security requirements within an inherently commercial architecture.
This paper will present the major challenges faced during the lifecycle of this vast system, in particular it will examine the following areas:-
The influencers during the design stages, how they shaped the architecture (hardware and software) together with the optimal and sub-optimal outcomes in both financial and technical terms.
The alliance working between the companies involved, showing how the teams were organised in order to flexibly and efficiently match the lifecycle processes, using agile release processes in order to support commissioning, whilst allowing immature systems design to evolve, presenting the areas of good and bad practice.
The deployment of robust systems engineering processes and the analysis of their outcomes will be discussed, together with the de-risking processes including early and enhanced integration activities required to manage the 50,000 I/O spread across the 50 interfaces of various types, complexity and maturity.
The summary of this paper will present the major risk elements of the project, what the mitigation plan was and the outcomes of these risks, positive and negative. Together with the elements that provided the best cost/benefit ratio in the system delivered to the Royal Navy, it will also summarise the optimal processes and practices, plus those that could be improved upon in future projects.
This paper will present the major challenges faced during the lifecycle of this vast system, in particular it will examine the following areas:-
The influencers during the design stages, how they shaped the architecture (hardware and software) together with the optimal and sub-optimal outcomes in both financial and technical terms.
The alliance working between the companies involved, showing how the teams were organised in order to flexibly and efficiently match the lifecycle processes, using agile release processes in order to support commissioning, whilst allowing immature systems design to evolve, presenting the areas of good and bad practice.
The deployment of robust systems engineering processes and the analysis of their outcomes will be discussed, together with the de-risking processes including early and enhanced integration activities required to manage the 50,000 I/O spread across the 50 interfaces of various types, complexity and maturity.
The summary of this paper will present the major risk elements of the project, what the mitigation plan was and the outcomes of these risks, positive and negative. Together with the elements that provided the best cost/benefit ratio in the system delivered to the Royal Navy, it will also summarise the optimal processes and practices, plus those that could be improved upon in future projects.