Capabilities
One of our core values is innovation; so, we continually seek new ways to add to our capabilities. We encourage our employees to improve their skills and to suggest new fields of endeavor to pursue opportunities. One of our current areas for exploration is multi-agent modeling to describe work processes in a complex environment.
Click on a heading to the left to further explore how Decision Engineering can work for you.
Gaming and Experimentation
Decision Engineering supports a range of activities designed to prepare clients for unforeseen situations. These activities are usually labeled war games or experimentation and they can be based on computer models, seminars, map exercises, or physical representations of reality. The activities attempt to simulate many aspects of a situation as rehearsal for a real situation so that alternative behaviors or actions can be tested to mitigate the risk of uncertainty surrounding a real situation. These activities are suitable for generating, refining, and assessing concepts, plans, issues, and technologies; assessing alternatives (COAs, etc.); identifying capabilities and deficiencies; replicating conditions difficult to reproduce in peacetime; and reducing surprises.
Management, Information Systems, Technical Support
Decision Engineering designs, builds, and maintains custom network, computer, workstation, and server solutions to meet client's requirements. Technologies employed by Decision Engineering include: Microsoft Windows 2003/2008 Server, Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Exchange Server, VMWare Virtualization, wireless networks and security, Apple networking and servers, LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP), web application development, and multi-platform integration.
Logistics
Decision Engineering has experts able to design and document logistics activities at each stage in the life of a product. We are able to support every step in Life Cycle Logistics (LCL). In the Research and Development (R&D) phase, we ensure that reliability and supportability are designed in to the developing system. We work with system developers to plan for the production phase and to ensure the necessary support resources and infrastructure are procured and fielded as identified and justified by the supportability analyses. As DE’s experts can perform supportability analyses as the system is modified during its operational years, supportability analyses will need to be performed on the modified portions of the system and those subsystems that, though not changed may be impacted by the modification. The types and depth of supportability analyses to be performed during system modification will be driven by the extent and complexity of the modification.
Requirements Analyses
Decision Engineering supports requirements definition and analyses as established in the Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System (JCIDS) described in Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Instruction (CJCSI) 3170.01C and CJCSM 3170.01E. DE performs the structured four step analyses that results in an Initial Capabilities Document (ICD), a Doctrine, Organization, Training, Materiel, Leadership or Education, Personnel, or Facilities (DOTMLPF) Change Request (DCR). We are able to perform the Functional Area Analysis (FAA), Functional Needs Analysis (FNA), and the steps constituting a Functional Solutions Analysis (FSA). The steps in the FSA are a DOTMLPF analysis, ideas for materiel approaches, and an analysis of materiel alternatives. We complete the analysis with a Post Independent Analysis (PIA). We are capable of extending the JCIDS analysis into a full Life Cycle Cost Estimate (LCCE), Cost Analysis Requirements Document (CARD), or Total Ownership Cost (TOC) Estimate.
Research and Studies
Our activities in studies and research generally precede a decision about the most promising approach to address a problem or issue. We conduct the study or research by designing an experiment that includes a problem statement, which we attempt to formulate as a research hypothesis. The statement of the problem includes criteria to be used to assess outcomes. We also identify the variables in the problem. We classify the variables as independent or dependent variables. The independent variables are factors, which may affect the dependent, or response, variables. The design of the experiment includes a description of the data needed; how the data will be collected; and how many observations are necessary. The design includes formulation of a model and the method for applying the criteria for evaluation. The model could be mathematical or physical. An analysis phase involves using the model and the data to test the hypotheses. We generate a report of the entire process with conclusions and recommendations. In many cases, the nature of the problem dictates departures from our preferred process. Often, there is insufficient data or the problem may not be addressed by quantitative methods. In those cases, we apply qualitative approaches with as much rigor as possible in the circumstances.
Systems Engineering
DE applies the classic systems engineering model to support developing complex systems so that customer needs are met by the system built or acquired. Systems Engineering is a systematic method of problem solving, so our experience in problem solving is useful in our Systems Engineering efforts. In Systems Engineering, we understand customer requirements and assign them to functions in an iterative process. We then assign functions to design components. We use the process to produce operational, functional, and physical architectures.