The eXpress Diagnostics Model is effective for all levels of the design architecture and can be expanded or enriched to facilitate the Diagnostic Design or the Sustainment objectives at any time. The approach for initiating towards the goal of achieving diagnostic effectiveness for any design begins with identifying where we are in the design development or design support lifecycles, while also considering the diagnostic or sustainment requirements or objectives. The eXpress model captures and extends diagnostic expertise regardless of where we are in the design or sustainment lifecycles and for any sustainment implementation.

New Designs create the highest opportunity for extracting maximum short term and long term value from applying eXpress within the ISDD Process. When started up very early during the design development process, functional requirements can be allocated to lower levels of the design long before the parts are selected enabling many diagnostic trade-off analyses to be performed.

New Designs that begin later during Design Development can still add value to the design development and sustainment lifecycles. While the infusion of ISDD after the parts have already been selected compromises the extensiveness of the design influence capability, which is a factor that is determined by how far along the design decisions have been frozen, there is still much to be gained. For example, the diagnostic capability of the design and any lower level contained in the integrated systems’ design can be evaluated and fully assessed. This will still allow for diagnostic strategy alternatives to be weighed and many turn-key system level assessment products to be produced with a push of a button!

For legacy, or existing designs that are currently fielded, folks underestimate the value of discovering the diagnostic capability of their existing design. There is still tremendous opportunity for value, even though the design is not able to be influenced for maximum diagnostic effectiveness. A very brief look at the design will still increase sustainment effectiveness with scalable alternatives, including determining the diagnostic integrity baseline for the legacy system.

Discovering the Diagnostic capability of the design is the first and most important step to undertake if one is serious about truly improving the sustainment costs in terms of operational cost, availability (“up-time”), operational success (“system reliability”), and safety. The Diagnostic Integrity or “Diagnostic Capability” of a fielded system or equipment can be determined for any design.