IPS-02 / 12 · Integrated Product Support

Design Interface

Feeding supportability requirements into design — reliability, maintainability, testability — before the design is frozen.

What it is

Design Interface is the two-way relationship between the support world and the design world. Supportability parameters — reliability, maintainability, testability, accessibility, standardisation — are pushed into design requirements, and design decisions are assessed for their support cost consequences.

Why your contract asks for it

Roughly two thirds of a system’s life cycle cost is locked in by early design decisions. If supportability is not at the table during design, you inherit the consequences for thirty years. Contracts express this through R&M requirements and design review participation.

Typical activities and deliverables

• Deriving supportability design requirements (MTBF, MTTR, BIT coverage)
• Participating in design reviews with supportability assessments
• Trade studies: reliability vs. cost vs. maintenance concept
• Tracking design changes and their impact on the support solution

Related standards

References indicate alignment with publicly available standards and common contractual practice. This is independent guidance, not an official publication of any standards body.