Technology Spotlight: Digital Engineering in Government Contracting

As the conversation around technology evolves within the government contracting (GOVCON) sector, we are witnessing a variety of?technology-driven?tools becoming more widely?available. Let's take a closer look at?some of this tech, beginning with?Digital Engineering (DE).??What is it and who is using it - for what?

What is Digital Engineering??

Similar to?the continuous reminders to update your browser or phone software, the Pentagon is continuing to update?their guidance on how and when the DoD uses Digital Engineering.

Digital Engineering is defined by the DoD?as “an integrated digital approach that uses authoritative sources of systems' data and models across disciplines to support lifecycle activities from concept through disposal.” Great. What does that actually mean??

Digital Engineering is a technology-driven,?comprehensive approach to systems engineering that leverages automation and modeling to enhance stakeholder collaboration, visualize potential outcomes, and make informed decisions before physical work begins and throughout the project lifecycle. Let's distill that a little further -?Digital Engineering?uses technological frameworks and modeling to?simplify tasks, and accelerate and improve decision-making. It's technology that can?model and test a project before it's built or carried out in the real world.

How Does That Work??

Digital Engineering is driving the shift from traditional, document-based or physical product-based?processes to an automated, model-based approach. Digital models are able to?capture authoritative, computable data that allows for the automation of inefficient processes across various applications throughout the contract lifecycle, enhancing efficiency and accuracy. Human speak??Creating a digital "twin"?of any concept for a?project is much less time-consuming and costly than building the real thing to test on. A 'digital twin' model will use fewer resources and deliver quicker results for more informed decision-making.

Imagine there's a NASA project that needs to test the capabilities of a new spaceship.?Digital Engineering?technology would not only support a more efficient acquisition process, but would also support better communications and monitoring in designing missions, the assembly process, integration, testing & verification of the?spacecraft capabilities, and mission control. Safety would also be enhanced with many virtual twin scenarios able to be tested before any physical test is needed. And full digitalization of each piece of technology and?equipment allows teams to recreate diverse situations the astronauts could face during their journey.

Benefits of Digital Engineering for Federal Agencies

According to Mr. Paul Mann, Chief Engineer to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition, "a world-class engineering culture requires an engineering capability that adapts and mitigates evolving threats faster than the opposition can produce them. ...Digital engineering promotes greater integration, interoperability, and future upgradability."

Federal agencies stand to gain significant cost, time, and potentially security savings from Digital Engineering.?

• It reduces costs by integrating product lifecycle management data with system architecture data.?
• Eliminates the need for multiple tools and large, highly-trained and expensive staff to manually expose the targeted?data.?
• Simulation capabilities help identify defects earlier in the design process, reducing risks and shortening design cycles without wasted materials or production.?
• Digital engineering enhances cybersecurity by embedding a digital thread in solutions, automatically exposing the infrastructure models and reducing cyber risk.

Who is Using It?

Everyone from the DoD to much smaller players are trying to get in on digital engineering in some form.

• DAU now offers credentials for Digital Engineering, allowing more industry professionals to learn?how the DoD?addresses Digital Engineering across its Acquisition Lifecycle, as well as DoD's Digital Engineering fundamentals, strategic goals, and policies.?
• DAU also deployed a digital acquisition environment internally?based on virtual machines, where users can test model-based systems, systems engineering tools, and training, all from their browsers. This ensures the workforce is well-equipped to embrace and expand DE/DA practices.
• Digital Engineering has become a major focal point for the Department of Defense (DoD). As system complexity increases and systems become more interconnected, the DoD is embracing DE/DA to accelerate all aspects of the acquisition process.
• The Army's?Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft and the XM-30 Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle were both “born digital,” Jennifer Swanson told reporters at a Pentagon briefing. This is right in line with the Army's aim to?bringing Digital Engineering into all aspects of acquisition.
• ManTech released?an open-source edition?of their Digital Engineering Environment Reference Architecture Model. It's now freely available to the systems engineering community for more effective collaboration on complex engineering projects.
• Booz Allen Hamilton is offering?digital engineering services?from prototype creation to digital modeling to critical design review with their team of specialized engineers.
• GDIT?has its?Ember Digital Engineering, developed for?digital modeling and simulation,?data sharing, and collaboration across a unified environment.
• SAIC's?ReadyOneTM is their platform built to rapidly install and configure Digital Engineering ecosystems for engineering teams and stakeholders. It enables users to develop and iterate while generating and leveraging shared data from design through sustainment.

Of course, it's harder for smaller firms to afford to build their own architecture or hire and train teams of specialists in the latest tech, but they aren't out of options. More open-source resources are becoming available, and there are plenty of companies jumping at the chance to sell some software snake oil to anyone who feels the Digital Engineering FOMO.

Digital Engineering is truly transforming how we approach Federal contracts from smoothing the acquisition phase, all the way through to mission complete. The methodology has even reached?space. And it's raising the bar for expectations in terms of?automation, improved data connectivity, and making complex processes more efficient and accessible to agencies of all sizes. Federal agencies, in particular, can benefit from cost savings, reduced risks, and enhanced cybersecurity through the adoption of digital engineering practices, and we're excited to see how it will continue to evolve.