Seattle Consulting, Inc.

Developing a Light Production Capability for SAIC

SAIC is a major systems, solutions and technical services company. With over $8 Billion in annual revenue, it is one of the larger professional services companies focused on providing services to the US Government.

SAIC, under its professional services business model, provides everything from Research and Development to warehousing services. Its highly skilled people are charged directly to the government at hourly rates fixed by various contracts. This tends to be very stable work, under long-term contracts. However, margins tend to be thin.

To address the need to expand revenue and margin, SAIC has been exploring opportunities to get into light production. This is the design, integration, assembly and test of components manufactured by piece part suppliers. As part of this initiative, Seattle Consulting was engaged by one of SAIC's four Groups to:

Access the Group's and SAIC's current production capabilities

Identify key process, information technology and business capabilities required to enable the development or acquisition of a light production capability

Develop a roadmap for building / acquiring the capability.

Working with selected senior counterparts from the Group and subordinate Business Units, Seattle Consulting outlined a Product Development Platform or PDP. The PDP is a set of Processes, Infrastructure, Tools and Staff and Management guidelines. The PDP will have a repeatable implementation process. The PDP will be available to any organization within the Group that has product opportunities transitioning to detailed development and, eventually, production.

Implementation is on-going.