Mechanics have to be ready to fix more than 300 models of cars—each with its own unique and likely computerized circuitry. Although they don’t have specialized training in any one model, they can repair almost any car within a few days—because they use a special diagnostics machine to help them.

What if the car were highly specialized—with complex, integrated components? What if it had a sticker price of over $10 million? And what if having it out of service could mean the loss of human lives?

That’s what U.S. Army field maintainers face every day on the battlefield. They must quickly diagnose and repair helicopters that break down—even if all they have is general knowledge about the particular model and limited resources. And at times they need the help of experts thousands of miles away.

Cohen says, “The product line approach is helping Army personnel save about 25 to 30 percent on each product they produce. They’re going to reach their return on investment after producing only three to four products. And they can get them to field now in months instead of years.”

The SEI has helped the Army address this need. First, the SEI identified the Army’s Communications Electronics Command Life Cycle Management Command (CECOM LCMC) ability to meet those needs on the battlefield as a potential risk during an architecture evaluation based on the SEI Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method (ATAM). Then, SEI staff members Sholom Cohen, Patrick Donohoe, and Gary Chastek helped the organization address that risk—through the Advanced Multiplex Test System (AMTS), a sophisticated diagnostic and maintenance system for military helicopters.

According to Cohen, “A helicopter breaks down in the field, but the field maintainers might have little knowledge about that model. The AMTS—like the car mechanic’s diagnostics machine—guides them through some diagnostics, and they can use another CECOM project to collaborate with a maintenance expert located in the U.S. if they need additional help. The maintainer and expert can both look at the same diagnostic screenshot at the same time to figure out how to solve the problem.”

Because the Army followed the SEI’s software product line approach when creating the AMTS, it will soon be shared across three products, and additional products are planned. Cohen says, “The product line approach is helping Army personnel save about 25 to 30 percent on each product they produce. They’re going to reach their return on investment after producing only three to four products. And they can get them to field now in months instead of years.”

In addition to reducing costs, using a product line approach simplifies software maintenance and enhancement. “The fact that maintenance is easier allows the Army to increase the number of users dramatically—from 20 to probably hundreds of users—without worrying that the system won’t be able to handle them,” Cohen says. “Errors will be fewer, and any that do happen can be fixed more easily than in a non-product-line approach, because the fix involves changing a small piece of code rather than an entire system.”

Right now, 15 Army aviation units are using the AMTS product line to meet the Army’s battlefield needs in real time. Success is critical, and the outlook is good, says the AMTS project leader. “Overall, our funding has been tight, and we’ve been asked to do more with less money and fewer resources. The product line approach allows us to do exactly that.”