32 AFMCI63-1201 2 DECEMBER 2022
Operational Effectiveness—The overall degree of mission accomplishment of a system or end
item used by representative personnel in the environment planned or expected (e.g., natural,
electronic, threat) for operational employment, considering organization, doctrine, tactics,
cybersecurity, force protection, survivability, vulnerability, and threat (including countermeasures;
initial nuclear weapons effects; and nuclear, biological, and chemical contamination threats). The
PM maintains the operational effectiveness of the system by ensuring that it continues to satisfy
the documented user capability requirements.
Operational Safety—The level of safety risk to the system, the environment, and the occupational
health caused by a system or end item when employed in an operational environment. The PM
shall utilize the established system safety process to assure operational safety.
Operational Suitability—The degree to which a system or end item can be placed satisfactorily
in field use, with consideration given to availability, compatibility, transportability,
interoperability, reliability, maintainability, wartime use rates, full-dimension protection,
operational safety, human factors, architectural and infrastructure compliance, manpower
supportability, logistics supportability, natural environmental effects and impacts, and
documentation and training requirements.
Product Baseline—The "build-to" requirements for each physical element to be manufactured;
the software code for each software element that has been separately designed or tested; and the
"buy-to" requirements for any other physical element, part, or material to be procured from a
subcontractor or vendor.
Product Group—A set of products that use similar or same production processes, have similar
physical characteristics, or share customer segments, distribution channels, pricing methods, etc.
Product Group Manager—The manager of a product group (e.g., Life Support, Avionics,
Automatic Test Equipment) responsible for all cost, schedule, and performance aspects of a
product group and related sustainment activities. Product Groups and Product Group Managers are
typically appointed when enterprise management of materiel used to support multiple weapon
systems is desired to improve interoperability and decrease costs through commonality.
Product Support Manager—The individual responsible for managing the package of support
functions required to field and maintain the readiness and operational capability of major weapon
systems, subsystems, and components, including all functions related to weapon system readiness,
in support of the PM’s life cycle management responsibilities.
Program—A directed, funded effort that provides a new, improved, or continuing materiel,
weapon, or information system or service capability in response to an approved need. Acquisition
programs are divided into acquisition categories that are established to facilitate decentralized
decision making, execution, and compliance with statutory requirements.
Program Management Office—The integrated organization responsible for cradle-to-grave
military system management. Formerly known as the System Program Office (SPO).
Quality—The composite of material attributes, performance features and characteristics of a
product to satisfy a given need.
Quality Assurance—A planned and systematic pattern of actions necessary to provide confidence
that adequate technical requirements are established; products conform to established technical
requirements; and satisfactory performance is achieved.