Risk Mitigation

UNDERSTANDING AND MANAGING PROGRAM RISK
Systems that move from concept development into the engineering development phase may still have challenging issues to resolve. At Avtec, we recognize that engineering development is where most of the risk occurs in a program. That's why we have evolved a comprehensive risk identification and mitigation process that goes hand-in-hand with primary development.

MODELING AND SIMULATION TECHNIQUES
Avtec's risk mitigation process features early modeling and simulation, allowing us to identify potential design and implementation shortcomings well before the first prototypes are finished. Our simulation tools range from simple MATLAB models to sophisticated, highly accurate subsystem simulations. For board-level products, we make extensive use of circuit emulation tools as well as high quality board design and layout tools. This allows us to quickly develop and evaluate alternative designs or implementations when a particular high-risk area has been identified.

ANTICIPATING CHANGE
Technology changes rapidly, and obsolescence is a concern that must be addressed directly in order to minimize risk. Avtec's active parts obsolescence program ensures that all new designs are implemented using parts that are likely to be available throughout the system lifecycle.

PROTOTYPING FOR RISK REDUCTION
For specific systems in which risk cannot be sufficiently evaluated without the building of actual hardware or software, Avtec has developed a comprehensive rapid prototyping capability. Rapid prototyping allows our engineers to quickly build and test, as needed, potentially problematic components of a system or subsystem. Enabling realistic risk assessment under controlled conditions, rapid prototyping is also an excellent method for anticipating and correcting problems that may occur later in the development and manufacturing process.