Product Baseline
DAU GLOSSARY DEFINITION
Documentation describing all of the necessary functional and physical characteristics of the Configuration Item (CI), the selected functional and physical characteristics designated for production acceptance testing, and tests necessary for deployment/installation, operation, support, training, and disposal of the CI. The initial product baseline is usually established and put under configuration control at each CI's Critical Design Review (CDR), culminating in an initial product baseline at the system-level CDR. The system product baseline is finalized and validated at the Physical Configuration Audit (PCA).
Mainly described by a set of item detail specifications and the associated technical data package (TDPs) of the lower level configuration items (CIs). Designates the configuration item build requirements for each of the lower level configuration items. It includes physical characteristics, materials, manufacturing processes, and manufacturing equipment requirements of each of the lower level configuration items.
The product baseline is one of three technical baselines. It describes the detailed design for production, fielding/deployment and operations and support. The product baseline prescribes all necessary physical (form, fit and function) characteristics and selected functional characteristics designated for production acceptance testing and production test requirements. It is traceable to the system performance requirements contained in the Capability Development Document (CDD). At the Critical Design Review (CDR), the product baseline is initially established and is referred to as the initial product baseline. The initial product baseline includes "build-to" specifications for hardware (product, process, material specifications, engineering drawings and other related data) and software (software module design - "code-to" specifications). The initial system element product baseline is established and placed under configuration control at the system element CDR and verified later at the Physical Configuration Audit (PCA). In accordance with DoDI 5000.88, the Program Manager (PM) will assume control of the initial product baseline Class I configuration changes, as defined in accordance with the program’s Configuration Management (CM) plan, from the contractor at completion of the system-level CDR. This does not necessarily mean that the PM takes delivery and acceptance of the Technical Data Package (TDP). If one or more performers are on contract and competing for a follow on contract when CDR is conducted, the PM may delay assuming control of the initial product baseline until after down select to one contractor. Attributes of the product baseline include:
o Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM) is complete.
o The detailed design (hardware and software), including interface descriptions, satisfies the CDD or equivalent, and pertinent design considerations.
o Hardware, software and interface documentation are complete.
o Key product characteristics having the most impact on system performance, assembly, cost, reliability, survivability, cybersecurity, environmental, safety, & occupational health (ESOH) and sustainment have been identified.
o Traceability from design documentation to system and system element verification requirements and methods is complete.
o Manufacturing processes that affect the key characteristics have been identified, and capability to meet design tolerances has been determined.
Source for the above description is the DoD Systems Engineering Guidebook, Section 4.1.6, Configuration Management.
The product baseline's relationship with other program technical baselines will be depicted in the mandatory specification tree figure in the program's Systems Engineering Plan (SEP) as discussed in the DoD SEP Outline, Section 2.1, Requirements Development, and Figure 2.1-1, Specification Tree Illustrating Requirements Decomposition and Technical Baselines. The product baseline artifacts will be listed and described in the program's SEP as discussed in Section 3.2.10, Configuration and Change Management, of the DoD SEP Outline.