AIA NAS3500

The TDP is not a static document. It spans the full product lifecycle and provides the means to define the very earliest deliverable during development as well as the most mature versions of the product during production and support. The level of detail and depth of product understanding will almost certainly increase as a product becomes more mature, and this growth should be reflected in successive versions of the TDP. However, there are basic “core” elements that must be present in a TDP at any level of product maturity if that TDP is to be compliant with this NAS. These features are described further in Section 4.

The analysis and white paper that led to the formulation of this NAS considered two fundamental principles.

The first was characteristic accountability. The concept of characteristic accountability is based in such aerospace standards as AS9100, AS9102, and AS9103. Characteristic accountability means that to truly understand a product’s design intent, it is essential to identify and account for those details comprised of dimensions, geometries, input/output criteria, annotations, and specifications. As such, characteristic accountability in a TDP is considered an entry-level requirement for compliance with this NAS.

The second fundamental principle embraced by the white paper that led to this NAS was mission assurance. Mission assurance is succinctly defined as “100% customer success every time with no doubt.” Mission assurance is based on defining the mission, understanding gaps between product capabilities and expectations, commitment to the total lifecycle of the product, and improving performance of the mission. In this context, the TDP serves as the foundation for mission assurance because it is the ongoing vehicle for realization of definition, understanding, and improvement of the product over its full lifecycle.

Figure A1 illustrates the TDP and its evolution over the product lifecycle. Although the role of the TDP evolves, the adequacy of the TDP to support the needs at any given stage of the product lifecycle does not. The minimum requirements to provide specific deliverables remain constant. These minimum requirements, which serve as the starting point for compliance with this NAS, are described in Section 6. In addition, Section 6 describes those elements that will successively raise the level of the TDP at any stage of the product lifecycle. These higher levels of compliance are those that apply enhancements to further enable realization of mission assurance.

Purpose

The purpose of this NAS is to facilitate mission assurance through better composition, communication, and application of technical data. For aerospace industry primes this means less expensive deliverables that meet performance and schedule objectives. For suppliers it means enhanced efficiency and responsiveness to their customers’ requirements. Application of this NAS will enhance the accuracy and completeness of technical data, as well as the efficiency of technical requirements flow, interpretation, and response. It will provide a common yardstick that can be applied at every level of the supply chain to assess the completeness and adequacy of a TDP so that expectations can be properly set and risk properly evaluated.

The following offers the description of the TDP in the context of this standard.