The complexity of display system acquisitions increased in recent years due to the introduction of several disruptive1 and emerging technologies including PC image generators, high resolution commercial projectors, solid state light sources, display calibration systems, and stereoscopic displays. This complexity surge, combined with increased end-user expectations, substantially diminished the value of the traditional procurement strategy of adopting updated specifications for current products as the requirements for the next training display system. Because of this churning in the supply chain, customers can no longer rely on incrementally improving product capabilities or long term supplier relationships to ensure their next training display system will meet the needs of their users. In response to these trends, the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and Aeronautical Systems Center (ASC) initiated the Immersive Display Evaluation and Assessment Study (IDEAS) in the summer of 2010. A long term goal of this program is to produce models and a decision support system (DSS) to facilitate:
(1) Rapid generation of defensible (i.e. training task driven) display system requirements
(2) Source selection decisions based on credible and achievable design approaches
(3) Planning of new product offerings
Two primary benefits expected from this effort include, an increased probability that delivered systems will meet customer expectations and training needs, and a reduction in the arguments and delays caused by unachievable, inappropriate, or missing requirements. Development and validation of the models/data for the DSS began in the fall of 2010 and are described elsewhere. The present paper focuses on how the first computational model developed for the DSS could be used. A primary goal of this paper is to solicit input from stakeholders prior to and concurrently with the development of the DSS.