Through Life Management involves the management of the delivery
of all aspects of a capability throughout its life-cycle.
The phrase came out of the Smart Acquisition reforms that
resulted from the Strategic Defence Review in 1998 and is
aimed at more effective management of defence capability.
But through life management is not only relevant to defence
business, it is a generic philosophy that involves taking
a complete and coherent approach to managing the cost-effective
delivery of outputs. This means involving all stakeholders
in the management process and making up-to-date and relevant
management information immediately available to those that
need to know, wherever they work. Any kind of business or
organisation in any market sector can benefit from a through
life management approach.
As Sir John Bourn, Head of the National Audit Office remarked,
“Through Life Management offers many benefits both in terms
of better-informed management of acquisition programmes
and better delivery of military capability.” The benefits
that he was referring to can be realised by any organisation.
