Tool selection process and its management for small and medium enterprises in defence projects

To be self-reliant and competitive in winning and maintaining defence contracts, the Australian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) need to improve their systems capability. By systems capability it is meant effectual use of sound systems engineering (SE) processes and effective use of SE tools. Unlike most large organisations, the Australian SMEs have not widely employed SE processes and tools in their work. It appears that the current SE software tools do not effectively aid SMEs with their work and that tool supplierspsila marketing does not specifically target SMEs. To aid SMEs in boosting their systems capability, thereby enabling them to effectively obtain and maintain defence contracts, this work, as part of an on-going research on a framework for tool selection for SMEs in defence, attempts to define a tool selection process and its management. This paper describes the current situation of the Australian SMEs and the issues they are facing with in regards to SE tools. It also proposes the requirements for a tool selection process for SMEs and the management of this process. Finally it discusses the initial findings of the on-going research.