Integrated Logistic Support (ILS) is a structured, co-ordinated and iterative approach to the procurement of supportability of systems whether they are bespoke or off-the-shelf. The increasing cost of system ownership has led major customers to apply the principles of ILS to all new projects as a mater of policy.

The objectives of ILS are to:

• Ensure that supportability considerations influence the design of a system or, where this is already fixed, to define the impact of the design on supportability
• Identify and develop support requirements which are related to system design and readiness objectives
• Acquire the necessary support
• Provide the required support in-service at the optimum Life-cycle Cost

ILS ensures that all the elements contributing to the support of a system are defined, analysed and costed for their impact on supportability. The elements included in ILS are:

• Availability, Reliability and Maintainability (ARM)
• Safety
• Life-cycle Costing (LCC)
• Logistic Support Analysis (LSA)
• Spare part requirements
• Maintenance policy
• Spares Support
• Technical Publications
• Support systems and Equipment
• Personnel
• Support outsourcing
• Off-the-shelf hardware and software end-of-production/support strategies
• Support Facilities
• Training
• Installation & Field Support
• Packaging, Handling, Storage & Transportation (relating to the support process)

ILS should normally be conducted as a collaborative effort by the system customer and the system supplier. Design for support can be optimised only if there is a thorough understanding of the structure, skills and costs of the support processes.