Which approach balances system availability and ownership costs?

The product support business model is designed to optimize both system availability and ownership costs effectively. This approach focuses on providing reliable support and maintenance for a system throughout its lifecycle, ensuring that the system remains operational when it is needed while also managing the expenses associated with keeping the system functioning.

By implementing a product support business model, organizations can create long-term strategies that include not just initial purchase costs but also considerations for sustainment, logistics, and maintenance. This holistic viewpoint enables decision-makers to weigh the benefits of higher initial investments in support services against the potential for reduced operational downtime and greater reliability over time. Consequently, this results in a better balance between the availability of the system for operational use and the total cost of ownership, allowing for more strategic, informed planning and budgeting decisions.

In contrast, other approaches like the vendor preference model, short-term gains model, and price-driven acquisition model tend to prioritize either vendor-specific advantages, immediate cost reduction, or acquisition prices at the expense of long-term system reliability or operational support. These other approaches may neglect the broader implications of total lifecycle management and support required to ensure systems remain effective over time.