In Defence, capability is not achieved when equipment, systems, or platforms are delivered. Rather it is achieved when Defence personnel can operate, maintain, and sustain that capability safely, confidently and effectively. That is why training must be designed into the capability solution from the beginning, not treated as a less important afterthought to be addressed in the future.

For companies supplying products or services to Defence, training can quickly become a delivery, compliance, or assurance risk. A technically mature product may still be difficult to introduce into service if the training system, support documentation and workforce performance outcomes have not matured alongside it. Poorly integrated training can delay acceptance, reduce user confidence, increase support burden, and make it harder to demonstrate that the capability is ready for operational use.

Sayres Australia helps industry reduce these risks by considering and embedding learning across the Capability Life Cycle. We treat training as an ILS domain connected to supportability, technical data, maintenance concepts, safety, configuration management, workforce competency, and through-life sustainment. From tendering and bid development, we help define credible training concepts, map dependencies, and align learning solutions with the broader support system. When developed with the technical solution, training becomes a practical capability enabler, not a late compliance activity.

Defence’s ASDEFCON suite provides standard tendering and contracting structures for acquiring goods and services, and relevant support templates include Data Item Descriptions and statement of work requirements that shape the contractor’s obligations. Sayres’ Defence and industry experience helps suppliers navigate the requirements of ASDEFCON contracting templates, including training-related Data Item Description requirements. With an in-depth understanding of these expectations, we help companies produce training deliverables that are practical, compliant, and integrated with contract delivery.

Sayres Australia can also design and develop training products aligned to the Systems Approach to Defence Learning (SADL). SADL is based on the Analyse, Design, Develop, Implement, and Evaluate (ADDIE) model and provides a disciplined framework for Defence learning design. Using this model our staff conduct and produce performance needs analysis, training requirements specifications, learning management packages, assessment strategies, instructor guides, learner guides, e-learning content, and evaluation artefacts that support Defence assurance and user performance.

The real value comes from integration. Training should mature with technical manuals, operator procedures, maintenance tasks, safety requirements, support concepts, and verification activities. If the product changes, the training baseline should change with it. If the support model evolves, the learning solution should reflect the new way the capability will be used and sustained. This approach helps ensure the client receives a coherent capability package rather than disconnected documents and courses.

Whether a company is responding to a tender, preparing for contract negotiations, developing deliverables, or preparing to introduce a product into service, Sayres Australia can help. We bring Defence training system expertise, ILS understanding, and practical delivery experience to help suppliers reduce risk, strengthen proposals, and deliver training that is credible at tender, compliant at contract, and useful in service.

For Defence suppliers, investing in training design early is an essential component in achieving speed to capability. It helps Defence accept, operate, and sustain new systems faster, while giving industry a clearer path through proposal development, ILS assurance, and contract delivery. Training is not an afterthought; done properly, it is one of the foundations of capability delivery.