Information from readiness systems is required to determine number of pieces of equipment available for deployment. No Site Visit Executive has created an easy way to link equipment information available from readiness and Services systems.
Current readiness systems only include commander’s best estimate for equipment status. Estimates have traditionally been utilised usually for overall equipment assigned to the unit and not individual pieces of equipment. Military Services use systems to maintain records of equipment under service, but records do not include any information about what units it is assigned to.
Readiness Terms are used in different contexts/processes. Operational gaps in systems used by Field Units must be closed so exchange is seamless. Capability to link information as it is processed by Units must be built.
Aggregated information provided to Commanders must be traced/linked to operational systems used to rollup information. Unfortunately, no Site Visit Executive has yet stood up to identify functions spanning across process and write terms required to support processes
There is lots of work required to set up a successful Repair Shop. But once it is in place, most metrics remain the same.
Under some circumstances, changes are required only when there is an addition or deletion to inventory or when cost increases and estimates need to be corrected.
In these cases, appropriate work orders and schedules must be revised and the labour, equipment, materiel and contract costs updated.
Site Visit Executive must monitor work progress every time period situation with potential impact of service breakdown and review budgets before it is too late to take any corrective action.
Any changes in labour hours or work order costs for assets repair must be identified by Site Visit Executive through exception reporting and determine cause of changes.
Site Visit Executive must take action to reduce time/costs and take steps to improve efficiency and effectiveness of Repair Shop operations.
1. Decrease distractions & improve work flow
Is your repair ship bombarded with service “requests” – also known as unanticipated phone calls and drop-ins from outsiders? Streamline your service request intake so requests can be reviewed and dealt with in an organised way, without disruptions to work flow.
2. Save time & money
Instead of scrambling from problem to problem – losing time and money every step of the way, we help you tackle equipment repair proactively. Closely monitor costs and services with our detailed reports. Catch potential problems before they start and identify what is draining money from your budget.
3. Simple to learn, easy to use
You don’t have time to struggle with difficult, uncoordinated processes. We designed tools to spit out the information you need with the least effort from you. If services and inspections are scheduled to occur close together, you can pull them into the same work order, reduce asset downtime and minimise administrative busy-work.
4. Increase productivity
Why torture yourself with pencil-pushing when we can do it for you? Work Orders automatically pull in due services, procedures, and required parts. Purchase Orders automatically pull in low-stock inventory items. You get the idea – it’s all about the future of automated technology dispatch.
5. Make informed decisions
Detailed, one-click reports provide all the information you need, helping you better allocate resources, control costs, and predict future repair shop requirements
6. Protect your assets
Don’t wait until assets fail before you take care of them. Scheduling proactive inspections will help minimise asset downtime and extend the life of your assets, ultimately saving you money.
7. Get work done on time – no excuses
Schedule services on time, every time. Pop-up notifications ensure workers know what they have to do and when. Work Orders can contain detailed notes and procedures so work is done correctly.
8. Improve allocation of labour
Track labour activities and inputs for each work order, helping you ensure efficient use of shop resources and control every cost going into asset repair and maintenance – every part, every hour of labour, you name it. Find the lemons that are costing you money, and shave off the unnecessary expenses.
9. Prevent inventory shortages
Is your inventory disorganised and out of control? Do you have way too many of one item, but always scrambling last-minute to buy another? Detailed inventory and automated purchase order system enables you to keep your inventory organised, purchase more efficiently, and prevent downtime.
10. Reduce messy paperwork
Less paper means less clutter in your work area. No more searches for lost work orders, phone numbers and so on. It’s all neatly stored and organised in one place . You also won’t have to decipher illegible handwriting on work orders anymore.
Officials stated depot maintenance estimates are not adjusted or updated over the service life of an asset class. That is a Shocking Statement considering maintenance accounts for over 10% of Budget, or about $60 Billion annually.
Periodically updating depot maintenance cost estimates—in accordance with cost estimating best practices—for each asset class will be sure to provide decision makers with much needed information with which to determine future budgets.
We received Several Excuses:
First, officials stated that cost estimating best practices are most applicable to new acquisitions.
But our cost estimating guide is intended to be applicable to programmes and assets in all stages of service life, including maintenance and support. Updating standard support levels periodically would lower budgetary risk by using actual metrics to better inform future depot maintenance estimates.
Second, officials described how sustainment and maintenance costs can be uncertain and challenging to estimate, and efforts have been started to operate through centralised management of its depot-level maintenance funds for all assets.
But best practices can help ensure that cost estimates are comprehensive and accurate, which can help ensure that funds will be available when needed.
Third, officials explained that given the current fiscal issues, it would be best to focus on improvements that do not require additional resources.
But well-documented cost estimating process and the use of accurate historical metrics should enable more efficient operations.
By not updating the standard support levels with information on actual expenditures, there is no way to know what the actual depot-level maintenance needs are of its assets. Best practices state that programmes should be monitored continuously for their cost effectiveness by comparing planned and actual performance against the approved baseline.
Effective programme and cost control requires ongoing revisions to the cost estimate, budget, and projected estimates at completion. Further, a competent cost estimate is the key foundation of a sound budget. Not updating the estimated costs with actual expenditures could lead to ineffective planning by those responsible for conducting depot-level maintenance.
Finally, officials stated that they do not update their depot maintenance estimates with actual expenditures because doing so would cause individual budget line items to constantly change.
But by not reviewing and updating the standard support levels there is no way to accurately know what the actual depot maintenance needs are for each asset class. This can limit decision makers as they seek to succeed in challenging fiscal times and allocate resources best to support of more modern and capable assets.
Some F-35 suppliers are delivering late and non-conforming parts, resulting in production line inefficiencies and workarounds. Quality issues with insulation on the coolant tubes in the fuel tanks resulted in the contractor delivering less aircraft. According to contractor deliveries of parts are largely due to late contract awards and supply base capacity. While supplier performance is generally improving, it is important for suppliers to be prepared for both production and sustainment support going forward. Inefficiencies, such as conducting production line work out of sequence, could be exacerbated if late delivery of parts continues as production more than doubles over the next 5 years.
Work Order Breakdown Structure Requirements Summary
Contract work breakdown structures result from weapons system procurements are not always intended to be standardised.
Most logical product-oriented work orders submitted by the contractor may be sufficient to meet DoD needs for reasonably consistent programme performance evaluations.
Work breakdown structure format was never intended to be enforced word for word, but to be used as starting point for continued improvements.
Rigidity of task procedures and consistency of performance evaluations are issues to be resolved before solicitation release, or at least before contract award.
After contract award, at each milestone point between programme procurement phases, Contract work orders provide framework for delineating multiple areas of responsibility.
Responsibilities to require attention include funding status, schedules, future contract performance & integrating total programme requirements.
Top 10 Job Site Task Features for Capable Service Function
1. Create and track buys with full-feature purchase order system
2. Build “parts list” for like-make/models as parts are charged out
3. Assess full-feature work orders with multiple operations/technicians
4. Transfer parts inventory between connected locations
5. Suspend repair scheduling for “out of service” models
6. Value inventory at average cost with user-defined fields
7. Respond in time to work order tasks via “reminders” feature
8. Import supplier “lists,” such as part numbers
9. Customise individual screens & add outside repair detail to history
10. Produce order queries for unique, specialised reports