Photos from the 2010 Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities Symposium.

In August, the United States Marine Corps tapped NCMS Educational Services to produce a pair of high-impact promotional videos highlighting the Corps’ Sense and Respond Logistics initiative. “Sense and Respond is a robust new approach to tackling issues of maintenance, readiness, and lethality,” said Bob Appleton of R.W. Appleton & Associates, a chief project consultant. “It will allow the Marine Corps to be better prepared, quicker to the fight, and highly accountable for all equipment. We turned to NCMS to develop two short videos that communicate the value of this philosophy.” 

NCMS Educational Services is the multimedia development and knowledge transfer arm of the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences. “We have produced several exciting, kinetic videos for a wide array of clients in the past,” said Bill Chenevert, General Manager of Educational Services. “This time the team really took the project far beyond what anyone was expecting. Five days of location shooting, major special effects shots; it was our most ambitious video project yet.” 

The first video, debuted at the Modern Day Marine Symposium in late September, highlighted the four key elements of Sense and Respond: Asset Tracking, Serialized Item Management, Condition-Based Maintenance, and Total Lifecycle Management. Each of these foundational elements are triggered by the application of Item Unique Identifier (IUID) tags to all equipment. Once tagged, a simple hand scanner allows every end item to be tracked and monitored across its entire lifecycle, creating a holistic maintenance opportunity and a centralized data access point for all materiel.

The second video will debut at the DoD Maintenance Symposium in Phoenix on October 26-29, retelling the story of Sense and Respond and IUID as a backdrop to live presentations. “I cannot tell you what an incredible journey this has been thus far,” said Major Brian Spooner, Ground Ordnance Maintenance Officer for the Marine Corps. "I wish everyone could come to Phoenix to watch our team dazzle the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and the DoD leadership, as well as the very senior leadership within all of the Armed Forces. We absolutely would not have been able to pull off such a professional product without the NCMS team.” 

Originally tasked with developing e-Learning tools for corporations, NCMS Educational Services has dynamically branched out into video and multimedia production, creative services, web development, and games-based learning applications.

For more information please contact:  

NCMS Program Manager Bill Chenevert at (734) 995-7989 or billc@ncms.org

NCMS has made arrangements with the Department of Defense (DoD) to sponsor a technology showcase at the Tobyhanna Army Depot (TYAD). This unique opportunity to present innovative technology solutions and meet directly with maintenance personnel is only available to NCMS members.

Tobyhanna Army Depot (TYAD) is the largest, full-service electronics maintenance facility in DoD and employs over 5700 workers.. TYAD’s mission is total sustainment, including design, manufacture, repair and overhaul of hundreds of electronic systems that include satellite terminals, radio and radar systems, telephones, electro-optics, night vision and anti-intrusion devices, airborne surveillance equipment, navigational instruments, electronic warfare and guidance and control systems for tactical missiles.

The displays will be strategically located in Maintenance Building 1C offering the opportunity for Army personnel to visit with the various companies throughout the day. The event will conclude with a networking reception for depot personnel and participants.

Technology Showcase Web Site

For more information contact Debbie Lilu at debral@ncms.org or call (734) 995-7038.

Exclusive NCMS Member Opportunity: Technology Showcase
Barstow Marine Corps Logistics Base/Barstow, California- Wednesday, June 24, 2009

NCMS is holding an exclusive technology event for its member at the Barstow Marine Corp Logistics Base.

The Technology Showcase will feature table top displays highlighting CTMA project technologies located throughout the base to maximize access for military personnel.

A networking reception will immediately follow the Technology Showcase to promote further discussion between Marine Corps personnel and participants.

Please visit http://www.ncms.org/09Barstow/

or contact Debbie Lilu at debral@ncms.org (734) 995-7038 for additional information.

Navy, Capt Tim Matthews, Command Officer, Fleet Readiness Center Southeast (FRCSE), discussed challenges  of technology transition faced by his command

Projects meeting the immediate needs of the warfighter were highlighted, including the award winning NCMS/CTMA Enhanced Wiring Integrity System (EWIS) project.

A number of future challenges and capabilities were also identified.

While funding technology transition from legacy to state-of-the art technology is vital to the long term viability of organic depots there is  a  coherent strategy for doing so.

Dr. Katherine Stevens, Director Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, AFRL, delivered an overview of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).  The AFRL’s mission is to lead the discovery, development, and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace force.

To this end, the AFRL manages the following technology transition paths to support the warfighter:

• Industy
• Direct Transition
• Product Centers and depots
• Commercialization

AFRL manages a portfolio of technology sustainment projects to support current and future warfighters.

Right support at the Right time for the Right reasons- R3

Col Dale Johnson, Commander, Maintenance Center Barstow, discussed the mission of Marine Logistics command is to provide integrated supply chain distribution and management to support Marine units in the field while maximizing their readiness and sustainability.

With a focus on the warfighter, the logistics command is committed to finding the best integrated solutions. 

This commitment poses many technology transition challenges:

• Misalignment of Acquisition and Sustainment
• Stove Piped Technology Development
• Business Process not Central to Development
• Integrated Logistics Support Elements
• Total Life Cycle Management
• Acquisition Policy and Bureaucracy
• Workforce Entrenched in old Technology/Processes

Logistics command meets these challenges by using a business focused holistic approach to material, people, money, and information.

The following NCMS projects- Automated Process & Inspection Guide (AP & IG) and Centralized Fleet Automated Management System (CFAMS), were cited as helping logistics command fulfill its mission.

Dr. Raj Iyer, Director, Data Management/ TACOM LCMC Data Czar spoke on the Logistics Modernization Program.

The TACOM Logistics Modernization Program (LMP) integrates product data from the top floor to the shop floor.  The LMP enterprise model is the largest ERP system in the world and manages the supply and acquisition of resources across the entire DOD.  LMP is a TACOM transformation initiative not simply an ERP software deployment.

• LMP is just the first (big) stepping stone on a longer journey
• TACOM is working towards adopting commercial best practices and solutions
• Data will be created once and re-used multiple times through the enterprise 
   

MajGen Scott G. West, Commanding General U.S. Army TACOM Lifecycle Management Command  and NCMS President Rick Jarman

Photo Galleries  Day 1  Day 2