Improving Integrated Product Support (IPS) through Process Improvement Initiatives
NCMS Project #: 140940
Problem: Organizations continually find it challenging to generate insights from the vast amounts of data that they now capture. By combining sound strategy with emerging practices in performance management and data analytics, organizations target data capture, analysis, and improvement efforts to those areas that align with their strategy and hold the most promise for generating impactful maintenance and sustainment results. The government is taking the product support strategic lessons learned from commercial industry and applying them to Department of Defense (DoD) life cycle management reforms.
Benefit: In the near-term, this assessment will generate a product support architecture baseline that can be used by businesses across many sectors to compare and contrast similar organizational challenges in their industries. Understanding the common opportunities shared, will generate interest in reforming supply chains and optimization ERP deployments. With this form of supply chain optimization organizations can streamline their processes, be able to anticipate the maintenance and sustainment needs of legacy equipment and keep it productive for longer periods of time thereby increasing the bottom line.
This assessment will lay the foundation for an enterprise level (i.e., PEO AVN) Product Support Structure which will nest under external stakeholder business forecasting processes (e.g., AMC Operational Business Review, Demand Planning, Supply Planning, etc.). Instead of acting as independent business units, the subordinate PMs under PEO AVN will naturally adopt KPIs which will be a natural result of the overall effort to reduce redundancies.
Solution/Approach: With authority delegated from the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology (ASA(ALT)), the U.S. Army Program Executive Office, Aviation (PEO AVN) designs, develops, delivers, and supports advanced aviation capabilities in support of the U.S. and its Allies. PEO AVN has eight subordinate product brands, each headed by a Project Manager (PM) or a Product Director (PD), a Product Support Manager (PSM), and each at different stages of the Product Life Cycle.
The objective of the near-term phase is to create a baseline through assessment, synchronization, and prioritize PEO AVN in order to better understand the current data environment, short fallings, redundancies, and challenges to be overcome. By streamlining the individual silos of equipment sustainment and maintenance activities can be aligned with the OEMs for a more responsive supply chain.
Impact on Warfighter:
- Reduce costs
- Streamline processes
- Enhance warfighter readiness
DOD Participation:
- PEO AVN-Army
Industry Participation:
- Guidehouse LLP
- NCMS
Benefit Area(s):
- Cost savings
- Maintenance management improvement
- Improved readiness
Focus Area:
- Business processes/partnerships