Project: Support Equipment Controlling Authority ai 0D (seca n) Operations

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  The development of an Individual Material Readiness List (IMRL)
  
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  Inventory management
  
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  Source Data Revision Recommendation (SODARR)
  
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  Depot level repair process
  

The employment data section provides the activity a list of type/model/series (TMS) used to create the IMRL, and allows the activity to view data used to calculate allowances that are shown in their IMRL. The activity maintenance department reviews this data to ensure the information listed coincides with their current and projected workload.

The change list allows the activity to view any changes to the IMRL that have occurred since the last IMRL supplement and the print date of a new IMRL.

The index section provides the ability to locate items of SE within the IMRL using several different sources such as, part number, stock number, avionics systems, and nomenclature.

The main body section provides the source data, application, and allowancing information for each item of SE based on its platform application. This section of the IMRL is broken into several subsections where SE is grouped according to its intended maintenance function such as, airframes, power plants, avionics, weapons, and facility type equipment.

The activity inventory record section provides a complete list of on hand SE assets as of the printed date. This section is somewhat useless, and seldom used by the activity because its data is limited to the date it was printed. Instead, activities rely on the Local Asset Management System (LAMS) for purposes concerning inventory reporting and management since it provides current real time data. LAMS will be discussed later in this report.

When building an IMRL for an Organizational, Intermediate or Depot level maintenance activity, the SECA obtains input information from the Weapons System Planning Document (WSPD), Program Planning Document (PPD), and the NAVAIR NOTICE 4700 Gas Turbine Engine Maintenance Assignment. These documents are maintained and published by the NAVAIR Program Managers for each of their assigned weapons systems for planning and budgetary purposes. The information contained in these sources such as, aircraft deck loading, maintenance level, operational detachments, and the three degrees of engine level maintenance, will enable the SECA to employ their respective activities with current and future (five years out) workload assignments. The requirement to employ five years into the future was an AMMRL program decision based on budgetary requirements to obtain funding for future Common Support Equipment (CSE) procurements. This provides allowance quantities that the NAVAIR Program Managers could use when planning budget proposals for future procurements of Peculiar Support Equipment (PSE) to support new weapons systems.

Once the information has been gathered from these sources, the SECA manually enters this data into the employment screen located on the SEMS allowance module. SEMS is a database owned by PMA260 AMMRL program office, managed by Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center (SPAWAR) located in New Orleans, LA, and provides a means for overall SE visibility and management.

The allowance subsystem is updated the second weekend of every month through a regeneration process that creates, changes, or deletes allowances for SE based on employment changes made by the SECA. Employment changes entered into SEMS prior to this will not provide visibility of SE allowance changes until the next regeneration has been completed. Therefore, to reflect any employment changes that have been made previous to each update, a special regeneration of the allowance subsystem is required. The SECA department head is the only authorized individual that can request special regenerations due to the cost of this function. Special regenerations are infrequent since most employment changes are made well in advance of actual aircraft and weapons system base loading.

Once the regeneration (if required) is complete, the SECA submits a request for a new IMRL using the reports screen located on the SEMS Support Equipment Asset Readiness Reporting (SEARR) subsystem. The request is an overnight batch process that generates an email to the requester with notification that the IMRL is complete and ready for download with a link to the IMRL location.

The IMRL is downloaded from the SEMS database electronically and saved to a compact disk. Due to its size, typically up to several thousand pages, this document is delivered to the local base printing office where it can take up to 3 days to be produced in paper form. Generally two copies of the IMRL are printed, one copy each for both the SECA and maintenance activity. Some of the larger maintenance activities, such as the Depot, have printing capabilities. Therefore the IMRL is delivered electronically and printed locally by that command.

Once printing is complete the IMRL is picked up and brought back to the SECA office where every page is scrutinized for proper format and completeness. An IMRL that is determined to be defective during this inspection is returned to the printing office and reprinted. However, if the IMRL is satisfactory it is packaged and shipped using the U.S. postal service, or FedEx if urgently required, to the maintenance activity.

The IMRL is considered a living document with constant changes occurring daily and requiring updates to the paper copy. This is accomplished through an IMRL supplement that identifies all changes to the IMRL that have occurred since the print date. ⁵The IMRL supplement is a monthly change notice that is prepared and issued for each IMRL activity. Beginning the first month after an IMRL is prepared and every month thereafter, the supplement for that IMRL will list all changes since the previous supplement. An update action is used on the supplement to show additions, deletions or changes that affects each activity IMRL. The allowance supplement is automatically produced for each IMRL as part of the SEMS monthly update cycle. The SECA downloads the allowance supplements for each IMRL and delivers to the activity electronically, or paper copy depending on their printing capabilities. The changes that are reflected in the supplement are transcribed onto the paper copy of the IMRL body by the activity IMRL manager and the SECA manager. This way a complete hard copy is available at all times in the event that electronic data is lost or unavailable due to system failure.

LAMS is a database that was developed by PMA260 NAVAIRHQ who has overall ownership and management responsibilities. ⁹LAMS is the only authorized means for the automated management, tracking, and inventorying of Support Equipment (SE) assets at the organizational, intermediate and depot level of maintenance. Given that a single item of SE may cost over one million dollars, the efficient use and accountability of SE at the organizational, intermediate and depot level is of great importance to fleet support. LAMS is an approved management information system for standardized local management of Individual Material Readiness List (IMRL) assets through the use of a desktop computer and barcode technology. By using barcode equipment that records inventory results, highly accurate wall-to-wall inventories can be accomplished and maintained with significant reductions in both manpower expenditures and operational disruptions. LAMS is utilized by the maintenance activity IMRL manager for reporting receipts, transfers, asset material condition, and other inventory management functions. The activity will process a TR using LAMS to notify the SECA that an inventory transaction has occurred. The TR is exported from LAMS and delivered to the SECA electronically as a means for updating SEMS inventory.

SECA TOOLS is a database that was developed by PMA260 NAVAIRHQ who has overall ownership and management responsibilities. SECA TOOLS is utilized by the SECA for transmitting files to the SEMS database. The SECA receives the exported file from the activity and uploads the data to SECA TOOLS where the TR is inspected for accuracy. Once the TR has been inspected and determined complete, an upload file is created that interfaces with SEMS. SEMS is a closed loop inventory tracking system that is utilized throughout the entire Naval Aviation Enterprise (NAE) for SE management. The SECA uploads the exported file from SECA TOOLS and loads this file in SEMS where the transaction process is scheduled. A completion notification is emailed to the SECA with a link to the source file when the transaction process has been completed. The SECA will download the completion report, attach to an email, and return it to the reporting activity notifying them that the process is complete.

To ensure inventory accuracy is maintained between LAMS and SEMS, a file named Activity Inventory Record Comparison (AIRCOMP) is generated monthly from SEMS and sent to the reporting activity. This file is processed in the activities LAMS where a report is generated that will identify any discrepancies between the two systems. In the event the AIRCOMP report discovered discrepancies, the SECA and activity IMRL manager will work together to resolve the issue immediately and a new AIRCOMP report is generated and processed until all discrepancies have been resolved. The report is returned to the SECA where the results are reviewed, averaged, and reported to the AMMRL program office during the semi annual AMMRL Program meeting (APM). The goal is to maintain 100% inventory accuracy at all times to avoid the possibility of procuring SE that is not required, or more importantly not procuring assets that are urgently needed due to erroneous inventory data. Inventory accuracy affects both budgetary and supportability concerns.

The SODARR process is an avenue for correcting SEMS source data errors. The SODARR process is managed and controlled by PMA260 from the moment data is entered into SEMS until completed. The SECA function in the SODARR process is to ¹¹use the appropriate SEMS input transaction, prepare an automated SODARR, and enter that SODARR to SEMS if the request for IMRL revision affects other IMRL activities.

When source data errors are identified, the activity IMRL manager will initiate an IMRL Revision Request (IRR). Using the LAMS database, the IMRL manager creates the IRR which describes the action requested. The IRR is saved as a Microsoft Word document and is electronically forwarded to the SECA for processing. Once received, the SECA loads the document into SECA TOOLS and begins the necessary research to identify corrective action. Using SEMS, the SECA enters the required information and submits the request for source data correction. A computer generated serial number is assigned to each SODARR for tracking and history purposes. The SODARR becomes immediately visible to all other SECA’s. Designated points of contact at each SECA will review each SODARR and either agrees, disagrees, or selects “not applicable”. If any other SECA disagrees with the request a reason is provided and the SODARR is withdrawn. A SODARR cannot be processed and completed whenever there are disagreements. However, the SODARR may be resubmitted by the originating SECA once any disagreements have been resolved, a new control number will be assigned and the SODARR travels through the same process. Whenever the SODARR is agreed to, or “not applicable” is selected, the SODARR is delivered electronically to the Weapons System Manager (WSM) responsible for logistics management of that particular SE. The WSM reviews the SODARR request and updates the Support Equipment Recommendation Document (SERD) located on the AUTOSERD database with the requested changes.

AUTOSERD is owned by PMA260 but managed and controlled by Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) Lakehurst, NJ. AUTOSERD is a master database that feeds SERD source data information into SEMS through a monthly update cycle. During the monthly update cycle the corrected SERD is passed to SEMS and verified by the WSM who has the final sign off action on the SODARR. This corrected information is included in the IMRL supplement and provided to the activity IMRL manager. The SECA and the activity IMRL manager will annotate this corrected information on the paper copy of the IMRL.

The SE depot level rework program was established to provide a cost effective approach for maintaining expensive SE in a ready for use condition. ¹²The objective of the NAMP, as it relates to SE, is to achieve and maintain maximum material readiness, safety, and conservation of SE. ¹³The required rework of SE beyond the capability of the Intermediate Maintenance Activity (IMA) shall be performed under the provisions of NAVAIRINST 13680.1 at the next level of maintenance, normally a NAVAIRDEPOT or commercial contractor. The purpose of the NAVAIRINST 13680.1 is to ¹⁴establish policy, assign responsibilities and provide procedures within Naval Air Systems Command for the management and execution of depot level rework of SE end items.

The responsibility of the SECA is to manage the overall SE rework program for their assigned activities which include, scheduling SE at the appropriate Depot Rework Point (DRP), providing shipping instructions and weekly production status reports to the maintenance activity, and to participate in funding alignments with Naval Air Support Equipment Facility (NAVAIRSEFAC). The NAVAIR 13680.1C policy dictates that for an item of SE to have depot level repair capability it must meet certain criteria. The SE must be Beyond Capability of Maintenance (BCM) at the organizational and/or intermediate level activity, must have a “D” in the fourth and/or fifth position of the Source Maintenance and Recoverability (SM&R) code, total Navy on hand inventory of at least 26 assets, and have a dollar value of at least $5,000.

Whenever SE fails to perform its intended function, and is beyond the capability for repair at the organizational and/or intermediate level, the maintenance activity will notify their IMRL manager that repair or replacement is required. The IMRL manager will review source data to determine if the asset meets the criteria for depot level maintenance, and use LAMS to process the necessary TR changing the status code to reflect a Not Ready for Issue (NRFI), or Not Ready for Use (NRFU) condition. An email is sent to the SECA with the exported TR attached requesting depot level repair. The SECA, utilizing SEMS, will determine if depot level repair has been established for the SE end item and what DRP has capability for repair. Since funding is allocated by each SECA to the various DRP, the SECA will ensure that funding is available by calculating the sum of total man hours required for repair, and cost per man hour. The SECA depot repair budget contains emergent repair funds that are available as needed and can be allocated to the DRP to complete the repair process.

Once funding is in place the SECA will schedule the repair in SEMS. A control number is assigned to maintain a closed loop tracking process for visibility of the asset from the time the SE is shipped to the depot, received at the depot and inducted for repair, repairs completed, and asset returned and received at the activity. The control number is utilized by the depot for production updates, the SECA for providing production status reports, and the maintenance activity for inventory TR processing of the transfer and receipt of the SE to and from the depot.

Three of these four production operations work efficiently. However, the IMRL production is in need of a complete change. There is a need to convert this process to an electronic format and retire the paper product to save money and time required to process this document. During an airspeed project named “SERD into SEMS first pass accuracy”, in which I was an acting yellow belt member, one of the quick fixes that was agreed upon was to make this change from paper to an electronic format. PMA260 AMMRL program office have taken the initiative to develop a new LAMS version that will incorporate the IMRL as a subversion that can be viewed and maintained on the personal computer. This will give the IMRL manager and SECA the ability to view the IMRL, which includes the activity inventory record, electronically without the need for paper products. The monthly supplement will be delivered to the activities via email where they can download the file to LAMS for updating any changes that have occurred to their IMRL. These changes will eliminate the cost of printing, packaging, shipping, and manually making changes to the paper copy of an IMRL. This change will save the Navy thousands of dollars each year and give the SECA and IMRL manager time to work more important issues, but more importantly it will increase productivity.