Army Team Achievement Award

The Apache Obsolescence Working Group was nominated based on the efficacy of the team in their support of the Army Apache PBL program. The teams improved ability to collaborate on proactive identification and resolution formulation for obsolescence issues since the team was formalized has translated into exceptional Cost Avoidance gained and allowance to use funding in a more strategic manner. The team consists of multidiscipline key members from the Apache Program Office, Army RDECOM Engineering Directorate and Boeing, Mesa with defined roles and responsibilities and a single goal, Life Cycle Management. From contracts and logistics to support and production engineering, the team has successfully implemented standardized information sharing/problem solving process capitalized on funding opportunities and executes an obsolescence program that has documented $100M in redesign cost avoidance to date.

Navy: VIRGINIA Class Submarine Technology Refresh Team

The Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Keyport based VIRGINIA Class Submarine Technology Refresh Team works to resolve obsolescence issues caused by both Commercial Off The Shelf electronics at the Circuit Card/Module level or at the piece part level via Keyport's Obsolescence Management Information System ("OMIS"). The team's proactive approach and teaming process with the Prime Contractor Electric Boat avoids unplanned and costly redesigns by recommending optimum obsolescence mitigation plans to the Program Office - PMS 450. Since Program inception in 2001 the Tech Refresh Team has provided resolutions for over 650 VIRGINIA Class Non-Propulsion Electronic Subsystems and Hull Mechanical and Electrical obsolescence issues totaling over $84.4 Million in cost avoidance and over $8.87 Million in cost deferral. These issues directly impacted the operational capability, safety, and reliability level of almost every major system on the ship.

The Joint Primary Aircraft Training System’s (JPATS) Diminishing Manufacturing Sources and Material Shortages (DMSMS) program is the first for a Commercial Off-The-Shelf /Contractor Logistics Support aircraft. Another first is the nose-to-tail Total Aircraft Concept for combating DMSMS. This approach catalogs and monitors all electronic and non-electronic components to the piece part level for the aircraft, aircrew training devices, and support equipment. Bringing parts suppliers into DMSMS management has been a key element to the program’s success. The team has mapped DMSMS management processes, developed a Business Case Analysis tool, established cost avoidance metrics, and created a JPATS DMSMS Web-Portal. As a result of the team’s efforts no aircraft have been grounded or production line work stopped due to DMSMS. This program will be central to the future sustainment of the 767 JPATS Aircraft, and 103 Aircrew Training Devices.

The Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS) Total System Support Responsibility (TSSR) program team was recently recognized with the 2009 Diminishing Manufacturing Sources and Material Shortages (DMSMS) Annual Achievement Award from the Department of Defense. The team proactively implements hundreds of solutions for managing obsolescence enabling Joint STARS to maintain superior mission effectiveness. The team also led the effort to establish proactive methods to manage obsolescence for both commercial, off the shelf and aircraft assemblies. This process is enhanced by its Web- based customer accessible DMSMS management tool. A diverse team, the Northrop Grumman TSSR DMSMS team supports several U.S. Air Force organizations (577 ACSS, 632 ELSS, ACC, and 116 ACW) and multiple subcontractors.

The Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Prime Integration (IPIC) team, led by Northrop Grumman, takes a forward-looking management approach to Diminishing Manufacturing Sources and Material Shortages (DMSMS) issues affecting the Minuteman III ICBM. One of the oldest yet most critical weapon systems in the U.S. Air Force’s inventory, as a result, continues to have a nearly 100% average alert rate.
Although aging, land-based Minuteman III ICBMs command an essential role in deterrence in part because the IPIC team addresses DMSMS challenges head-on. This contributes substantially to making the force highly reliable, consistently available and practical to maintain. Northrop Grumman applies vast system’s engineering expertise from across the IPIC team to ensure ICBMs remain a survivable, stabilizing force.
The ICBM DMSMS team is comprised of government, BAE Systems in addition to Northrop Grumman.
Strategic management of DMSMS issues supports the IPIC team’s vision: Keeping America free and strong by providing safe and secure Minuteman IIIs that are reliable, accurate and a highly survivable component of America’s nuclear arsenal.

National Forging Tooling Database (NFTD) rapidly locates and distributes Critical Forging Dies. A joint team led by the Forging Defense Manufacturing Consortium (FDMC) created the NFTD. This database locates and leverages millions of dollars of federal investment in forging dies for Diminishing Manufacturing Sources and Material Shortages (DMSMS) solutions. All too often procurement of legacy parts with forgings is delayed by the inability to rapidly locate forging dies. The NFTD solves this problem by tracking valuable forging tooling all over North America for DOD procurements. The value of the NFTD is its widespread distribution through IHS’s Haystack Gold and its ability to rapidly locate forging dies to produce these critical parts for the Department of Defense. The NFTD represents 280,000 National Stock Numbers or part numbers valued at $5B in forging dies. The database annihilates administrative lead time in locating forging dies and sources and reduces production lead time and costs contributing to the reduction in back orders.

The Defense Supply Center Columbus, Diminishing Manufacturing Sources and Material Shortages (DMSMS) Team provides exceptional leadership and support to the DoD and international DMSMS and logistics communities. Participating in activities like the DoD DMSMS Working Group Outreach Committee, resolving interoperability and international logistics problems, developing and providing DMSMS training, managing and resolving DMSMS cases, performing Life-of-Type Buys, and component research, the team is geared to solve problems. Through the GEM and AME programs, the team provides continuing microcircuit solutions. The Shared Data Warehouse has streamlined DMSMS information exchange between users. Annually 500 cases are processed, 50,000 NSNs reviewed, $5 million in discontinued parts purchased and over $80 million in cost avoidances generated. The team has achieved many successes working with numerous DMSMS teams, and contributes much too developing innovative proactive DMSMS management techniques. This team is helping to pioneer processes and capabilities needed to successfully work DMSMS and interoperability issues.

The Microcircuit Emulation Team provides DoD with the ability to supply non-procurable microcircuits that meet the full spectrum of weapon system lifecycle requirements. Emulated microcircuits are fully Form, Fit, Function and interface equivalents to the original device. Emulated microcircuits are also fully compliant to the original quality requirements. Emulated microcircuits are stocked in the same supply bins as the originals and require no separate testing by the end users. The microcircuits are manufactured on a certified trusted foundry and performance based Mil-PRF-38535 quality fabrication line at the Sarnoff Corporation at Princeton, NJ. There have been in excess of 90,000 military quality GEM microcircuits shipped fulfilling requirements for the Federal Supply System, and Original Equipment Manufacturers. Once a microcircuit has been emulated, it is permanently available through the GEM or AME Program. These programs are credited with over $500 million in next higher assembly redesign cost avoidances.

Individual Achievement Award

Mr. Tony Hartling has worked for over seven years supporting Hill Air Force Base's DMSMS initiatives in the 415th Supply Chain Management Squadron. Mr. Hartling's position as an on-site Program Manager combined with his experience and knowledge of the Space & C3I Program, along with his unique attention to detail, has made him an invaluable asset in meeting the Space & C3I DMSMS program needs and expectations. To date the Space & C3I team has data mined 77 Systems, and loaded 59 of those into the AVCOM database. The breakdown totals 1,236 Technical Orders, 8,014 Drawings, and 106,683 pages loaded. His team has also loaded 45 Systems into the Applications, Programs, Indentures (API) which increased the Valid Records in API by 408,946 lines, and they submitted 11,228 errata to correct technical orders. Mr. Hartling's contributions has achieved an overall cost avoidance of $426 Million.

Special Recognition Award

Mr. Henry Livingston is an Engineering Fellow and Technical Director at BAE Systems. Henry has taken a leadership role in the industry regarding the dissemination of information designed to protect against counterfeit parts. In addition to publishing GIDEP Alerts, Henry published papers discussing the counterfeit parts problem and sharing information from investigative findings. He has presented at numerous national, industry-wide seminars, conferences and workshops. Henry was a major contributor to SAE Aerospace Standard AS5553 developed by the SAE G19 committee. Much of the material concerning procurement practices, counterfeit detection, disposition and reporting are based on policies and practices applied within BAE Systems. Henry approached DOD agencies to formally adopt AS5553 and proposed the AIA endorse AS5553.

Henry Livingston and BAE Systems were recognized at the DMSMS and Standardization 2009 Conference for their leadership role in the detection, mitigation and reporting on burgeoning problem of counterfeit parts with the government and industry.

The Office of Technology Evaluation (OTE) in the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is the focal point for analyzing the financial and production capabilities of the U.S. industrial base to support the national defense. At the request of Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), Patuxent River Naval Air Station, a team of OTE employees utilized the office’s unique designated authority to conduct surveys and issue a final assessment on the impact of counterfeit electronic parts and components on the U.S. defense supply chain. The results of the team’s efforts have lead to a groundbreaking study highlighting the infiltration of counterfeit electronics throughout the U.S. supply chain. The study also cataloged best practices used by the supply chain to avoid counterfeit electronics, as well as recommended a series of proposed actions for the U.S. Government to inhibit the circulation of counterfeit electronics.

Mr. John ‘Jack’ McDermott, a retired long-time ARINC Engineering Services, LLC employee, was named 2009 recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award. The Lifetime Achievement Award cited Jack McDermott for two decades of leadership in helping agencies affected by obsolescence to collaborate. Mr. Jack McDermott was collecting DMSMS cost data before the Cost Metrics Report and developed DMSMS Plans before there was guidance. Jack's work has been focused on one goal: working together and collaborating to help minimize the impact of DMSMS on the warfighter. He was also recognized for helping establish and then co-chairing the Department of Defense DMSMS Teaming Group. Several Government and Defense officials’ also volunteered compliments: "Jack is not only a pioneer in proactive DMSMS, but probably saved the taxpayer millions of dollars by sharing common solutions, at a time when every program was developing its own unique solution," said Ron Shimazu, Chief Engineer for Defense Microelectronics Activity at the Office of the U.S. Secretary of Defense. William Pumford, Government-Industry Data Exchange Program (GIDEP) DMSMS Program Manager for the Naval Surface Warfare Center, said "Jack always showed a great deal of patience when explaining the intricacies of obsolescence management, so that GIDEP could provide better support."