"Rebalancing the Force": Implications for Reliability, Maintainability and Supportability (RMS)

"Rebalancing the Force": Implications for Reliability, Maintainability and Supportability (RMS) by William D. Bajusz, Ph.D. will be published in the forthcoming semi-annual issue of The Journal of Reliability, Maintainability, Supportability, in Systems Engineering.

This paper addresses the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) of 2010's implications for Department of Defense (DoD) systems' Reliability, Maintainability and Supportability from an Enterprise wide perspective.  It notes particularly the implications of the QDR within the context of economic reality.

The immediate need is for RMS to adapt to the new engineering trade space created by the DoD 5000 series, the Weapon System Reform Act of 2009,the Fiscal Year 2010 NDAA, Section 805,  the DoD Weapons System Acquisition Reform Product Support Assessment of 2009, and the ongoing Product Support Work by DoD.

Proactive RMS actions must be based on integrated systems and sustainment engineering in the Materiel Solutions Analysis phase of the acquisition life cycle.

But integrated engineering is not enough.  RMS must be informed by governance considerations, performance-based contracting Terms and Conditions, the immediate and longer term effects on the Enterprise Industrial Base (commercial and organic), human capital, and more carefully crafted, validated cost modeling, among other considerations.  Moreover, the program must meet Government Accountability Office (GAO) audit standards.

RMS must boost performance while dramatically cutting O&S costs now.  The Congress and taxpayer demand, and should expect, no less. It is clear that the country can afford O&S cost increases of 2-3% above the rate of inflation in the face of looming deficits.

Goldbelt Wolf Wins DLA Contract for Norfolk Naval Shipyard

Teamed with GENCO Infrastructure Solutions, Inc., Goldbelt Wolf has won the competitive producrement issued by Defense Logistics Agency to provide supply and logistics support services for the Norfolk Naval Shipyard.  This is a six month contract with a six month option.

Goldbelt Wolf Continues Vehicle Leasing, Sales & Supply Chain Management

Goldbelt Wolf, LLC continues to lease and provide specially upfitted vehicles to support Department of State missions domestically.  These vehicles are currently located at 8 Field Office Locations in 7 states.

Concurrently, the company continues sales of equipment and vehicles overseas -- in Zambia, Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Belize, Guatemala, and Colombia.

"DoDI 5000.02 and Resource-Informed Army Modernization"

William D. Bajusz, Ph.D. delivered this presentation at the Reliability, Maintainability, Supportability (RMS) Partnership meeting on "DoDI 5000.02 and You:  The Impact on Reliability, Maintainability, Supportability/Logistics and Systems Engineering" involving senior representatives from the services, OSD and industry.  The presentation can be viewed as a SlideShare presentation at www.LinkedIn.com/in/williambajusz.

“DoDI 5000.02 and Resource-Informed Army Modernization”

William D. Bajusz, Ph.D., Senior Logistics Consultant for Goldbelt Wolf, LLC  will be speaking on “DoDI 5000.02 and Resource-Informed Army Modernization” at the Reliability, Maintainability, and Supportability (RMS) Partnership Industry-Government Workshop & Symposium on November 17-18 at the Waterford in Springfield, VA. I am interested in any comments/observations on this general topic. I will attribute any comments I receive that I include assuming the provider is comfortable with that. Information on the event can be found at http://www.rmspartnership.org.

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What Wasn't Said By the Army Senior Leadership at the Association of the US Army's Annual Meeting

For several months the Chief of Staff of the Army and his senior leaders have emphasized that the Army is "out of balance" -- unable to meet current (and rapidly shifting) commitments and the need for Army Full Spectrum Readiness and Strategic Flexibility.  The goal is to restore that balance.  Yet at AUSA, noticeably absent from the Senior Leadership's briefing charts was the phrase "Full Spectrum Readiness" having been replaced by simple "Readiness."  The main point that the Army is "out of balance" was still there, but the implications seem to be that the Army needs to be ready for something less than Full Spectrum operations.  What operations are being curtailed for the Expeditionary Army?  What are the implications for logistics and sustainment?  Until the Quadrennial Review is public and the Guidance for the Development of the Force (GDF) is promulgated,  these questions will remain unanswered.  Accordingly, today long-range logistics and sustainment planning must proceed in something of a vacuum.