RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME, RIGHT PRICE


by serial number and/or national stock number, and put each item in a specific location identifiable by program. Te system date-tracks all items to maintain flow and first-in, first-out protocol. Tis information is critical when tracking and managing original equipment manufac- turer warranties.


RIA personnel use radio frequency identification (RFID) tags to track equip- ment from the initial staging through palletizing,


to maintain accountability throughout the transportation process. SMART MOVE


In 2012, PEO Soldier transitioned PM SSL’s new-equipment staging facility operations from a GOCO facility in Middle River, MD, to a GOGO facility at RIA. Here, COL Michael E. Sloane, center, PEO Soldier’s PM SSL, tours the Sensors and Lasers Distribution Center March 13 with personnel from the RIA Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center (RIA JMTC).


(PdMs): PdM Soldier Maneuver Sensors and PdM Soldier Precision Targeting Devices. PM SSL equips Soldiers with the best sensors, lasers and precision target- ing devices through the collective efforts of these PMs, whose work allows Sol- diers to dominate the battlefield through improved lethality, mobility, situational awareness and survivability in all opera- tional environments.


Tat work requires detailed planning and program execution. Add to this the challenge of ensuring that industry pro- duces and delivers thousands of highly technical pieces of equipment to a stag- ing facility every month, a challenge that becomes more complicated when moving to another staging facility several states away. Te processes, procedures techniques PM SSL employs may not be


and 136 Army AL&T Magazine


the same for every PM seeking to maxi- mize


critical organic capabilities, but


other PMs can certainly use them when seeking similar efficiencies.


THE NEED FOR STAGING FACILITIES Why are staging facilities


Te LSS analysis yielded four distinct courses of action. PM SSL analyzed each against established criteria for cost sav- ings, labor, setup and operational costs. Te four possible courses of action were:


neces-


sary, and how can staging decisions improve operations?


Te primary reason for using a staging facility is to repackage equipment to issue to the gaining commands. Tis assem- bly process follows the PM SSL policy of total-package fielding. Te RIA stag- ing facility maintains accountability of equipment, including end items and associated items,


in addition to receiv-


ing deliveries from vendors. Upon receipt, facility personnel inventory all items


October–December 2013


1. Direct vendor delivery, with items stored and shipped direct from the man- ufacturer’s facility. 2. Life-cycle management


command/


organic, operating a government stag- ing facility with government personnel to leverage personnel and infrastructure already in place. 3. General


Services Administration


(GSA) facility, using contractor personnel. 4. Depot/organic facility, using govern- ment personnel.


LEAN SIX SIGMA ANALYSIS PM SSL faced the challenge of reducing the staging facility’s operating budget and costs while maintaining first-class support to Soldiers. To address the chal- lenge, it initiated a Lean Six Sigma (LSS) project titled “Staging Facility,” which examined current operating processes and determined what location would be best-suited to accommodate all aspects of the PM’s staging activities. (Tis project is available through the PowerSteering database as Project LD #NG5081.)


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