Houser champions value engineering projects
in which the
program introduces a change that results in cost savings. So far with the AMPV program, the team has identified changes to the quantity of armor tiles required to support the prototype vehicle test program, which saved just over $1.5 million. Tis required numerous consultations with the test, engineering and acquisition communities and with BAE Systems. He indicated there may be potential for future cost savings as well.
His advice to others is a credo he’s carried with him since work- ing for the Navy as a young engineer: “Support the mission first and don’t say no to an opportunity.” He is extremely proud of the AMPV engineering team, which, along with the manu- facturer, has driven since day one to achieve a first-production prototype build within two years of the program’s start. “We have the best people on the team,” he said. “We’ve proven we’re the varsity.”
AMPV Director of Product Assurance and Test Joseph C.
“Joe” Perri has 33 years of experi- ence, a B.S. in engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Tech- nology, and Level III certification in test and evaluation; project management; systems engineer- ing; and production quality and manufacturing.
Joseph C. “Joe” Perri
Perri serves in the key leader posi- tion for test/lead developmental
tester responsible for detailed planning, preparation, integra- tion, execution and reporting of developmental, operational and live fire testing. He is also responsible for system assessment of reliability, availability, maintainability and testability, and for quality assurance and quality engineering of hardware and soft- ware. He and his team help stakeholders evaluate the system; currently, they work primarily with the OSD and Army test communities.
He credits the careful planning and review of the test and evalu- ation master plan, in collaboration with OSD test officials, as a strong predictor that there will be no issues or surprises as to how tests are conducted. “Early one-on-one, face-to-face reviews and working-level meetings with test officials in OSD have built trusting relationships,” Perri said. “In an environment of the internet and email, good old-fashioned meetings still add an important element to the process.”
Perri said he learned from one of his first bosses that there is no compromising integrity—nor, he adds, the needs of the Soldiers.
“I also learned that relationships with the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Army Test and Evaluation Command, test cen- ters and contractors are not built by sitting at your desk,” he said. “Tere is no substitute for personal engagement.”
His advice to others is to learn as much as you can from the programmatic side (how the acquisition process works, how the funding works, how programs get approved and go forward), and become an expert in your area of interest. “You need to know how the Army acquisition cycle works, and you need to be respected in your technical area of interest,” he said. “Your knowledge of both will help you build trust.”
Deputy Product Manager for Integration Ed Lewis keeps his focus on program management. He has 29 years in the workforce, is Level III certified in both man- agement
and engineering, and
holds a master’s in management science and a bachelor’s in indus- trial engineering, both from Ohio State University. A member of the program’s initial team, he is very proud of the synergy within the program office and with stake- holders, as well as how far the program has come.
Ed Lewis
Lewis and his team are responsible for design, integration and test of the Mission Command variant of the AMPV; the execution of the acquisition strategy to accelerate AMPV fielding to support the European Reassurance Initiative, in which DOD seeks to reassure our NATO allies and bolster the security and capac- ity of our partners; the supply chain management of the AMPV prototype build and negotiating the low-rate initial production option; and any future AMPV initiatives. In his involvement with stakeholders, Lewis said his communications are open and transparent to gain an understanding of everyone’s interests.
Lewis said that, from his standpoint, three major factors contrib- ute to the success of the AMPV program through stakeholder involvement.
Te first is user and materiel developer coordination in develop- ing the CDD and associated performance specification (PSpec).
ASC.ARMY.MIL 145
COMMENTARY
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