Supply chain command and control - Supply Support: Air Force Spares Campaign

Air Force Journal of Logistics, Fall, 2002 by Debbie Alexander, John Gunselman, Jody Cox, Jonathan Mathews, Gregory Grehawick, Jondavid DuVall, Christopher Brockway, Joseph Codispoti, Charles Masters

Over the years, the critical need for improving the supply chain command and control (SC C2) process for weapon system spares supportability has become more and more apparent. While many improvements have occurred as a result of lessons learned in the Gulf War, Somalia, Kosovo, and other contingencies, no one has used an integrated approach that specifically linked all elements of the spares supply chain. The Air Force Spares Campaign identified three initiatives aimed at providing that linkage to form the SC C2 process for spares. This article addresses the three SC C2 initiatives:

* Establish a virtual inventory control point (VICP)

* Align supply chain management focus

* Standardize use of and expand role of the regional supply squadrons (RSS)

Supply chain C2 is important to the spares world. It is achieved when a designated authority is provided the resources, responsibility, and accountability to manage and direct all spares supply chain activity required to achieve assigned weapon systems availability (WSA) goals. No single organization controls the process from the base level through the transportation system to the air logistics centers (ALC), and this effort does not establish one. It attempts to more closely tie together the efforts of all these elements so spares support to the warfighter can be improved. Several new enablers will help make this happen.

First is development of a new supply chain common operating picture (SC COP) tool to provide everyone the same picture of worldwide requirements and the asset posture available to meet those requirements. Second is establishment of VICP to provide better buy-and-repair budget guidance and execution tracking by weapon system. Third, the Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) is establishing a new weapon system supply chain manager (WS SCM), for most weapon systems, with responsibility for orchestrating the efforts of all members of the supply chain to meet WSA targets from a spares perspective. Fourth, six new regional supply squadrons will be established to provide standard supply support for operational units across the Air Force. Fifth is designation of five lead command regional supply squadrons (LCRSS) to serve as a single voice for operational units on distribution of selected critical spares. Finally, new operating rules, roles, and responsibilities have been established for each of these key players to help make the supply chain run more smoothly.

Figure 1 is a graphical representation of the SC C2 framework. The new elements described have established a new structure or framework for a formal spares SC C2 process. Phase I of the process began 1 October 2002 with the issuance of weapon system-specific buy lists for the F-15, F-16, and KC-135 and establishment of the LCRSS for the F-15 and F-16 at the Air Combat Command (ACC) RSS and the LCRSS for the KC-135 at the Air Mobility Command (AMC) RSS. Further, incremental capabilities, including standup of the WS SCMs and fielding of several VICP tools, will occur over the next several months with all elements expected to be in place by April 2003. Current plans call for a phased introduction of additional weapon systems starting in October 2003, with integration of most weapon systems by July 2004. The overall success of this process will be determined by the collective efforts of everyone, using the new tools and exercising their respective new rules and responsibilities.

Virtual Inventory Control Point

VICP is a combination of centralized processes, systems, and business rules that focus on achieving optimum weapon systems availability through spares support based on available funding. VICP is not an organizational structure; associated processes, systems, and business rules will continue to be managed by the AFMC Logistics Directorate. What has changed, however, is that VICP will focus these efforts on:

* Projecting unconstrained and constrained spare parts requirements for the program objective memorandum (POM) and budget inputs,

* Allocating and reallocating buy-and-repair cost authority to achieve desired availability targets for specific weapon systems,

* Tracking the execution of cost authority to the plan and maintaining the effects on weapon systems availability, and

* Providing a data environment that facilitates distribution and redistribution decisions.

VICP is designed to correct gaps in the processes used to improve weapon systems availability. In today's environment, focus is on the weapon system only when determining an unconstrained buy requirement to achieve aircraft availability targets. The process begins to deteriorate during execution if the cost authority for buy-and-repair actions does not meet the unconstrained requirement level. The Air Force does not have a method to allocate constrained cost authority across weapon systems and identify the reduction in availability that will occur because of the reduced funding. Finally, there is no feedback loop to measure how cost authority was actually executed by weapon system and the resulting decline in availability that could be expected. As a result, it is extremely difficult for leaders to make decisions on where to focus logistics support resources.