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Current Projects

PRODUCTION PROCESS OPTIMIZATION

The basis of the proposal is to develop and demonstrate integrated best production practices for surge support. The project start with a baseline assessment; both a production line and individual product focus. The group would project the initial project cost and then identify other elements that should be integrated, which would be presented as task proposals. Research be conducted select equipment manufacturers (any/all product lines, not just tent manufacturers); site visits would be conducted and the team would brainstorm about what has been seen and what could be applied to the tent manufacturing industry. On a typical site visit, the team would document the current state, project minimums and maximums for the future state and investigate product flexibility. The potential for improvement would be identified and discussed with the manufacturer, and then it would be up to the manufacturer to prioritize the improvements.

The group will also identify what could be done from an equipment standpoint; if it is not readily available, then they would explore options to fund the development of the technology/processes, to include modifying existing equipment and developing brand new equipment. The team will lay out a list of what needs to be improved, and then determine how to leverage the funding for the modified or new equipment. With the manufacturers being the decision making body, they would maintain an ongoing business case, develop metrics, and document successes and failure. Product movement waste may be the biggest area where direct labor is wasted – this increases as the product increases in size. For apparel, 80% of labor is a waste, only 20% adds value; for tents 95% of the direct labor is wasted due to the heavy items that need to be moved. The manufacturers be the ultimate decision making body of the proposal while determining ways to optimize and accelerate results by fully involving all
manufacturers. The deliverable to DLA will be the identification of product lines, equipment, and management methods that have been demonstrated by the industry to be used as a model moving forward.

contact: Mr. Kernodle at:
kernodl@clemson.edu

BUFFER STOCK DECISION TOOL

This project will be to determine where to put component inventory in the supply chain since the supply chain is not linear.

A Conceptual TentNet Model was developed to determine where to put buffer stock in the supply chain; in order to define the buffers that are needed, the constraints must be identified (labor, acquisition lead time, production lead time). Based on constraints, the model will look at the key value streams and which value stream is causing the constraint. It is important to identify the critical path and understand the variation in processes –if the constraint is the shop-floor, don’t look at the big picture, look at the specific process. Identify the leverage point (bottleneck) and the root causes, then design an efficient and reliable system. To identify DLA’s concern, the system will be simulated to understand system sensitivity. Acceptable risk is defined – 10 days late or 100 days late – DLA and the manufacturers must come together to determine what the acceptable risk is. Finally the buffer stock strategy will be defined.

The model can be divided into three major components - supply chain analysis, supply chain design and buffer stock strategy. To determine the constraints in the supply chain, the model will look at the seven critical enterprise processes, evaluating each area in terms of quality and on-time delivery, also considering if the constraints shift at different levels of surge:

1. Customer service/sales
2. Purchasing,
3. Production planning and control
4. Manufacturing engineering department
5. Shop floor and quality control
6. Receiving/warehouse
7. Shipping/warehouse

There are three main goals – to reduce lead time, reduce variation, and employing change by working through people. The simulation portion of the buffer stock decision tool will take place with two industry partners, Camel and Bondcote. Discussion to follow this presentation indicated that this STP will definitely be helpful to the TentNet partners in determining buffer
stock .

contact:: Dr. Rupy Sawhney, University of Tennessee

DODEMALL Tentnet Speciality Store:

The R&D program will develop a program interface with current the DoD EMALL program to allow The transition of DSCP'sWarfighter Basecamp Website . The project objective is to improve MIL-SPEC market share by moving basecamp functionality to DoD EMALL. South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA) was hired to ensure that EMALL is user friendly, information-rich, and maintainable as well as allow the customer to be able to order MILSPEC tents, see the status of their order and provide value added capability and use of graphics. They are developing a “Content Manager” for tent and shelter information, which will provide information such as pictures and technical manuals.

Enhancements to be included will allow for customers to compare and research shelters as turn key systems including COTS and Mil-Spec solution sets. This will allow for enhanced data capabilities for all Basecamp shelter related ancillary equipment. Customers will be able to model and basecamps of shelters, lighting, flooring, HVAC, power generation... save to a shopping basket and one click to order their system. The Emall system will place the orders to the various managers of the items. We will also feature complete systems of JOCOTAS Service Standard Shelters along with other Standard ancillary support equipment approved and tested by the Service Program Managers.

Tentnet Partner AC Inc. has updated the content of 12 shelter systems from Warfighetr and provided the data to SCRA. The balance of the Mil-Spec shelters are work in progress. AC Inc. will coordinate updated shelter performance data with the service program managers. The subject matter experts at DSCP will be the people who manage the content – the information that goes online, what is current and what is not. The ordering process for shelters will be managed through DSCP and will be reflective of the government’s cash flow resources.

The Project Manager is Jim Vitrano, DSCP

Past Projects

University of Tennessee STP supply chain audit.

The STP focuses on completing a production lead time.

The project recommendations are to:

1. conduct a lean analysis of acquisition lead time to reduce the time from “need to PO” by at least 50 percent

2. prioritize the Johnson Outdoors Standardization STP in order of return on investment, with the highest return concepts implemented,

3. add buffer stocks for key components in specific places in the supply chain,

4. conduct a return on investment analysis for subsidized training of a temporary workforce,

5. conduct a lean analysis of tent manufacturer facilities that will reduce non-value added waste by 30 percent (with co-investment by the tent manufacturers),

6. evaluate assisting tent manufacturers purchase certain capital assets such as frame fabrication and welding equipment in a fair and balanced manner across the manufacturers,

7. complete work needed to obtain approval for an on-going program of minimum sustaining rates, and

8. implement a production and inventory planning system within tent manufacturer operations, with co-investment by the tent manufacturers.

The team developed a sample banking strategy for the coated fabric supply chain. As part of the analysis, they found the largest risk in this supply chain is that there is only one producer of yarn for this application. The team recommends the DLA conduct a study to determine what it would take to establish another domestic manufacturer of yarn to reduce the risk. The team also conducted a component supplier lead time analysis to identify how the degree of a surge impacts lead time, where in the supply chain buffer stocks should be used and how much of an investment is needed. Lead time for a 50 percent surge is 12-15 weeks for the first shipment of fabric to the manufacturers, and grows proportionately with the surge percent increase. The team recommended the 3-4 weeks for weather testing of each lot be examined for potential elimination or adjustment. The examination would need to identify any cost savings for eliminating the testing requirement in addition to lead time reduction. Jim Vitrano, DLA, is working with USIFI to move away from lot by lot testing to frequency testing to address the testing issue. The team identified uncoated fabric as the best location in the supply chain to reduce lead time. and recommended developing a 30-day inventory bank for 100 percent surge conditions. However, when the bank is used, a 18-19 week lead time will still exist before the supply chain can ramp up to the new production levels. Uncoated fabric again was found to be the best location to create the additional bank. The costs in the presentation do not include warehouse costs, just inventory cost. The participants felt most fabric manufactures have the space to store the bank. Terri Scheetz, DLA, noted a banking analysis was conducted for the clothing and textile industry that provided recommendations to reduce acquisition lead time by 30 percent. The industry is making a concerted effort to implement the suggestions and meet the reduced lead time goal. While a buffer bank is a successful, it is a quick solution to lead time and should always be viewed as the last solution to reduce lead time. For example, are there alternate fibers or yarns that meet the MIL SPECS that can be used? Participants noted other suppliers are capable of making the fabric but choose not to. A waiver from the Berry Amendment is not a viable alternative. The temporary workforce is feasible to meet surge requirements. However, it takes a significant lead time to put in place the workforce, including finding available labor.

STANDARDIZED Component Assemblies

The objective of the proposed program is to identify, evaluate, and recommend component assemblies standardizations for the DSCP and COTS shelters for improved supply chain performance. They have found the MIL SPEC drawing package details are not documented and are being lost. The team feels the best way to create them is to reverse engineer. The team has been working on standard subassembly conceptual designs for wrappers, windows, ECU feed threws and vents. The analogy was made that each Service could have separate shirt pocket size requirements that differ only 1/8 of an inch from each other. This requires different templates and greater costs and assembly. By comparing the designs and requirements, the Services developed one standard shirt design that meets all of their needs. The same should be done for MIL SPEC tents. By moving from detail spec to performance spec should help resolve some of these discrepancies, leading to more standardization.

Proposed Next Steps

The proposed next steps for the Johnson Outdoors STP on Standardized Component Assemblies.

The STP report, which sought to establish the feasibility of standard component assemblies, is finalized; contact Leo Plonsky for a copy.

In order for the government and industry to move forward, the next steps should be to:

(1) Conduct a seam sealing evaluation. Tent specifications are moving toward performance based documents that do not reference complete fabric requirements.

Johnson conducted a seam sealing test using three different fabrics to evaluate the reliability of bonds between different materials from different manufacturers. The tests were conducted on Johnson equipment; the results showed different materials can be sealed to each other. Though more study needs to be done,including a round-robin test across manufactures equipment and input from fabric manufactures – it is encouraging that it could work.

(2) Conduct a first article test. Identify what the first article test should be, and how to handle demonstration of performance specifications compliance. The first article test could include two or more MGPTS, TEMPER, Modular Command Post and possibly others need to produce for evaluation. Al Bergman will assemble a small group to continue discussion on specifications to develop a STP on a business model for standardized component assemblies and conducting a pilot standardization project. The STP should include coordination with JOCOTAS.

(3) Conduct an end user evaluation to determine what the end users are desiring for final products.

(4) Make a Go/no go decision. The answer to move forward with the next phase of the standardization process would come from the results of the user evaluation and the first article test results to determine the value of standardized components assembly concepts.

(5) Assemble correct design documentation. Design documentation is in complete disarray, with some components blueprints missing. Documentation and design drawings must be consistent among all manufacturers and for all components.

JOCOTAS will need to provide support for this. JOCOTAS should maintain ownership of the drawings.

(6) Develop a business implementation model. A business implementation model will be developed utilizing the results of the study. It was determined in discussion that someone outside of the manufacturing industry should coordinate this effort to provide more objectivity.