Session advances Tinker efforts to realign supply processes

  • Published
  • By Amy T. Clement
  • Defense Supply Center Richmond Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. (AFPN) --  In preparation for the transition of part of the 776th Maintenance Support Squadron here to the Defense Logistics Agency in February 2008, Air Force and DLA officials conducted a kickoff session here in mid-September.

The support squadron, part of Tinker's 76th Maintenance Wing, is one of the largest customers of the Defense Supply Center Richmond, or DSCR.

This changeover is part of the implementation of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission decision that calls for the Department of Defense to realign its supply, storage and distribution processes at depot level maintenance facilities.

With the transition, 365 of the 555 civilian positions at the squadron will transfer in place to DLA. All positions will remain at the current location, but will be managed by DSCR, DLA's aviation demand and supply chain manager.

One of the purposes of the kickoff meeting was to form seven implementation planning teams, or IPTs. The IPTs include those in human performance, including human resources, training and organizational alignment; financial management; information technology; facilities and equipment, including environmental, occupational health, accountable property and security; metrics; change management; and supply, storage and distribution workload transfer.

"The human performance IPT is concerned with all the personnel actions necessary for the transfer," said Amy Gonzalez, change management lead for DSCR. "The financial management IPT works payroll actions to make sure that folks continue to get paid and their allotments transfer smoothly. There is work done by the (information technology) IPT to track all the information technology systems and equipment needed by the people transferring and to ensure that it continues to operate as they need. The facilities folks are looking at all the real estate that comes over: the accountable property, desks, chairs, forklifts, trucks, etc."

The security part of the facilities IPT ensures that the security clearances of personnel are transferred over, said Ms. Gonzalez.

"They do all the little details necessary to pick up a large organization and keep it rolling without interruption, even though that organization changes parents from the Air Force to DLA," she said.

The change management IPT works with leaders and supervisors, addressing the people side of the change.

"By supporting and assisting in communications, they help folks get the information they want and need to reassure them that this transition is necessary and that it can be a positive experience," Ms. Gonzalez said.

The metrics IPT focused on reviewing and discussing baseline metrics while the supply, storage and distribution workload transfer IPT was focused on agreements necessary for implementation.

At the conclusion of the kick-off session, charters for the IPTs were established, and nrules of engagement and roles and responsibilities were set for all participants in the transition.

"We determined who's doing what on each side, and also fleshed out the plan of action and milestones for each IPT," Ms. Gonzalez said. "They're rolled into one big document to provide a tool for managing and monitoring all the tasks that are necessary to get to day one."

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