Air Force officials trim oscilloscope inventory

  • Published
  • By Holly J. Logan
  • Warner Robins Air Logistics Center Public Affairs
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (AFPN) --  Air Force officials are taking a new approach to how they do business for warfighter support. During the next three years, they will reduce the number of oscilloscopes -- a diagnostic tool to test avionics hardware -- from 190 models to three.

It is a change that will save money and material-management resources.

Joseph Howard is the deputy director of the Support Equipment Commodity Council here, a body that governs the purchase of the support equipment. He said the reduction decision shifted the focus of support from products to capabilities.

“Instead of looking at buying individual products, we began looking at what these 190 different products actually measure,” he said. “We took a look at the measurements these oscilloscopes made, and we said it looks like they fit into three categories. So, instead of using 190 different oscilloscopes, let’s focus on the measurement capability instead of the products and narrow our use down to three.”

Currently, the Air Force has about 20,000 oscilloscopes in its inventory. Officials expect to add 600 within the next three years to be used as replacements as current items become obsolete, Mr. Howard said.

Rita Blair, director of the council, said the new approach will serve the warfighter with fewer national stock numbers in the Air Force’s inventory system.

“If we reduce from 190 to three, we’ll be buying a larger quantity of the three because we’re not having to buy so many varieties that have virtually the same functionality,” she said.