The V-22 program: paving the way for Navy obsolescence management and mitigation.

The V-22 Obsolescence Management Team officially stood up in June 2004. The OMT's mission is to proactively manage and mitigate obsolescence problems in the V-22 weapon systems with the goal of increasing operational capabilities, reducing total ownership cost, and reducing the effects of diminishing manufacturing sources and materiel shortages (DMSMS) from conceptual design through retirement, in accordance with the following policies and guidance: DoD 4140. 1-R, SECNAV Instruction 5000.2C; ASN(RD & A) Memo Jan. 27, 2005; and DASN(L) Memo May 10, 2004.

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To satisfy the mission, the objective is to develop and standardize an approach to assess the short- and long-term impacts of potential obsolescence. The approach will leverage from known system configuration and component availability information and will integrate additional programmatic information such as system reliability, supply support requirements, program-level block changes, and technology roadmaps. The OMT strives to assist the V-22 program office's (PMA-275) integrated product teams (IPTs) in reducing total ownership cost as a result of obsolescence issues by influencing pending aircraft design changes and maintenance concepts, and improving integrated logistics support products, based on current mission requirements and future mission needs.

Explaining Diminishing Manufacturing Sources and Materiel Shortages

DMSMS concerns the loss or impending loss of manufacturers or suppliers of critical items and raw materials resulting from discontinuance of production. DMSMS can be caused by rapid changes in item or material technology, uneconomical production requirements, foreign-source competition, federal environment or safety requirements, and limited ability or increasing cost of items and raw materials.

The DoD accounts for less than 1 percent of the market share for integrated circuits, discrete, passive, and active devices used on legacy and new development systems. It is simply not cost effective for market suppliers to continue to produce those certain products needed to maintain the needs of the warfighters.

Anatomy of the Team

The V-22 OMT will collaborate with DoD entities such as Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR); Naval Inventory Control Point; Defense Logistics Agency; Defense Supply Center Columbus; Aging Aircraft IPT; Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) Aging Aircraft System Program Office; the DMSMS Working Group and Government Industry Data Exchange Program (GIDEP); the Navy DMS Working Group; and the AFMC DMS program. There will be continuous communication among DoD, the Department of the Navy, the Air Force, Bell-Boeing, and the V-22 program office to take advantage of the synergy from all sources.

Obsolescence Management Process Flow

The V-22 program office's OMT is guided by an obsolescence management plan that establishes a proactive process for predicting, identifying, and controlling obsolescence impacts that affect the program from conceptual design through retirement. Processes defined within the plan provide the V-22 program with a notice of obsolescence, the degree of impact of obsolescence, recommendations for mitigation, and an assessment of how soon the problem will impact the aircraft availability. Those impacts are provided, in accordance with the V-22 change management process, as information to the IPTs charged with implementing a solution. All obsolescence notices are entered into a V-22 obsolescence verification and analysis system by means of case sheets. This allows tracking and status updates to be maintained and distributed. Case sheets are closed based on the resolution developed and approval by the appropriate IPTs. The information is then provided back to the maintenance plan to ensure currency of the data.

The first step in the V-22 obsolescence process is to assess and continuously monitor availability of the components used in the equipment for potential obsolescence risk. This is necessary so the program can identify areas where it is vulnerable to potential obsolescence problems and plan for risk mitigation. In addition to continuous monitoring and contractor input, the V-22 OMT uses discontinuance notices delivered through GIDEP and the shared data warehouse or other available sources to provide an easy-to-use interface for part number inquiry listings. These processes enable the V-22 program to take a focused, total-look approach.

Once a component has been identified as obsolete, an obsolescence risk assessment is performed. This verifies the current availability of a part, forecasts its future availability, identifies its sourcing depth, and identifies possible solution options if it is already obsolete. Once the initial assessment is complete, the team conveys the results to the appropriate points of contact for those systems, enabling them to take action. The parts are then monitored for availability status changes, and timely notifications are sent to the appropriate points of contact as changes are identified.

An obsolescence verification and analysis case sheet is assigned and completed on each unique part in order to verify current availability, forecast future availability, indicate sourcing depth, and identify possible solution options for those parts already obsolete. The case sheet provides the basis for insight on the obsolescence impact at the next higher assembly or system level. The assessment results are intended as an aid to decision makers managing V-22 systems to help them improve afford-ability by minimizing costly redesigns. Information from the development, production, and/or sustainment IPTs on the solution development and the approved implementation plan/funding is required for closure of the initial obsolescence notice entered into the reporting system.

Finally, after an obsolescence impact has been resolved, its solution is fed back into the process. It is important to maintain visibility of implemented solutions to ensure system changes are also managed for obsolescence. Resolution feedback will indicate when new parts are introduced into a system to replace or redesign obsolete parts, allowing the parts to be obtained and assessed for obsolescence and then monitored. Resolution feedback can provide insight into when a system or component may no longer require monitoring (for example, if a system is replaced through attrition and will not be maintained by the government).

Monitoring Tools

The OMT employs a variety of obsolescence monitoring/prediction tools. No one tool can perform all of the necessary functions required to properly monitor each component. Each tool serves as a check and balance system to the others and provides notices, health analysis, prediction, and projection of component life span. The OMT uses, in combination, AVCOM (Advanced Component Obsolescence Management); Total Parts Plus; QSTAR (Qinetic's Sustainment Technology Assessment Resource); TACTRAC (Transition Analysis of Component Tracking); and OMIS (Obsolescence Management Information System). In the near future, the OMT will also have access to MOCA (Mitigation of Obsolescence Cost Analysis), provided by the University of Maryland.

Results to Date

To date, the OMT has worked on over 400 obsolescence case sheets, resulting in the resolution and/or closure of over half in the past year. The OMT monitors over 50,000 components for the V-22. From fiscal year 1998 through fiscal 2004, the estimated cost avoidance for obsolescence management totaled over $39 million. Through the OMT's continuous efforts to streamline processes and become more efficient, the team has achieved an estimated cost avoidance of over $27 million for fiscal 2005 alone.

The author welcomes comments and questions. She can be contacted at [e-mail].

Aley graduated from the Naval Acquisition Logistics Intern Program in 2005 and was hired as a full-time member of PMA-275's Obsolescence Management Team. She earned a bachelor's degree from Coastal Carolina University and is working toward a master's degree from Florida Tech.