Photo By Senior Airman Trevor Bell | Staff Sgt. Darnell McDowell, 99th Logistics Readiness Squadron, F-35 Aircraft Parts...... read more read more
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ARLINGTON, Va., April 12, 2022 – The F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) has taken another step toward improving the efficiency and effectiveness of its logistics information system through the fielding of hundreds of wireless, electronic barcode scanners at the program’s globally distributed warehouses.
The scanners will enhance the speed and accuracy of managing inventory at the warehouses, reducing the time to complete administrative tasks and records by as much as 50%, according to the F-35 Maintenance Systems Data Team.
“Considering the thousands of parts that are delivered and consumed across the F-35 fleet annually, this improvement will introduce efficiencies that JPO expects will generate savings across the program’s operating life,” said F-35 Maintenance Systems Program Management Office Program Manager, Air Force Col. Dan Smith.
“By reducing administrative workload and eliminating a source of data error, fielding these scanners into the fleet will avoid delays in providing necessary parts to the aircraft maintainers, and it will avoid the cost and delays of correcting improperly entered data.”
Smith added that the benefits of fielding these scanners will contribute to the JPO’s initiatives to reduce operating costs. But, just as importantly, their use improves the user experience – eliminating manual data entry, speeding up the process of receiving parts, and making those parts available for use more quickly.
In early March, the program began fielding 342 barcode scanners – devices similar to scanners used in commercial factories and warehouses – with initial shipments of 33 devices to Luke Air Force Base, Arizona; and Hill Air Force Base, Utah. The remaining 309 devices will be distributed to warehouses supporting the U.S. services and partner nation fleets, as well as to three of the program’s six foreign military sales customers.
The devices, delivered by Lockheed Martin, add a new and adaptable capability to the global F-35 enterprise. The scanners bring efficiency to shipping and delivery processes by making use of standard parts markings for spare components and assemblies.
The benefits of the scanner’s automation include reducing the time to process and receive new items; eliminating data transcription errors; and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of warehouse personnel, while reducing extra touch labor, technology frustrations and data misalignment associated with manual entry.
“These devices are small but mighty – barcode scanners are key to long-term efficiency improvements underway across the entire F-35 enterprise,” said F-35 Program Executive Officer, Air Force Lt. Gen. Eric Fick.
“Here at the JPO, our mandate is to deliver a capable, affordable, and available fifth generation aircraft to the warfighter,” Fick continued. “No solution is too large…or too small. With these devices, our teams have reduced the time it takes logisticians to log parts on receipt, and eliminated the data entry errors inherent in manual processes. Multiple initiatives like these all add up to help us meet program performance objectives.”
Last summer, the JPO and Lockheed Martin worked with the United States Air Force to conduct a demonstration of the scanners at one warehouse on Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. The demonstration was a huge success and the results were very impressive, according to Air Force Master Sergeant Mintesnot G. Woldetsadik, who works as section chief in charge of the F-35 Aircraft Parts Store on base.
“Manually entering receipts is neither as fast nor as accurate as using a scanner,” writes Woldetsadik, whose team used the barcode scanner to process a total of 47 line items that encompassed 94 assets.
While processing those line items, Woldetsadik noted that it took a process time of 23 minutes to complete all steps to make a new part available under the old manual methods, versus just 11 minutes per item by utilizing the new device.
“(The scanner) is a great device that is perfect for reducing man-hours,” he added.
The Data Team expects to complete shipment of the barcode scanners by late May of 2022.
| Date Taken: | 04.12.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 04.12.2022 13:05 |
| Story ID: | 418342 |
| Location: | ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 556 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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