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Sailing Directions
Team Ships Total Platform Ownership Principals and Practices


1. As we work diligently together as Team Ships to assure that the nation’s needs for effective and affordable surface ships and craft will be satisfied, both today and tomorrow, we want to share our perspective and expectations that will further enhance our functioning as a true team.

2. Together we are responsible for surface ships and craft from “cradle to grave,” from concept to disposal. Therefore, in all of our efforts and in all of our work, we want to reinforce our continuing efforts to take a “lifecycle” perspective for the ships and craft we acquire and support.

3. We expect all Team Ships Program Managers and their staffs to engage with one another to ensure that lifecycle planning occurs from the earliest point in the acquisition process and that there is a consistent and comprehensive process for the transition of ships from new construction to in-service.

4. In furtherance of that mission, all of our decisions must continue to take into consideration the effects on our ability to support the ships and craft and the Total Ownership Cost (TOC) throughout their entire life. We recognize and acknowledge that for many years we have been implementing numerous TOC initiatives effectively at the individual program level. We are now elevating our approach to TOC across the Team Ships Enterprise.

5. Starting today, as Team Ships, we will be working to enhance and strengthen the necessary relationships across programs and appropriately standardize the processes/procedures that will be required to make this happen. We will also be creating the right venues to share and resolve issues from all phases of the acquisition process that affect our ability to maintain and support ships throughout their lifecycle, assure their operational readiness and that affect lifecycle costs. This will require even greater involvement, collaboration and teamwork by all key stakeholders in all phases of the entire lifespan.

6. Taking an aggressive approach to managing and reducing Total Platform Ownership Costs is a key tenet of our contribution to the success of the US Navy and Marine Corps. It must be our focus every day in every stage of every ship and craft program. There are no silver bullets; we need to maintain a ruthless focus on driving down costs a dollar at a time. We can make a difference here because we are-Team Ships!  Total Platform Ownership Principles and Practices will serve as a compass in realizing the full potential of Team Ships. 

Total Platform Ownership Principles and Practices

 We hold the following Total Platform Ownership Principles as necessary for success:

1. We are committed to driving down the total cost of the surface Navy.

2. We are responsible and accountable for the total ship and all its capabilities.

3. We manage the portfolio of ship classes as a business unit access programs.

4. We lean forward-we innovate for affordability, sustainability, and capability.

5. We aim to get even better, no matter how good we are today.

We commit to collaboration and teamwork on Total Platform Ownership Practices:

1. We maintain a robust workforce pipeline access acquisition and in-service organizations, with boundary-spanning rotational assignments, transfers and promotions to ensure robust understanding of the platform lifecycle.

2. We assure high quality products, with a focus on speed to delivery and speed to mission-ready.

3. We include representation from both acquisition and in-service programs (PEO Ships and SEA 21) in every major decision board in Team Ships from the earliest point in the acquisition process, (e.g., change control boards, process teams, etc.).

4. We aggressively ensure that Fleet lessons learned are fed back into acquisition and modernization programs for consideration.

5. Our approaches and processes are appropriately standardized across programs, making use of best practices and commonality to improve effectiveness.