NORFOLK NAVAL SHIPYARD, Portsmouth, Va. –
Editor’s Note: Norfolk Naval Shipyard’s Strategic Framework is a tool to communicate the shipyard’s mission and vision statements, and shows how initiatives executed across the command tie together with why NNSY exists—to deliver warships. In order to bridge the gap between mission and vision, NNSY has identified four critical focus areas—our pillars. These pillars are the highest priority strategic focus areas we must urgently work to improve. They are Infrastructure; Dependable Mission Delivery; People Development; and Process Improvement and Innovation.
“The Department Head Group (DHG) and the Strategic Framework Working Group identified areas that needed focused attention and urgent action because they directly impact the shipyard’s ability to dependably deliver on its core mission,” said Engineering and Planning Manager (Code 200) and Dependable Mission Delivery Team Lead Mike Zydron. “Initially, we came up with the Mission Delivery Pillar, but words matter and we decided to take it one step farther by making it Dependable Mission Delivery. We always meet mission delivery without fault on quality and safety, but delivering the mission, particularly for Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) scheduled availabilities, on-time has become an area that we need to improve on: One Team, One Mission, on time every time.”
The Dependable Mission Delivery Pillar Team (MPT) charter states its mission is “Continuous evaluation of facts and performance data in order to focus on the three to five highest potential initiatives and associated action plans that will measurably increase Productive Capacity in alignment with the command’s overall Strategic Framework aimed at maximizing repair, modernization and inactivation of our Navy’s warships and training platforms.”
The primary goal of the MPT is to improve mission delivery through increasing the productive capacity (PC) to deliver ships at NNSY. PC is measured by the amount of personnel able to perform direct wrench turning work as budgeted. The MPT has used a systems-based strategy on its first pass to identify the following four MPT focus areas in order to measurably increase PC: reduce overhead, optimize direct support services, improve production efficiency, inventory and reassign other direct, non-core mission work.
“The goal is to focus fact-based analysis and action on these four focus areas in order to measurably increase the number of wrench-turning resource days we are delivering with budgeted allowances each day,” said Zydron.
In addition to Zydron, the MPT core members consist of Operations Officer Capt. Michael Oberdorf (Code 300), Deputy Operations Manager Wallace Martin (Code 301), Nuclear Production Manager Jim Crunden (Code 300N), Production Resources Officer Capt. Scott Tracey (Code 900), Production Resources Manager John Walker (Code 901), Business and Strategic Planning Officer Capt. Jim Kuhlmann (Code 1200), and Deputy Business and Strategic Planning Manager Maria Williams (Code 1201).
Additionally, the team has been further strengthened by the participation of NNSY’s lead for Naval Sustainment Systems-Shipyards/Integration of Performance to Plan and Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Public Shipyard Improvement Plan Amanda Gulledge, Lean Program Manager Mike Perkins, and Program Analyst and Process Improvement Master Black Belt Myron Wynn. Process Controls Division Analyst Josh Wannemacher and Organization and Employee Development Engineering Technician Virginia Eaton round out the MPT.
The MPT members are from a variety of departments across the shipyard, reinforcing the One Mission – One Team concept.
“The Dependable Mission Delivery pillar initiatives were established through the MPT’s diligence in assessing past and current trends to set progressive benchmarks to meet our overall goal,” said Wannemacher. “In the same respect, our overall success as a pillar team and at NNSY, will also be attributed to our sister pillars initiatives such as leadership concepts and practices, development of a proficient workforce, and continuously seeking out opportunities to gain a competitive advantage and best achieve NNSY’s mission.”