ASCI ACT Chapter President and ASCI ILS College Secretary, Gary Pearce, discusses integrated logistics support in this second instalment of a multi-part series.
In April’s issue of MHD I introduced the concept of ILS and the ILS Elements. The Support Elements (ILS Elements), as the name implies, are a combination of the physical and functional elements that are required for the provision of support to materiel. In essence, they do not form ‘part’ of ILS; instead, they are the elements that ILS needs to address to ensure effective support is provided. In the April issue an example was offered for the ILS Elements considerations for support of your own vehicle, the literal ILS Elements are broadly outlined as follows:
1. Engineering Support (also referred to as Design Interfaces)
ILS activities encompass all of the considerations necessary to ensure that the required Engineering Support capability is implemented, maintained, and modified when required. These activities are undertaken to ensure that suitable engineering and design management services can be provided, as and when required, throughout the life of the Materiel System. The ILS discipline may utilise certain engineering services (e.g., maintenance requirements determination) to implement or change the Support System; however, ILS does not include the provision of day-to-day engineering services.
2. Maintenance Support (also referred to as Maintenance Planning)
ILS activities encompass all of the considerations necessary to ensure that the required Maintenance Support capability is implemented, maintained, and modified when required. These activities are undertaken to ensure that suitable maintenance services are able to be provided, as and when required, throughout the life of the Materiel System. The ILS discipline may utilise certain maintenance services (e.g. to incorporate modifications to equipment) to implement or change the Support System; however, ILS does not include the provision of day-to-day maintenance services.
3. Supply Support
ILS activities encompass all the considerations necessary to ensure that the required Supply Support capability is implemented, maintained, and modified when required. These activities are undertaken to ensure that suitable supply services can be provided (e.g. warehousing services), as and when required, throughout the life of the Materiel System. The ILS discipline may utilise certain supply services (e.g. for the delivery of Support Resources) to implement or change the Support System; however, ILS does not include the provision of day-to-day supply services.
4. Training Support
ILS activities encompass all of the considerations necessary to ensure that the required Training Support capability is implemented, maintained, and modified when required. These activities are undertaken to ensure that suitable training services can be provided, as and when required, throughout the life of the Materiel System. The ILS discipline may utilise certain training services (e.g. for the delivery of initial and/or conversion training) to implement or change the Support System; however, ILS does not include the provision of day-to-day training services.
5. Packaging, Handling, Storage and Transportation (PHS&T)
ILS activities encompass all considerations necessary to enable PHS&T resources and services to be provided so that a new or modified Materiel System is able to be operated and supported throughout its life. PHS&T services are managed and delivered through the Supply Support capability.
6. Facilities
ILS activities encompass all of the considerations necessary to ensure that the facilities needed for the operation, support, and disposal of the Mission System and Support System Components, are provided throughout the life of the Materiel System.
7. Support and Test Equipment (S&TE) (also referred to as Support Equipment)
ILS activities encompass all of the considerations necessary to ensure that the S&TE needed for the operation, support, and disposal of the Mission System and Support System components is provided, as and when required, throughout the life of the Materiel System.
8. Personnel (also referred as Manpower)
ILS activities encompass all of the considerations necessary to ensure that defence and/or contractor personnel are available, when, where and with the skills needed, to operate, maintain, train, store, handle, control, supply, project manage and dispose of the Mission System and Support System components throughout the life of the Materiel System.
Technical Data (also referred to as Technical Publications/Documentation)
ILS activities encompass all of the considerations necessary to ensure that the appropriate data and information is competently managed and available, when, where and in the form required, for the operation, support, and disposal of the Mission System and Support System Components throughout the life of the Materiel System.
Computer Support (also referred to as Software Support)
ILS activities encompass all of the considerations necessary to ensure that the required Computer Support (Software Support) capability is implemented, maintained and modified when required. These activities are undertaken to ensure that suitable Software Support services, for embedded Mission System and Support System software and firmware, are able to be provided, as and when required, throughout the life of the Materiel System. Software Support services are managed and delivered through the Engineering Support capability. It also includes Logistic Information Management Systems (LIMS).
ILS includes many activities to ensure that Supportability objectives are achieved, while minimising LCC and complying with other constraints. The range of ILS activities to achieve these objectives includes management, analysis, and assessment activities to define, plan, implement, verify, validate, manage, maintain, change and dispose of the Support Resources that are categorised under the various Support Elements. The interaction between the ILS discipline, related disciplines, and the Support Elements as illustrated above. The inner circle of the above depicts ILS Management activities as a central function of planning and coordination across the range of interfaces and activities identified within the larger circle, including Supportability Analysis and Supportability Assessment activities. This inner circle represents Through-Life Support (TLS) disciplines, which is a whole-of-life management methodology that takes an integrated approach to all aspects of supportability and readiness of a materiel capability or system. TLS disciplines will be the focus of a future article.
In addition, ILS interfaces with, but not limited to:
Project Management
Procurement Management
Risk Management
Inventory Management
Supply Chain Management
Safety and Hazard Analysis
Human Factors Analysis
Trials and Acceptance
Configuration Management
Quality
Environmental Requirements
Design Reviews
Contract Management
In summary, ILS Management is the process of planning, directing, controlling, coordinating, monitoring. ILS activities, include consideration connected with the ILS/Support Elements, to maintain ILS integration objectives. ILS activities, including considerations associated with ILS/Support Elements, ensure ILS integration objectives are achieved.
In the next issue there will be a continuation of the ILS theme, including the changing of the guard, and how currently throughout the world – in particular Europe and the USA – IPS is replacing ILS, through the S-Series Specification process. What is IPS? Find out in the next issue (June).
If you require further information in relation to ILS/IPS go to website address www.asci.org.au in Professional Development Colleges. The Professional Development College for ILS/IPS will:
Promote the functions and benefits of a structured Integrated Logistics Support program to Australian Defence and Industry
Support members with ongoing learning, professionalisation and development to enhance their ILS skills and knowledge
Advocate for the recognition of the skills and expertise of our members and Integrated Logistics Support disciplines
Gary Pearce, ASCI ILS College Secretary and ASCI ACT Chapter President.
For more information on the Australasian Supply Chain Institute, click here.