The US Navy’s Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS & IMF) is undertaking a pilot programme to improve the efficiency of the shipyard and ensure on-time delivery.
The six-week programme at the ball valve work centre is known as the Naval Sustainment System – Shipyards (NSS-S).
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The initiative is part of the command’s efforts to streamline its processes and improve internal coordination.
PSNS & IMF and Norfolk Naval Shipyard will work with Boston Consulting Group (BCG) to incorporate practices aimed at improving the naval maintenance process.
The initiative aims to deliver all the maintenance projects on-time or ahead of schedule.
Shipyard leaders and production workers are being assisted by BCG members in the command’s Inside Machine Shop.
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By GlobalDataThe partnership with the consulting firm seeks to transform the shop floor to maximise the time mechanics can work using tools and materials.
The shipyard-BCG team is working on repairing ball valves for use in submarines.
Shipyard product lines director Elaine Priest said: “We chose this area for several reasons. Most important, though, is that the work (the ball valve work centre) does is vital to on-time completion of submarine availabilities.”
Under the NSS-S programme, the shipyard has already established a production control centre (PCC) near the ball valve work centre.
To ensure smooth workflow, the PCC is designed to provide visibility of support systems, such as materials, engineering, and transportation.
PSNS & IMF expects to set up PCCs in other shipyard locations once the pilot programme in the ball valve work centre is completed.
The team is also focusing on safety improvements, ergonomics and visual tools to improve timeliness.
This will allow workers and leaders to better communicate the status of projects.
The effort aims to deliver change in areas such as shipyard transformation, planning, engineering, material and technology.
