Tactical Information Planning System

The front line foremen, who are responsible for the safety, quality, cost and schedule performance of their crew, has more impact on production than any other member of management. The most laborious tasks of foremen are planning, progressing and projecting the crew’s work responsibilities covering a two-week (short term schedule) window. As a result, the foremen’s ability to manage people, issues and quality is restricted.

This project’s primary focus is increasing the foremen’s availability to the crew. Foremen have experienced most problems an employee could face. They are familiar with equipment, Engineering, Planning, material processes and product deficiencies. Therefore, they represent the solution to most of the problems that their employees face. The envisioned Tactical Information Planning System (TIPS) project will develop a digital process that will increase the front line foremen’s efficiency. In addition, the Ingalls Pipe Shop will have an improved decision making process to yield a better short term planning product. A secondary benefit is increasing the use and utility of mobility applications at the shop floor and deck plate levels. Mobile work capability is critical to future efficiency improvements. The proposed application and process accomplish these objectives by consolidating the needed information from the systems of record for scheduling, engineering changes, material, shop status and capacity, job planning, certifications, and personnel availability, which allows the worker to complete jobs faster and could reduce the amount of rework.

The 18-month project will be conducted across two phases at Huntington Ingalls Industries-Ingalls Shipbuilding. Phase I will help understand the present process, opportunities, and develop a high-level design for a new system. The new system and process mapping will enable a vision for a new system that streamlines numerous foreman administrative tasks necessary to achieve short term scheduling and work assignment. Phase II will develop the system identified in the first phase and test the system with a pilot test. Once implemented, Ingalls anticipates labor savings resulting from the implementation of more efficient processes and increased mobility applications that translate into a potential cost savings of $1.26M per DDG hull or $6.3M over five years.

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