United Kingdom Integrated Logistics Support Elements

The United Kingdom’s Defence Standard 00-600 defines the Ministry of Defense (MOD) requirements for the preparation, exchange and through life management of a Supportability Case for MOD platforms and equipment. The UK has a different approach to defining integrated logistics Support (ILS) elements than the US Department of Defense (DoD). This article provides the breakdown and descriptions of these elements. The reference is the Defence Standard 00-600 Part I, Table 1 ILS Element Descriptions (See References).

Integrated Logistic Support Planning

One

All projects require an Integrated Logistic Support Plan (ILSP) which is a live document that is maintained throughout the project life. It needs to include or reference out to subordinate plans covering specific project activities and to define all interfaces between the delegated authorities.

The ILSP is the MOD’s statement of the total ILS Programme for the project, yet it may be contributed in parts by the Contractor depending on the solution space they are offering to the through life capability. It is the implementation plan for logistic support and includes the requirements, tasks, interfaces and milestones for the current phase and plans for the succeeding stages. It shall provide all necessary support inputs to other project documents and papers. It will contain supportability goals, support strategy, Supportability Analysis (SA) strategy and all associated element plans.

From the Contractors perspective, the ILSP is the guiding document to which their logistics support system, their Integrated Support Plan (ISP) and subordinate work shall respond, in part or in whole, depending on what they are being contracted to provide.

Maintenance Planning

Two

Maintenance Planning comprises the identification of hardware, software, materiel, facilities, personnel, processes and data needed to enable maintenance services to be competently provided for the product and its support. The process develops and establishes maintenance requirements, resulting in a detailed maintenance plan. This involves the following:

• Define maintenance policy,
• Determine probable maintenance tasks,
• Identify spares, tools, facilities, documentation, techniques and manpower required for maintenance tasks.

The requirement to use Reliability Centred Maintenance (RCM) to define the maintenance regime must be established in the Assessment phase. During Development, RCM must be included in the ITT/ITN and procurement contracts.

Subsequently, RCM shall be used to revise maintenance programmes, in the light of experience and developments during the In-service phase.

Supply Support Procedures (SSP)

Three

Processing of the Maintenance Planning data to identify the spares to be included in the support system. To identify those that needs codification. To determine the quantities of spares to be procured. This involves the following:

• Identify and plan for Long Lead Time items,
• Identification of Items for Codification,
• Screening against existing Defence Inventory to prevent duplication of supply,
• Transfer of Item data to Supply System,
• Identification of Items for inclusion in Technical Documentation,
• Cooperate with Technical Documentation to ensure appropriate standards are met,
• Identification of Items for Initial Provisioning (IP),
• Iterative determination (RP – Re-provisioning) of range and scale of spares; including appropriate modelling,
• Iterative determination of Repair and Overhaul items,
• Procurement and delivery of IP and transfer of Contract data to Supply System,
• Identify Order Administration requirements (data exchange).

Support and Test Equipment (S&TE)

Four

The equipment (mobile and fixed) required to support the operation and maintenance of a product, to which the above SSP will also apply. This includes associated multi-use end items, maintenance equipment, tools, metrology, calibration test equipment and automatic test equipment.

Obsolescence Management

Five

The process/activities conducted throughout the life of a product to ensure continued supply of the components, software, tool, processes, materials, data, support and test equipment, standards and specifications to enable a product to fulfil its purpose at an acceptable cost. Obsolescence is inevitable, may be expensive and cannot be ignored.

Facilities and Infrastructure

Six

Facilities comprise the entire physical infrastructure and associated services required to integrate, inspect, test, store, operate, train, maintain and dispose of the product.

The Authority will produce a Facilities Plan (FP) detailing project requirements relating to facilities and will include details of any existing facilities that will be available to support the new product. The Contractor shall refer to the information provided within the Use Study/CONUSE (or other contextual documents) as guidance in addressing the MOD requirements in the SRD, SOW/SOR for the generation of a FP

Training and Training Equipment

Seven

Trained and qualified operators and maintainers are required to support a product in service. Requirements for training must be defined and the current skill levels and qualifications of Service support personnel need to be specified. Training needs of support personnel and data for Training Needs Analysis (TNA) will be developed through the SA process and the subsequent training solution shall be delivered in accordance with Defence Systems Approach Training (DSAT).

Technical Information (TI)

Eight

Technical Information (TI) enables the Authority either by itself or, by a third party on its behalf to safely: integrate, operate, diagnose, maintain, repair, support and dispose of a Platform, System, or Equipment (PSE) throughout its life.

Identify the standard(s) to be used for the supply of data. It includes paper, fiche, drawings, Computer Aided Design (CAD) data, electronic text, non-textual data e.g. Graphics, video, etc. For, but not limited to:

• Indentured Parts Lists / Illustrated Parts Catalogues (IPL / IPC),
• System description and operation,
• System servicing and maintenance,
• Diagnostic support,
• Repair information,
• Supporting flow, system and wiring diagrams,
• Software documentation,
• Supportability Analysis reports,
• Training data including documents, video and synthetic training data.

Packaging, Handling, Storage and Transportation (PHS&T)

Nine

The resources, procedures, design considerations and methods necessary to ensure that all product and support items are packaged, handled, stored and transported in conformance with appropriate legislation, including Health & Safety and particularly for hazardous materials. This includes environmental limitations, product preservation requirements for short and long term storage, the handling of items during repair tasks and transport requirements.

Human Factors Integration (HFI)

Ten

Human Factors Integration (HFI) is a systematic process within Defence acquisition that supports the integration of people, processes and technology within capability. Failing to consider the human user, their characteristics and limitations, early and throughout the lifecycle, and as an integral part of the system is likely to lead to sub-optimal capability. HFI ensures that system design fully considers the role of the human in the system, across both operational and support areas of capability, particularly where there is an interface between people, equipment and processes.

Reliability and Maintainability (R&M)

Eleven

Reliability and maintainability are vital performance characteristics that impact upon the operational availability and the effectiveness and the whole life costs of defence materiel. Thus it is fundamental that from the start of the project, the R&M requirements are continuously analysed, and progressively defined in a requirement which is agreed between the Sponsor (representing the user), the Purchaser (Procuring Authority) and the Supplier (Contractor). Unrealistic, unnecessary or unclear R&M requirements will lead to non-essential and wasteful expenditure in resources, time and effort; and may result in failure to meet the needs of the user.

Disposal and Termination

Twelve

The efficient, effective and safe disposal of a product, together with its spares and consumables while in-service or at the end of life. The disposal of a product must be considered at the Design phase. At this stage, the reduction of the content of hazardous and potentially hazardous materials can be considered.
The decision to dispose of a capability or part of a capability and therefore a product is made by the appropriate Front Line Command (FLC); this authority may be delegated to a Project Leader. Disposal must consider the possibilities of re-deployment, sale, waste disposal, the environmental impacts and the possible disposal of recovered material by sale.

In-Service Monitoring of Logistic Performance

Thirteen

The gathering of Reliability, Maintenance and Support (RMS) data realised in-service, which must be recorded and compared with predicted data (the data generated during the Design and Manufacture of the product that would constitute part of the R&M case). The comparison of anticipated and actual performance and in-service costs permits decisions to be made which may lead to changes in the support strategy, to manage Total Lifecycle Cost (TLC) by improving the design and/or supportability characteristics as appropriate.

The comparison of actual data with the prediction or prior in-service periods shall be undertaken on a regular basis to ensure the support system remains optimized and to take account of changes in:

• Operational environment
• Spares policy
• Maintenance strategy
• Logistic decisions
• Design

Additionally, the monitoring of trends will allow problems to be detected and eliminated before they become a major issue.

Logistic Information Management

Fourteen

Everybody involved in Defence Logistics needs information to do their job, whether they are serving in the front line, in the Supply Chain, the base, the office or the factory. They need to be able to access this information quickly and easily, no matter where or when it was created and when they get it, it must provide a single, accurate view. In order to handle this information they need information technology, hardware, software and data structures that are reliable and fit for purpose.

To that end a Contractor shall provide all agreed logistic information in an agreed format and time in accordance with the Logistic Information requirements as stipulated in the contract.

Part 3 of the Defence Standard 00-600 provides details of MOD policy and requirements on Logistic Information Management.

References:

Defence Standard 00-600 Part 1 Issue I / 2018 – Integrated Logistics Support requirements for MOD projects Part: 1 : Integrated Logistics Support (ILS) Requirements
Defence Standard 00-600 Part 2 Issue I / 2018 – Integrated Logistics Support requirements for MOD projects Part: 2 : MOD Requirements for a Supportability Case
Defence Standard 00-600 Part 3 Issue I / 2018 – Integrated Logistic Support Requirements for MOD projects Part: 3 : Logistic Information Requirements