The Defense Standardization Program Office (DSPO) has just issued a new and comprehensive August 2012 revision of the highly-regarded “SD-22 Diminishing Manufacturing Sources and Material Shortages (DMSMS): A Guidebook of Best Practices and Tools for Implementing a Robust DMSMS Management Program.” Copies can be obtained one of multiple ways, including via:

·         the new SD-22 DMSMS Guidebook site on the Guidance page of the DoD Product Support Policy, Guidance, Tools & Training web page

·         the ASSIST website

·         the DAU Publications & Catalogs Guidebook page

·        the DMSMS section of the DAU LOG CoP Sustainment web page

Please note that the new SD-22 DMSMS Guidebook site on the Guidance page of the DoD Product Support Policy, Guidance, Tools & Training web page is being initially launched as a repository for a downloadable PDF version of the document, with plans to launch a hyperlinked, web-enabled version similar to the Defense Acquisition Guidebook (DAG) by the end of this month. We will announce full operational capability of this new SD-22 DMSMS Guidebook site on the Guidance page of the DoD Product Support Policy, Guidance, Tools & Training web page in a future blog post once the new web-enabled version goes live. Watch for it!

So what does this mean for you? According to the director’s introduction, “Diminishing Manufacturing Sources and Material Shortages (DMSMS) problems can be caused by many factors, but they will happen. Robust DMSMS management is crucial. Without it, the readiness of our weapons systems will be degraded, hampering the ability of our warfighters to accomplish their mission and putting their safety at risk. Further, failure to continually address DMSMS issues throughout a system’s life cycle can sometimes cost taxpayers millions of dollars. 

It is imperative for program managers to adopt and fund a robust DMSMS management strategy and plan, in concert with proactive technology management, early in the life cycle. This is a pro-gram’s most effective and efficient way to minimize materiel readiness risks due to DMSMS is-sues, realize future savings during production and sustainment, deliver better buying power, and improve overall life-cycle management. All program managers should task their DMSMS offices to assess the adequacy of their DMSMS management efforts. Deficiencies should be corrected as soon as possible. It’s a matter of lives, readiness, mission success, and dollars. 

A robust DMSMS management program consists of five interrelated steps: prepare, for example, develop a DMSMS strategy and obtain funding; identify items with immediate or near-term obsolescence issues; assess the items to prioritize those most likely to affect readiness or availability; analyze possible resolutions; and implement the most cost-effective solutions. This guidebook, which supersedes the earlier September 2010 version, is designed primarily for the DMSMS practitioner, provides best practices for robust DMSMS management. Program managers, engineers, and life-cycle logisticians should find the guidance particularly useful.”

Encourage you to take a few minutes to peruse this excellent new document. It will prove to be a tremendously useful reference and resource for life cycle logisticians, product support managers, program managers, as well as a range of other defense acquisition workforce professionals.