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Life Cycle Logistics

PSM Guidebook Overview (Part 4)

By Bill Kobren/April 26, 2011

PSM Guidebook Overview (Part 4)

Bill Kobren
This is the fourth and last in a series of blog posts intended to provide an overview of key aspects and implications of the new Product Support Manager (PSM) Guidebook. As I shared with you in an April 15th blog post, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Logistics & Materiel Readiness (L&MR) issued two new guidebooks with broad implications for the Life Cycle Logistics workforce in general, and the new Product Support Manager (PSM) in particular, namely the Product Support Manager (PSM) Guidebook and the Product Support Business Case Analysis (BCA) Guidebook. Today’s blog post looks at another key section of the PSM guidebook, specifically the new Sustainment Maturity Levels  (SMLs) discussed in both Chapter 3 and Appendix H.
 
According to Appendix H, Sustainment Maturity Levels (SMLs) “can be a powerful tool in determining the appropriate sustainment concept based on the system‘s design stability and the immediacy of the required support. The Sustainment Maturity Level (SML) concept was established to help the Product Support Manager (PSM) identify the appropriate level of maturity the support plan should achieve at each milestone and the extent to which a program‘s product support implementation efforts are ―likely to result in the timely delivery of a level of capability to the Warfighter. Achieving the levels will help the Product Support Manager evolve the program‘s product support approach to achieve the best value support solution.” A summary of each of the twelve SML levels:
 

1 - Supportability and sustainment options identified.

2 - Notional product support and maintenance concept identified.

3 - Notional product support, sustainment, and supportability requirements defined and documented to support the notional concept. (Occurs in the AoA)

4 - Supportability objectives and KPP/KSA requirements defined. New or better technology required for system or supply chain identified (Occurs at ASR)

5 - Supportability design features required to achieve KPP/KSA incorporated in Design

Requirements (Occurs at SRR)

6 - Maintenance concepts and sustainment strategy complete. Life Cycle Sustainment Plan approved. (Occurs at PDR)

7 - Supportability features embedded in design. Supportability and Subsystem Maintenance Task Analysis complete. (Occurs at CDR)

8 - Product Support capabilities demonstrated and supply chain management approach validated. Sustainment and product support planning complete identifying the sustainment strategy roles, responsibilities, and partnerships that will be implemented.

9 - Product Support Package demonstrated in operational environment (Occurs at IOT&E)

10 - Initial Product Support Package fielded at operational sites. Performance measured against availability, reliability and cost metrics. (Occurs at IOC)

11 - Sustainment performance measured against operational needs. Product support improved through continual process improvement. Sustainment and product support performance regularly measured against sustainment metrics and corrective actions taken.

12 - Product Support Package fully in place including depot repair capability. (Occurs at FOC)

 

There is, of course, much, much more information packed into the new PSM Guidebook. Encourage every life cycle logistician and product support manager, whether from government or industry, to bookmark the website, download a copy and keep a reference copy handy for frequent use. Encourage program managers and professionals from other functional disciplines to do the same. This is an invaluable resource for all of us.