AFMC units partner to supply receivers, to keep B-1s flying Published Feb. 11, 2010 By Brandice J. Armstrong Tinker Public Affairs TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Units from across Air Force Materiel Command banded together recently to stock more of a critical avionics part that will keep B-1s flying. During the first phase of the Repair Network Integration initiative, AFMC's logistics division studied the process in which B-1 Bomber Band 4-8 receivers are delivered to the maintenance line. The findings motivated a change in the management process and ultimately benefited the B-1 and Tinker. Prior to the study, there weren't enough receivers, vital components for the B-1's defense avionics system, and aircraft were often grounded. Since the conclusion of the study in late 2009, there is a surplus of receivers. "This is an unusually great success," said Rick Cantwell, 553rd Aircraft Sustainment Squadron B-1 System Program Management Logistics lead and B-1 Team lead for the RNI initiative. "It's a complete transformation of how we manage the repair of Air Force end items." Preceding the RNI initiative and phase one, Mr. Cantwell said the repair of Air Force end items was done in a "stove-pipe manner." Meaning, each of the repair sites, or "nodes," fixed the same parts, but used their own requirements - a base or depot's standards -- independent of one another. There was no standardization in meeting the entire "enterprise" requirement. When the effort began in early 2009, the number of Band 4-8 receivers in supply fluctuated and was often disappointing. The daily supply-fill rate hovered at 15 to 25 percent and as a result, aircraft lacked receivers and were grounded. Through the RNI effort, repair nodes began collaborating with one another and found that their capability and capacity had not been optimized. Once workloads were shifted, the supply-fill rate rose to more than 100 percent. "It means the flight-line folks out there repairing B-1s had these 4-8 receivers anytime they needed them," Mr. Cantwell said. "And that's a really good news story." The RNI initiative was born from a conceptual idea to improving the repair process for F101 engines. The purpose of the initiative, as part of the Expeditionary Logistics for the 21st Century campaign, is to increase the number of spare engines, or war-ready engines, so B-1s in the area of responsibility are not grounded due to engine issues. "RNI completely transforms that repair methodology by creating a community of repair nodes that collaborate together to meet the end requirement of our mission generators," Mr. Cantwell said. "That's a complete transformation of how repair is done today." The second of the four phases RNI has just begun. Experts are now developing the remaining core-management processes.