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Engineering Directorate hosts day-long seminar for industry

  • Published
  • By Brandice J. Armstrong
  • Tinker Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  The Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center Engineering and Technical Management Directorate hosted a day-long seminar Dec. 9 for center, academia and industry representatives. Approximately 30 people attended the event, which included a tour of Bldg. 3001 and briefings by attendees at the Tinker Club's Daedalian Room.

Designated the OC-ALC/EN Industrial and Systems Engineering Day, the event was designed to reinvigorate and refocus the impact of industrial engineering at Tinker. The event was planned and facilitated by Capt. Reiki Ward, OC-ALC/EN Industrial/Systems Engineering Program manager.

"Tinker's success is America's success. Things that work well here, will also work at our sister ALCs - Warner Robins and Ogden," said Russell Howard, OC-ALC/EN director. "What I hope comes out of this is a way ahead, not necessarily a detailed blue print, but specific actions we can take to move forward."

Mr. Howard said while the entire OC-ALC works to keep aircraft operationally safe, suitable and effective, he must also ensure the systems and industrial engineering processes that support the ALC's maintenance, repair and overhaul capability stay focused, effective and efficient. His goal is reemphasize and strengthen the use of ISEN in the planning, design and sustainment of the center's $30-billion industrial complex.

Mr. Howard referenced the price to maintain the KC-135, saying the Air Force spends approximately $3 million per aircraft each year and it is estimated the annual maintenance cost will rise to $8 million per aircraft over the next 30 years.

"If we can even carve a few percent off of that, that's some serious money," Mr. Howard said. "We also need to do it faster. Our business changes every day."

That's where industrial and systems engineering comes into play.

"Industrial engineering is ultimately all about optimization," Mr. Howard said. "It's about doing things better and figuring out what better is through modeling, simulation and mathematical analysis. It's a classical engineering method of making decisions."

Mr. Howard said Tinker is no stranger to industrial engineering. It's been used in many facets, including the layout of Bldg. 9001. Industrial engineering was used to determine organization of equipment placement and can be used in the future to reevaluate decisions.

"It's all about data and measuring yourself against your original requirement," Mr. Howard said.

Planning for the industrial/systems engineering day began this past summer. And while officials said there have been other emphasis days for other purposes, but this could be the first one focused on industrial engineering.