Original Date: 07/21/2003
Revision Date: 01/18/2007

Electric Boat Corporation, Quonset Point Facility developed a state-of-the-art, user-friendly, Electronic Work Package system that enables planning and production managers to electronically manage all manufacturing or installation work assignments.

In the past, Electric Boat Corporation, Quonset Point Facility (EBQP) used a paper-based system for work assignments. Gathering the necessary drawings, work instructions, technical data, and status information required manually accessing multiple programs on different computer platforms using different databases. This process was time consuming, frequently inaccurate, and costly. If only a portion of a system drawing was needed for a particular job, the entire drawing and bill of material was produced from the Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP) system.

To support the new Virginia Class submarine, EBQP streamlined its work package generation process to provide trade supervisors and mechanics timely access to manufacturing order data. To eliminate delays and improve the dispatch and flow of work, EBQP created customized work packages that provide near real-time, tailored data for current work. Dedicated employees from Quonset Point and Groton defined, developed, and deployed the requirements for an Electronic Work Package (EWP) system.

The newly developed EWP system provides the user with a seamless, familiar, Internet-style interface that easily connects to the legacy programs and databases that contain all necessary information for work package instructions. Users can display and manipulate data for all work order requirements including data from multiple programs and databases (e.g., Manufacturing Resource Planning, Inventory Control, Shop Floor Control, Shipyard Work Status System, Controlled Pipe Joint, Material Information, References, Progress Data, Test Prerequisites, and Test Unsatisfactory Data). Users can collect, sort, and display all relevant data for the performance of assigned tasks and electronically dispatch work to the shop. If certain materials are unavailable, the system allows the electronic development of a work instruction only for the workable portion of the order. Production and planning managers now have ready access to all the information needed to optimize the dispatch and status of work.

For more information see the Point of Contact for this survey.