Original Date: 05/23/1994
Revision Date: 01/18/2007

Located in the state of Washington, the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Keyport provides repair and maintenance for torpedoes and undersea mobile targets. In this capacity, Keyport - with remote sites in Hawaii, Southern California and Hawthorne, Nevada - provides test and evaluation, depot maintenance and repair, In-Service Engineering and fleet industrial support for torpedoes and other undersea warfare systems including mobile mines, unmanned underwater vehicles and countermeasures. Further efforts include responsibility for undersea combat systems and foreign military sales to Allied countries. To support these activities, Keyport maintains and operates underwater, three-dimensional tracking range sites with the capability to conduct vendor acceptance and in-service testing and evaluation of undersea weapons.

At Keyport's main site, personnel in light industrial shops, are dedicated to processes that span prototype development to manufacturing and refurbishment of small components and entire systems. Programs in this area include R&D Test bed support Flexible Computer Integrated Manufacturing, Electronics Data Interface, Computer Aided Design/Computer Aided Manufacturing Initiatives and Manufacturing Technology.

Keyport was noteworthy in many areas, but particularly in its environmental stewardship efforts and its "total quality way of life." These two concepts are firmly entrenched in the activity's policies, processes, and employee attitude.

Located in the environmentally conscious Northwest, Keyport is expected to have a solid environmental program. The BMP survey team found the efforts in this area to be extensive, with the program extending to the supplier level. Keyport personnel are very conscious of the environmental impact of hazardous material disposal and are very conversant with the companies with which they do business. For example, Keyport determined that there were only two companies of the many authorized to do business with the Navy, that are correctly disposing of laser toner cartridge material and consequently have contracted exclusively with them. This awareness is not legislatively dictated, but is an attitude in all Keyport personnel. It was recognized by the Secretary of the Navy in 1993 when Keyport received the first ever Meritorious Unit Commendation (to every employee) for Environmental Achievement.

Total Quality Management programs at government facilities are not new endeavors; however, the extent of Keyport's pursuit of total quality goes well beyond normal government total quality management confines. The management at Keyport encourages personnel to try new techniques and process improvements, recognizing that "the old way delivers the same old results." The workforce is aware of costs and the impact these costs have on its customers. This cost-conscious attitude is something that other activities just now recognize as necessary for survival. In addition, Keyport conducts Malcolm Baldrige Internal assessment and is ISO 9001 and 14001 certified.

This atmosphere of innovation, cost awareness, and customer focus provides excellent support for Keyport to diversify and expand its capabilities in a downsizing and changing marketplace. In July 1994, Keyport received the prestigious Quality Improvement Prototype Award as one of only three federal activities to achieve such recognition for total quality. In 2000, it was a finalist for the President’s Quality Award (no winners were chosen), and in 2002 Keyport received the Washington State Quality Award.

These efforts by NUWC Division Keyport in the environmental and Total Quality Management areas go well beyond the standards for government.

TABLE OF ACRONYMS:
The following acronyms were used in this report:

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