Original Date: 07/08/2002
Revision Date: 01/18/2007

The Directorate for Missiles and Surface Launchers’ in-service Failure Reporting and Corrective Action System is a unique collaborative system which improves cycle time and reduces redundant efforts. This system is also an excellent resource for the retrieval of historical data.

The Directorate for Missiles and Surface Launchers (PEO TSC-M/L) developed a unique Failure Reporting and Corrective Action System (FRACAS). In the past, participation by all the in-service elements was limited, and a formal data tracking system did not exist. Failures and resolutions to issues were typically dealt with in a less concurrent engineering fashion, which caused duplication of efforts by multiple agents in parallel without collaborative efforts costing the Navy time and money. A formal historical database did not exist for trend identification and resolutions.

The new FRACAS is a formalized program for reporting and correcting in-service missile failures. The process involves full participation of representatives from all associated engineering agents, including the Technical Design Agent (TDA), Round Design Agent (RDA), In-Service Engineering Agent (ISEA), and Item Engineering Agents (EAs). The process involves extensive use of web-based information sharing via LIVELINK (web-based database) and frequent teleconferences to discuss and close out Trouble Reports (TRs) issued for every missile problem discovered in the Fleet, maintenance facilities, and elsewhere in the lifecycle of the missile. This provides a process in which the STANDARD Missile (SM) community can work and track in-service issues to resolution. The developed FRACAS encompasses the entire post production lifecycle and involves all organizations in a concurrent engineering effort. Stronger accountability and coordination now exist, eliminating the redundant efforts by multiple agents. Historical data retention and the promotion of data sharing can now be realized. The process also includes ease of data entry via e-mail without formal, complicated efforts thereby obtaining information that may have never been entered in the past. The ISEA formally enters the data into the database. The process includes risk analyses to prioritize the corrective action process. Data sources range from Casualty Reports (CASREPs) and mishap flight failures to Depot Level maintenances and all data retrieved in between. The ISEA enters the TR into the web-based database. Issues are prioritized and risks assigned during the FRACAS telephone conference. The corrective actions are outlined, and reports are generated for review. Telephone conferences are conducted every two weeks with on- site meetings at each site as required. The FRACAS team establishes work priorities and action items on every new TR based on these identified risks.

The FRACAS is a systems engineering approach, which has proven to streamline the process eliminating duplication of effort and bringing resolution to problems in a more improved fashion. All issues are tracked to resolution based on established, well defined risk registers. The database retains the information in a historical system for trend identification and allows reengineering efforts that help avoid future problems.

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