Original Date: 07/10/2006
Revision Date: / /

Tobyhanna Army Depot formed a labor-management partnership with the Defense Distribution Depot Tobyhanna, the facility’s major supplier, and the American Federation of Government Employees Union Local 1647. The trilateral support organization ensures mutual commitment to maintaining readiness and retention of the communications electronics depot mission for the United States Armed Forces.

Prior to 1995, Tobyhanna Army Depot (TYAD) had direct supply function. With the advent of the 1995 Base Realignment and Closure, supply functions were reassigned to the Defense Logistic Agency with a shift in the chain of command that impacted TYAD, supply, and labor. In 1996 a partnership charter was formed to improve customer working relationships and signed by the three parties involved in the supply chain – TYAD, Defense Distribution Depot Tobyhanna (DDTP), and the American Federation of Government Employees Union Local 1647. This shift in command also had associated complex problems that required resolution. Supply discrepancy reports (SDRs), specifically for the Gyro system and integrated site units, created over 100 SDR transactions between DDTP and TYAD product line personnel within a 6-month period, stopping movement of items to the shop floor until proper identification could be determined. TYAD personnel have developed inspection standards and documents that supply now uses to verify material identity, creating a seamless flow to the production floor.

A strong indication of the efficiency represented by this customer-supplier labor management partnership is a memorandum of agreement that maps standardized behaviors between TYAD and DDTP and has significantly reduced the cycle time for delivering material to the floor by eliminating the waiting time to engage the responsibility of all the involved parties. The automated supply system used by DDTP now flags problem items and enables quick resolution, which ensures that the inspecting party is receiving the correct documentation for the correct item. This process has significantly reduced the SDR rate from 100 to near 1 on the items presented.

The partnership has also created an environment that is conducive to improved productivity and quality based on a coalition of trust and communications among the three entities. Through monthly meetings, prevalent issues and barriers are acted on or resolved. The mutual cooperation of the partnership ensures that integrated solutions are readily agreed upon, with the sole basis of the resolution being the needs and requirements of the customer.

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