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

The Flexible Computer-Integrated Manufacturing Program is a major component of Tobyhanna Army Depot’s overall strategy to provide world-class service to its customers and its related facilities, satisfying the need to manufacture spare parts for the military in a timely fashion and at a reasonable cost.

In 1995 Tobyhanna Army Depot (TYAD) implemented the Flexible Computer-Integrated Manufacturing (FCIM) Program, a Department of Defense- (DoD-) sponsored program designed to develop the ability to manufacture small quantities of spare parts in a timely manner and at a reasonable cost. FCIM is centered on the “four-day dream” in which a requisite replacement component for the warfighter in the field is received in four days or less. A request for the part is sent to the FCIM facility where the parts list and technical data for the component are gathered, any purchases for necessary materials or subsystems are made, and a replacement part for the warfighter is manufactured within a period of four days.

TYAD's FCIM system is a seamless integration of several programs designed to intensively manage and control all aspects of the entire procurement cycle of printed wiring assemblies (PWAs), cable assemblies, and wiring harnesses. Customer orders are processed by the Logistics Modernization Program, and technical data is managed by the Joint Engineering Data Management and Information Control System. FCIM employs the rapid acquisition of manufactured parts system to manufacture PWAs in a semiautomated environment or in a cable assembly and wiring harness factory.

TYAD receives its work opportunities through a variety of DoD procurement initiatives. The majority of the facility’s opportunities are acquired through the Arsenal Act and the Communications Electronics Life Cycle Management Command Contractors Opportunities Online (COOLEST) database. COOLEST offers a daily listing of contracting opportunities for electronic assemblies available to interested bidders . Other work opportunities are received through Defense Logistics Agency solicitations.

The FCIM facility at TYAD uses Product Data Master Scheduling System, a Joint Logistics Command estimating and approval database, and is in the process of migrating to a drawing and product data management system that will give the depot the capability to handle numerous types of electronic drawing formats. The implementation of the FCIM Program has enabled TYAD to produce spare parts for the military in a timely and cost-effective manner.

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