US Army ARDEC, AMSTA-AR-PC, Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey 07806-5000

R -- FLEET MANAGEMENT OF THE M109 FAMILY OF VEHICLES (FOV) UNDER A PILOT PROGRAM. SOL DAAE30-97-R-0204 DUE 082597 POC R. McMinn, Contract Specialist, 973-724-3504 WEB: US ARMY TACOM-ARDEC Procurement Network, http://procnet.pica.army.mil/procacts.htm. E-MAIL: Robert McMinn, rmcminn@pica.army.mil. PM Paladin/FAASV is seeking sources to perform Fleet Management of the M109 Family of Vehicles under a pilot program. Interested prime sources should submit their responses in enough detail to indicate they are willing and capable of providing all of the supplies and services required. Interested subcontractors and vendors will be listed and provided to prime sources with the solicitation when it is released. Consortiums and teams are encouraged. Subject to determination regarding OMB Circular A-76, there may also be a Government Most Efficient Organization proposal developed as an alternative to a Fleet Management Contract The objective of the M109 FOV Fleet Management Pilot Program is to significantly reduce life-cycle support cost while improving operational readiness and performance of the M109 FOV by implementing business process efficiencies and modernization via continuously upgraded spare parts and components. The M109 FOV consists of all models of the M109 155mm Self-propelled howitzer and M992 Field Artillery Ammunition Support Vehicle in the U.S. Army inventory. To realize these cost savings the M109 Fleet Management Pilot Program must reengineer business practices, streamline the supply pipeline, and implement technological improvements. This approach must eliminate the redundancies of the current system and leverage the use of performance based contracts to reduce cost and improve fleet performance. Description of Supplies and Services: The Pilot Programs Fleet Manager services can be subdivided into three major segments: Fleet Logistics Support, System Technical Support, and Maintenance: Fleet Logistics Support includes the functions of major and secondary item management (Class VII and IX), distribution, and customer support. It transfers the current major and secondary item management responsibilities for M109 FOV assets within the scope of the Pilot Program from the US Army Materiel Command (AMC) and the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) to the Fleet Manager. Fleet management responsibility includes: fielding coordination, disposal, rebuild/overhaul scheduling, logistics support, configuration control, and maintenance of FOV assets. Further, it establishes the Fleet Manager as the distributor of all M109 FOV unique and common wholesale and retail inventory with the exception of working level stocks held in customer accounts (bench stock and shop stock). It provides for a point of sale system using an credit or debit card system that only executes the sale when an item is removed from the Fleet Managers inventory or directly delivered to the user by the Fleet Managers distribution activity. Financial balances along with other logistics status will be available through the Fleet Managers electronic interface. The Fleet Manager will be responsible for the worldwide sustainment support for all customers (in peace and war in accordance with Operational Plans (OPLANS) supporting Army and joint operational scenarios) and for supply support to his internal M109 FOV manufacturing/maintenance activity. TheFleet Manager will be the comprehensive source for System Technical Support including all engineering, configuration management, technical data, and drawings supporting the M109 FOV. The Fleet Manager will use the engineering function to modernize the fleet through the insertion of technology to extend service life, improve operational capability, and lower support cost. The Fleet Manager will coordinate with the Governments Pilot Program Management and Oversight Group in order to maintain all technical data packages and execute all approved product improvement and modification program requirements. The Fleet Manager will provide a single source of engineering data and technical information to authorized claimants worldwide. The Fleet Manager will provide/support new equipment training, instructor and key personnel training, and provide technical assistance to the users and maintainers of the M109 FOV by providing on-site training and "distance learning" using state-of-the-art techniques to keep customers abreast of technical changes to the fleet. The Fleet Manager will operate Class VII storage facilities and provide Maintenance support for retail reparables CONUS and OCONUS. Maintenance activity in support of reparables will also include determination of component service life, tracking the status of repairable components, evacuation of unserviceables to the appropriate Army Depot for depot level overhaul. The Fleet Manager will establish and maintain an M109 FOV network of field service representatives to provide battalion level diagnostic assistance, and to support maintenance and supply activity. The Fleet Manager must establish an innovative business process to support sustainment operations. The objectives for fleet management include a quantum improvement in delivery time for a repair part to reach the end-user. The sustainment process must be a short pipe-line that not only provides fast delivery of the required material, but responds with status data allowing the user to know immediately everything related to his business transaction. The Fleet Manager will be required to provide administrative support typical of best commercial practices, i.e., account records, past transactions, financial obligations, etc. to his customers. The Fleet Manager must be able to ascertain immediately the financial authority/resources available to support the requisition. Any new automated data processing equipment that is required specifically to support the Fleet Management Pilot Program will not adversely affect the users capability to requisition parts for other applications and must perform all current non-requisition activities. The business and communication process must be compatible with peace and wartime scenarios, and will be capable of reporting data to existing Army and DoD databases required for readiness, maintenance status, financial status, and delivery status reporting.The Fleet Manager is responsible for all products and services provided under the anticipated fleet management contract. Therefore, the quality assurance/control program must encompass all providers of such products and services. The Government does not intend to specify any requirement for a quality program, but expects the performance requirements of the contract to cause the Fleet Manager to establish and maintain a viable process for quality assurance/control that is consistent with world-class suppliers. The quality program must provide the capability to track achievement of the performance metrics contained in the fleet management contract. The Fleet Manager is expected to establish a process for the customer to provide feedback on his level of satisfaction with fleet management performance. The quality program must include metrics to quantify the level of customer satisfaction. The Fleet Manager will be given the opportunity (with appropriate Government oversight) and must be prepared to market and sell the M109 FOV, as well as life-cycle support services, to international customers. The foreign countries that own approximately 5800 M109 FOVassets may have needs similar to the US DoD for life-cycle support, system upgrades, and new systems. On or about 10 August 1997 the Draft Statement of Objectives will be available at http://procnet.pica.army.mil/. Additional information will be available at: http://www.pica.army.mil/orgs/paladin/fleet/. (0205)

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