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NAVAIR, NAVSEA, SPAWAR, NAVSUP, NAVFAC Team Up to Enhance Performance, Reduce Costs, and Gain Efficiencies

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Moving smartly ahead to achieve the CNO’s objectives of Sea Enterprise, the Navy’s Systems Commands have recently issued joint guidance that provides a collaborative business framework for improving interoperability and providing enhanced support to the fleet.

As partners in the “Virtual SYSCOM,” the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR), Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) and most recently, Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC), have set specific challenges and goals for 2005 that support CNO’s aim of “working smarter” by transforming business processes and enhancing the delivery of products and services at reduced costs.

“We can no longer do business as we have in the past,” said VADM Walter Massenburg, Commander, NAVAIR. “Sea Enterprise is not about improving the old ways of doing business, but developing new ways of doing business. We must change if we are to afford our future and be able to build the Navy of the 21st century.”

Among its significant goals for 2005, the Virtual SYSCOM is focused on continuing efforts to increase productivity and accelerate the process of innovation across the Navy SYSCOMs through the application of proven productivity tools such as Lean, Theory of Constraints, and Six Sigma, and to employ opportunities for cross-SYSCOM efficiencies such as best practices, centers of excellence, shared service models, and leveraging core competencies. Another important goal of the Virtual SYSCOM is the implementation of human capital strategies to structure and shape a workforce that is responsive to the demands of the Navy and Marine Corps warfighter.

Since the Virtual SYSCOM was initially adopted in 2002, a number of major accomplishments have been achieved in a short period. These include:
· Developing the Navy SYSCOM naval systems engineering guide;
· Expanding the SeaPort-e multiple award contracts schedule to all organizations within Virtual SYSCOM;
· Aligning logistics practices via ASN RD&A’s designation of NAVSUP as the Navy’s Logistics Support Authority.
· Developing a cross-SYSCOM strategy and action plan for Distance Support to achieve reductions in Fleet Technical Service Centers travel costs, and a 20 percent reduction in on-site technical assists;
· Achieving a 53 percent reduction in the legacy IT application portfolio;
· Populating the FORCEnet (Fn) Implementation Baseline (FIBL) with information from over 400 Fn programs, which can be used to determine compliance of individual programs with the FORCEnet criteria;
· Developing a governance process to cultivate the collaborative atmosphere within the warfare centers;
· Developing a human capital architecture for the VS and defining a human capital management cycle that intersects workforce shaping, productivity initiatives and Sea Power 21 capabilities.
· Establishing a joint SYSCOM agreement defining a common framework for technical authority across the SYSCOMs;
· Conducting coordinated SYSCOM assessments across Sea Power 21 pillars, providing OPNAV decision makers with essential inputs for making significant investment decisions in POM06 and PR07; and
· Establishing a Human Systems Performance Assessment Center to deliver optimal manning and enhanced Sailor and warfighting performance.

“The Virtual Systems Command continues to support Navy’s Sea Power 21 objectives through collaboration in the functional communities to reduce the cost of doing business and improve the effectiveness of the SYSCOMs,” said VADM Massenburg. “This collaboration supports the CNO’s vision for the Navy to do its work smarter and continue to develop a culture of improved productivity.”