ANNISTON ARMY DEPOT, Ala. -- On Feb. 23, a new division stood up within the Directorate of Production Management.
The Program Control Division, which consists of the Master Data Branch, Master Schedule Team and Program Review Team, was created based on lessons learned through the Logistics Modernization Program.
The Master Data Branch grew out of a need to bring together the employees who input data with those who verify accuracy.
"As we traveled on our journey to LMP optimization, we learned how critical accurate system data is," said Billy Bickerstaff, director of production management. "The accuracy of our data drives our business, as it is required to make critical management decisions."
Before the reorganization, the Directorate of Material Management controlled data input, yet DPM was responsible for its accuracy.
"Master data is the foundation for the master production schedule," said Shawn Magouyrk, acting chief of the Program Control Division.
Magouyrk said this data consists of the materials, personnel and capacity available for each vehicle or weapons system program. This information must then be compared to the needed quantities of each in order to meet the production schedule.
Robert Wolfe and his Master Schedule Team are responsible for creating and maintaining the master production schedule, performing workload analysis, forecasting revenue and analyzing core workload for the installation.
"I have to look at the available people, capabilities and capacity to make sure they all work together," said Wolfe.
In order to do that, he has to know every weapon and vehicle system the installation is capable of maintaining.
His education in the depot's various systems began on the shop floor, first as a contractor and later as a forklift operator and mechanic.
When he was accepted into a role in planning, his education continued as he saw the entire scope of where parts went for reclamation or repair and how the flow of work moved through the industrial area.
Wolfe said the most difficult part of the team's job is projecting revenue because of the differences in each program.
"A small arms program is not going to earn as much revenue as a M1 and the M1 is not going to earn revenue at the same rate as a M113," he said.
In order to factor in the variables, the team has to work with historical data, which Wolfe built for each weapon and vehicle program.
The other team for the Program Control Division, the Program Review Team, was also established as a result of LMP.
The team is responsible for assessing and creating cost estimates prior to approval of projects as well as reviews throughout the project and their closeout and analyses.
"We determined, through LMP, that we needed these processes centralized with the program managers," said Magouyrk. "This small team can focus on those specific areas of production management."
Additionally under the oversight of the Program Control Division is the LMP Lab, a contractor-operated facility offering workshops for specific LMP topics and problem solving assistance on a walk-in basis for all LMP users.
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