Quality Assurance

 

AVMAC uses an ISO compliant Quality Assurance (QA) Plan tailored to ensure that all deliverables conform to the highest possible standards and reflect a technical level of excellence that meets or exceeds each client’s expectations. In keeping with fundamental ISO principles, the AVMAC Team includes a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt with ASQ/DoN certifications. We will ensure constant customer focus and provide the leadership and involvement of our people to achieve constant improvement. Our open approach to decision-making will support mutually beneficial subcontractor relationships.

 

Processes to be used as controls for our SeaPort-e QA efforts include QA plans and procedures, data required for collection and the reporting structure and flow for Reports and Deliverables required by the contract. These QA processes can be summarized within the following four basic tenets:

  • Documented QA procedures will be in place for all projects and programs
  • All QA activities on the SeaPort-e contract will be overseen at the PM level
  • QA activities shall communicate with the President directly independent of the PM
  • Customer Feedback procedures will be implemented to ensure customer expectations are met or exceeded

AVMAC’s Quality Management System (QMS) provides detailed standards for every measurable performance area. Our staff and team will be evaluated on quality during each quarterly program and progress review.

Our QMS is based on the following eight quality management principles:

  • Customer Focus. We take great pride in meeting customer requirements. We assure our employees understand the requirements and strive to exceed customer expectations.
  • Leadership. Continual improvement and customer satisfaction are achievable when led by executive management. Leaders provide direction and make sure all are on course.
  • People, not machines, make quality a reality. When vision, objectives, and plans are shared, everyone works together to the benefit of the organization and the customer.
  • Process Approach. Work is organized in a manner that allows it to flow naturally. When activities are linked together there is a structure for effectively managing and improving.
  • System Management. Grouping processes creates a system. Management organized the processes into a system to meet requirements of customers/interested parties.
  • Continual Improvement. To achieve excellence, we will never settle for status quo; we will continue to make things better.
  • Factual Approach to Decision Making. Decisions are based on the facts. There is a reason for everything.

AVMAC realizes that we don’t define quality, our customer does. Therefore, if our customer is not satisfied, then we have failed our customer and ourselves. To provide SeaPort-e customers with a sense of quality assurance, the AVMAC Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control (DMAIC) continuous process improvement model (shown below) is implemented into every project we work to ensure that our number one priority is customer satisfaction.

Ensuring that our Customer is and remains satisfied, AVMAC has instituted the following rules:

  • Quality is defined by the customer. Customer satisfaction is our number one priority.
  • We will, for all functions, “document what we intend to do” and then use management processes to assure that we “do what we documented”.
  • We will always strive to “do it right the first time”. Should non-conformance occur, then we will manage it under our non-conformance processes to address root causes and prevent recurrence.
  • Our management system will have processes to accommodate any changes issued by our customer.
  • All AVMAC employees and subcontractors will be actively involved in quality assurance, and they will continually improve their services to our customer.

AVMAC’s QMS establishes clear methods to control, monitor, measure, and analyze contract performance. In addition to AVMAC’s DMAIC model we use the four P’s to establish quality plans, procedures, and corrective/preventive/improvement actions:

  • Preparation
  • Performance
  • Perfect
  • Progress

This methodology for performance improvement and providing quality service to our Customers is indicative of our continued commitment to customer satisfaction.

 

Approach to Problem Resolution

Despite our best efforts to assess, prioritize and mitigate risks, problems may occur. Our approach of using a shared, collaborative environment which focuses on continuous assessment of performance, cost and schedule, will help us identify problems early that may need proactive mitigation. Our Task Managers (TMs) are empowered to resolve problems while keeping the PM informed. Similarly, the customer will have access to detailed reports and will be encouraged to discuss any performance concerns with their AVMAC counterparts. This continuous assessment approach is expected to complement event-driven reviews and improve communication while correcting deficiencies. The variety of areas where we try to anticipate problems to make seamless corrections include: performance, schedule, communications, personnel, and surge capability.

 

Performance Problems

TMs are the first line of defense against performance problems. Our SeaPort-e PM will review all work on a weekly basis and require that each TM provide an updated list of any technical problems encountered in TO performance and assess progress toward problem resolution. Each performance issue, along with any mitigation strategy or solution, will be entered in the Action Item database and tracked through resolution.

 

Schedule Problems

The TM is responsible for meeting TO schedules and will inform the PM regarding schedule risk. The PM will review any schedule risks with the President weekly, plan corrective action, and assess progress toward resolution.

 

Communication Problems

Timely and accurate communication between the AVMAC Team and our customers is critical to successful performance. Our shared collaborative knowledge environment will provide all participants with a single repository of program information. The PM will provide guidance for regular meetings at the task level.

 

Personnel Problems

Our PM and TMs will be trained to be alert of potential personnel problems including work performance, attendance, and family matters. The PM is authorized to remove an employee from the TO. When this occurs, we will inform the SeaPort-e contracting officer of the circumstance and assign replacements as quickly as possible. We are committed to providing each employee with the resources to succeed.

 

FPPB Scope Problems

AVMAC is committed to achieving savings in each subsequent year of performance on multi-year FPPB tasks. The most significant source of problems is scope growth. Scope growth is best dealt with preemptively by clearly written TOs, a mutual understanding of the anticipated scope at award, and a bilateral commitment to the discipline required to resist work scope “creep”. All of our TMs will be trained in Earned Value Management and monitored for adherence to contracted work scope.

 

AVMAC will use a Cost Basis of Estimate (BOE) to provide a record of the procedures, ground rules and assumptions, data, environment, and events that underlie a cost estimate’s development or update in developing TO costs. Good documentation will support the cost estimate’s credibility, aid in the analysis of changes in program cost, enable reviewers to effectively assess the cost estimate to develop TO costs and will contain a complete Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) of the anticipated scope of the TO being estimated. We will align this WBS with an Organizational Breakdown Structure (OBS) to create organizational efficiencies. The PM will provide our BOE, WBS to the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) at award of all multi-year TOs, if required, to establish a common baseline for subsequent years of performance.

 

Summary

AVMAC is committed to serve as the trusted agent for aviation maintenance management consulting and technical support services in a changing naval environment throughout the duration of the SeaPort-e vehicle. We are driven by the promise of shared success for both AVMAC and the Warfare Centers.

AVMAC LLC