Program Excellence Candidate - MH-60T Avionics Program

I. Program Overview

Organization Name/Program Name: / Rockwell Collins, Inc. / US Coast Guard MH-60T Avionics Integration Program
Your Name/Position/Contact Information – Email, Phone: / Robert H. Koelling
Program Manager
VIP/Special Mission/Search & Rescue Solutions
Rockwell Collins

319-295-0009 (o); 319-431-0841 (c)
Customer:
Organization/Name/Position/
Contact Information
Note: your customer will be contacted to verify performance across the four criteria measured herein / United States Coast Guard
Aviation Logistic Center, Elizabeth City, NC
Contact 1: CWO Tyler Jennings, Avionics/Sensors Program Manager, (252)334-5146(o); (252)333-5439(c)
Contact 2: LCDR Eric Carter, Avionics Program Manager, (252)384-7202(o); (252)202-1317(c)
Contact 3: CWO Keith Pinto, Avionics/Sensors Program Manager, (252)384-7237(o); (252)312-5560(c)
Program Category / System Production/Sustainment program
Program Background: What is this program all about? (No more than one page)
Describe
Ø The overarching need for this program
Ø History of the program
Ø The product that is created by this program
Ø Scope of Work
Ø Expected Deliverables
Ø Current status of the program / · Program need:
US Coast Guard helicopters are required to perform:
- port security along our nation’s seashores,
- drug interdiction in the Gulf of Mexico and along our nations seashores, and
- search and rescue missions, all US coastlines.
The Coast Guard relies on avionics systems provided by Rockwell Collins for successful mission execution, situational awareness, and flight safety.
The avionics must be highly integrated to accomplish the demanding missions assigned to Coast Guard.
· Program history:
Initiated the Rockwell Collins Common Avionics Architecture System (CAAS) development and integration into the MH-60T platform effort in 2005.
Have integrated the avionics system and continued to delivered avionics, product upgrades, and CAAS Operational Flight Program (OFP) upgrades, and provide sustainment to US Coast Guard.
All program efforts have been completed on time and within budget, many times exceeding the customers expectations
· Products created by MH-60T Avionics program and Scope of Work:
Integrates all avionics hardware, including radios, radar, electro-optical sensor, video imaging, voice warning, computers, flight controls, and cockpit displays together into a open architecture system.
The MH-60T Operational Flight Program (software) controls the Human Machine interface for the platform.
The MH-60T avionics solution requires smaller avionics size, less weight, and lower power.
The Scope of work has been expanded with additional programs once the initial baseline was completed. All efforts completed within defined scope, within budget, and on time for all program milestones.
· Deliverables include:
- Hardware, software, systems and software documents, classroom training and documents and ground and flight test efforts to support the Coast Guard customers.
· Current status:
The MH-60T’s are being deployed at all US Coast Guard air stations to support the mission requirements stated above.
Mission enhancements have been integrated to support emergent specific mission requirements. eg. FLIR, cameras, streaming video storage, image capture.

II. Value Creation = 20 points

Value:
What is the value, competitive positioning, advantage, and return created by this program to your:
· Customers
· Company
· Scientific/Technical Value
Excellence and Uniqueness:
What makes this program unique? Why should this program be awarded the Program Excellence Award? In what ways is this a stellar program? / · Value to the customer:
The US Coast Guard can now rely on a common, highly capable common CAAS cockpit common with US Army and other DoD customers
§ Commonality creates advantages for supply, maintenance, training, and economies of scale
Open architecture, coupled with effective partitioning among software functions, allows avionics expansion options as new requirements emerge
· Value to Rockwell Collins and shareholders:
Enhanced reputation and sincere trust with customers keep them coming back for more solutions, support
Hardware and software sales and service generate a steady revenue stream for shareholders
Program developments and investments are leveraged among not only Coast Guard, but also Army, Marines, and international customers, expanding our addressed markets
· Scientific/Technical Value:
The US Coast Guard is pushing the technology envelope with MH-60T avionics integrations to bring, for example, state of the art Forward Looking Infrared streaming video and image capture capabilities, which are available and operational today.
The US Coast Guard is also pushing technology envelope developing and integrating new search and rescue methods (such as “person in the water” identification technologies) using the FLIR systems and highly technical camera systems to locate survivors when performing Search and Rescue operations, taking part of the “search” out of “search and rescue”.
· Excellence:
The MH-60T avionics upgrade is providing vital capabilities, on-time and within budget, meeting all customers requirements, to meet their missions.
This MH-60T avionics upgrade is involved in lives saved during search and rescue missions.
Commonality across all other programs delivers outstanding value to the DHS and DoD, taxpayers, and company shareholders
§ Software reuse is as high as 99% with avionics upgrade integrations on MH-60T

III. Organizational Processes/Best Practices: (How do you do things) = 30 points

Strategic:
Describe how you developed your program strategy and competitive advantage in support of your company strategy, how you monitor progress toward achieving this strategy / · In the late 1990s, Rockwell Collins foresaw Open System Architecture (OSA) would be an avionics “game changer”
OSA allows integration among multiple contractors’ products, avoiding “stove-piped” proprietary systems
Adopted OSA to produce completely common CAAS hardware, as well as tailored OFPs, to equip multiple DHS, DoD, and international rotary wing and fixed wing aircraft platforms with similar hardware and software. A major game changer in avionics approaches. Rockwell Collins is able to achieve tremendous economies of scale with the approach to modular hardware and software components that are common and reused across all platforms. Think of this: we use the same processor board in all displays, all control units and all processing boxes on each platform. Commercial like production economies of scale, and substantially reduced costs to the customer are dramatic in this situation!
· Monitoring progress in expanding CAAS customers:
Rockwell Collins produces similar avionics solutions for 14 helicopter types for the Army, Coast Guard, Marines, and international customers, who have all adapted this avionics/cockpit solution for their missions.
Strategic:
Requirements Management
How do you define, revise, and control your requirements? / · The US Coast Guard and Rockwell Collins work together on each MH-60T avionics program to clearly define the scope of work in a Statement of Work and that is the defining document for managing scope and revising scope.
· The process of creating a SOW is an iterative process with the customer to ensure the scope is well understood and clear to all parties.
Strategic:
Systems Engineering
Define your systems engineering planning and management processes. / · Rockwell Collins uses a project management metrics tailoring approach to systems engineering. Items such as detail bid planning templates with metrics, Integrated Master Schedule, Risk Management Plans, Staffing planning forecasts, Design to Cost, Manufacturing Introduction Index, Change Request/Problem Report Request management and tracking, Program Action Item registers, and schedule and budget technical and earned value performance measures.
Operational:
Opportunity Management
Describe how your program team identifies opportunity and manages this opportunity. / · Opportunities are defined as “emerging customer requirements” and “what brings best value to the customer”
New opportunities for increased capabilities are worked directly with the customer as part of Road-mapping technical interchange meetings, and customer driven requests for help with new requirements.
Internal project management opportunities are also managed. eg. such as Cost under-runs are our goal, even for cost-type contracts that may result in fewer sales dollars in the short term
§ Helps customers in affording additional capabilities
§ Taxpayers receive greater value for the dollar, and the customer keeps returning with more business
· Opportunities are identified/managed in parallel with risks
Mirror-image processes, conducted simultaneously
Results folded into Estimate At Completion (EAC) updates for a consolidated view
Operational:
Planning, Monitoring and Controlling
How do you monitor and review your program’s progress and make corrections to keep the program on track / · Detail planning involves the systems engineering process items identified above, eg. detail bid planning / metrics and integrated master schedule coordination with team members.
· Monthly Cadence Reviews status the business and management soundness
· Monthly Program Reviews explore in more detail the technical, schedule, and risk status of individual software versions under development
· Monthly engineering Cost Account Manager (CAM) Reviews refine sales forecasts and resource requirements
· Weekly Change Control Boards (CCB) keep development programs apprised of each other’s evolving requirements
· Weekly MH-60T Integrated Product Team (IPT) meetings, featuring key metrics discussions with the customer, keep IPTs synchronized and foster close customer relationships
Data-driven decisions with front-row customer visibility, transparency, and engagement all but eliminate surprises
§ High level of mutual trust allows the customer clear visibility into all aspects of every project
· Weekly internal schedule and action item reviews maintain Rockwell Collins’ coordination with the customer
Operational:
Supply Chain
What processes, tools and relationship-building methods have you used to develop, refine and improve supply chain and stakeholder integration? This is one of the most imperative needs of our industry – please provide in specific details and data that assisted you in gauging the effectiveness. / · Rockwell Collins’ Product Line Management and select third-party contractors are integrated into supply chains
· Supply chain development, refinement, and improvement:
§ Actively participates in monthly LRU Product Line program reviews
§ The MH-60T Program Mgr represents software programs as a member of the common hardware CCB
§ Draws in Rockwell Collins’ Product Line Management to represent hardware design and manufacturing during Program Management Reviews with the customer
§ Engages in Product Line hardware issue resolution
· A satisfied customer is the ultimate gauge of effectiveness of the supply chain process. The customer is consistently informing Rockwell Collins of their appreciation of the early warnings with supply chain items and resolution management when issues do occur.
Operational:
System Integration, Testing and Reviews
Describe the activities and processes used to succeed in your system design, integration, and testing. How did you conduct system design and technical reviews? / · A proven approach to validate requirements at the product, avionics system, and aircraft platform levels is used. Traceability to all levels of requirements is tested at the lowest possible level, culminating with a system test on the aircraft. Test procedures and reports are reviewed and maintained at each level, product level, avionics system level, aircraft ground check, and flight test, to ensure success and customer participation and approval in the entire process.
Operational:
Risk Management
Describe the processes used to identify risk and avoid future/potential issues or risks. / · Risk management is key to shaping the future by taking prudent actions to eliminate or mitigate future negative consequences, should they occur
Brings discipline to the decision-making process
Allows proactive actions for better value to the customer
· Each IPT conducts monthly risk management meetings
In addition to Rockwell Collins personnel, the customer is an important contributor for identifying risks and formulating mitigation strategies
Results are summarized to identify cross-cutting issues and to capture synergies
· Risks are averted through cross-functional team analysis and actions to shape the future through sound investments, reducing overall project price to the customer.
Team Leadership:
Team Spirit and Motivation
Describe how you created your team spirit and culture, and accomplished full team integration, motivation, and inspiration. / · Team spirit starts by getting the entire team involved as closely as possible with the Customer, whenever possible. This shapes tremendous team and customer affinity and is a key ingredient to the consistent high-level of success achieved on the MH-60T avionics upgrade programs.
· Customer involvement is fundamental to motivating team
Customer has shown the Rockwell Collins team inspirational videos of Coast Guard Aviation, and recognized outstanding performers with unit coins
Team members understand the customer’s overall goals, and how individual contributions fit into a greater whole, resulting in outstanding avionics for our warfighters
· To bring Coast Guard to life in the minds of our team, we display in our workplace Coast Guard flags, pictures of helicopter cockpits that we develop, and motivational posters describing our team Vision and Values
· Software developers, hardware Product Line managers, and assembly line personnel all know some of the Coast Guard customers through personal interaction – by face, by name
· Rockwell Collins participates in Coast Guard Operations ceremonies
· Weekly visibility into, and transparency of IPT progress toward program goals breed success among the teams
Metrics show who is meeting or exceeding goals
Peer pressure and “cooperative competition” motivate all to improve their IPT’s performance
Team Leadership:
Lessons Learned and Knowledge Management
Describe how you collect lessons learned and best practices, and how they are used across the team and company to improve performance. / · Timely and detailed After Action Reviews conclude projects to highlight what has gone well, and even more importantly, what can be improved
· Lessons learned are promulgated through “TeamSpace”, a web-based information exchange and data repository, as well as discussions at weekly IPT meetings
· Physical collocation and stability foster team mentorship and contribute to group learning and achievement
· Solutions leaders actively manage and report on team experience and skill set composition
If a trend indicates a declining experience base, the shortfalls are reversed through cooperation with resource managers and engineering directors
· Field Service Engineers serve as the eyes and ears for both the development and sustainment teams
Highly experienced employees, collocated with customers at their operating locations
Facilitate customer communications and understanding
Team Leadership:
Leadership Development
How do you develop team’s skills and build future leaders / · Our team emphasizes career progression for all employees
We regularly take in new talent and promote them to higher organizational levels whenever appropriate
Senior employees mentor junior counterparts, passing along lessons learned and design experience
Rockwell Collins provides formal and informal training, based on individual roles, experience, and potential
Best Practices:
Identify your program’s specific Best Practices that you believe are unique, and could be shared with others and become industry’s Next Practices. / · Building and maintaining “Trust” between Rockwell Collins and our Coast Guard counterparts
Inclusive customer involvement in all our program’s processes, including proposal preparation, reviews, and testing, in addition to traditional customer involvement in requirements and design reviews, Technical Information Meetings, etc.
Mutual trust allows customer visibility, enabling collaborative decision making, leading to customer satisfaction, which further increases mutual trust
· Mission-Based Testing
Coast Guard customers conduct Mission-Based Testing in our avionics system integration facility, well before aircraft ramp and flight tests
Mission-Based Testing identifies development issues and requirements changes early in the process, allowing time to implement while minimizing additional cost and reducing expensive aircraft flight hours

IV. Adapting to Complexity: (How do you deal with your program’s unique complexities) = 20 points