Ogden ALC Business Development Team driven by AFSC Way

  • Published
  • By Alex R. Lloyd
  • Ogden Air Logistics Complex
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah --  With the motto "Built Right, Ready to Fight" the Ogden Air Logistics Complex has embraced the Air Force Sustainment Center's "AFSC Way" as a methodology to live by.

Leading the way in this mindset change is the OO-ALC Strategy and Business Development Team.

"The reason we are here," said Business Development and Strategy Lead Lane Farka, "is to maintain a pulse on the needs of the Warfighter and in turn help develop long term strategy for the Complex."

Ensuring this workload is planned early and efficiently, is key to having the complex maintain a viable role in the future of Hill Air Force Base.

That future is now and it has started with the infiltration of next generation legacy replacement systems. To accomplish this, many challenges are faced daily in providing the warfighter with the much needed tools to complete the mission.

The OO-ALC is always looking at the "Art of the Possible," and capacity analysis is a perfect example. Using AFSC Way principles, the BDT has established a public-public partnership with Toole Army Depot and the OO-ALC through the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group to provide much needed, no-cost, flex-space for indoor storage of advanced composite aircraft and back shop maintenance equipment.

Having to previously pay for this storage and following the AFSC Way principles, this new partnership will save the Air Force in excess of $5M annually. With needed parts only a few miles from production requirements at Hill AFB, the partnership will also save shipping costs and delivery time.

Establishing a Business Development Standard Process for staff office use is the latest AFSC Way item receiving BDT attention. This process will allow the team to strategically rank and identify future complex workloads, analyze the impact to the mission, and execute the production machine, all within a standard gated process.

According to Farka, "our mission, as we strive to increase process maturity, is to take artistic processes and standardize them utilizing AoP principles. Staff offices have as significant supporting role to the production machine; it is imperative we focus our efforts on continuously improving our process."

Using this type of model is what helped to solve the storage issue problem.
Through Air Force Material Command quarterly source of repair team meetings, the BDT is able to collaborate with other AFSC depots, driving a new dynamic in "Embracing the enterprise" by strategically flexing the Complex's ability to share workloads based on proper assignment and capacity.

Furthering its reach to the local community, the BDT works closely with state, county and city development teams, ensuring the base receives needed support. This collaboration comes in both short and long solutions.

A broader support network used by the BDT for mission accomplishment is the Utah Defense Alliance, an entity that supports Utah's defense and aerospace industry. The UDA recently held a "Meet the Military" event Feb. 5 at the Utah State Capitol that included military organizations from Hill AFB, Tooele Army Depot, Dugway Proving Grounds, Fort Douglas, and the Utah National Guard.

The OO-ALC used this opportunity to showcase its diverse mission by detailing how they keep up with national defense technology demands and warfighter support. OO-ALC Commander, Brig. Gen. Steven Bleymaier, championed a discussion with Utah Governor Gary Herbert specifically regarding depot capabilities and how the OO-ALC is keeping up with technology insertion initiatives that include the future of robotics, additive manufacturing, and software maintenance.

Finding ways to do things smarter and better is the premise behind the AFSC Way; Applying that daily is the goal for the BDT.