Jumping on the Efficiency Bandwagon

The Space and Missile Systems Center at Los Angeles AFB, Calif., is looking at a number of initiatives to cut overhead, Lt. Gen. Tom Sheridan, SMC’s boss, told reporters Wednesday. Initiatives include pacing the buy of satellites to reduce expenditures associated with factory start-ups and stops between programs, he said during a teleconference. Although he couldn’t put an exact dollar figure on the potential savings, Sheridan said a well-paced buy could lead to “significant savings.” By bridging the gap between programs like the Global Positioning System Block IIF and Space-Based Infrared System satellites, USAF could save in “down time, swings in workforces, and parts obsolescences,” he said. Another idea is to have airmen participate in more video teleconferences instead of flying to attend meetings in person. Sheridan also said the center is “pioneering a process” to consolidate an exorbitant number of acquisition documents into a single “system engineering master plan.”