Army Maintenance Management Improvements
GCSS Accounts Registration Improvement Process 
Joseph E. Vega-Quinones
MMP-6700 / SP-19 / Design Project
Professor Carlos Pons, Ph. D.
Abstract: Armed Forces’ readiness drives its own lethality therefore, in 2018 the Secretary of Defense mandated Commanders at all levels to grasp a real measure of their equipment readiness in order to make .sound decisions over deployable units. This project explores the pattern of active and
effective accounts within the Global Combat Support System (GCSS), the Army’s maintenance software, among key users and how in-proper practices related to decreased mission readiness indicators and the offload of maintenance funds. Reports obtained from GCSS did not show real
information to drive sound decisions on whether or not a unit is capable to deploy to war or achieve its given mission. This project uses the lean six sigma methodology to identify problems with sound improvements. Within the process a study is conducted all 43 deployable units and their
headquarters within the Puerto Rico Army National Guard. All stakeholders were given a voice of the customer survey to define problems behind the maintenance process. Results suggest that access and training deficiencies in the GCSS software negatively correlated with mission capability,
offload of funds to purchase repair parts, and un-realistic reports affected decisions of Commanders. By implementing lean six sigma methodology and techniques such as standard work, 5’s, quality at source, and visual management results in an increase of 56.8% in mission capable equipment, an
additional $30K for funding, and an increase of 14% on active accounts within four (4) weeks into improvement implementations.
Define Measure Analyze Improve Control
Introduction: This project pays particular attention to the mission capacity and funding Within GCSS, there are ten (10) user roles that impact the maintenance PARETO CHART Standard Work
process. The role requirement for each major command is summarized
outputs obtained through GCSS access management; implementing adequate lean At the beginning of the process there was Control charts will be used ason figure (#). Through a four week period the process was measured the main method to monitor
techniques into the process in order to improve such outputs. Measurements are while minor improvements were simultaneously applied. Descriptive UPDATED FLOW CHART FOR REQUESTING ACCESS no Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) in
place. The unimproved flow chart for the behavior of the process
obtained from GCSS account activity reports and visual data obtained from documents statistics were taken for each in order to understand critical aspects of requesting access was merely created to ensuring that the outputs are
each. Also, the fulfillment of requirements such as % of active accounts,
on archives (i.e. access authorization forms and training certifications) simultaneously understand the current process condition within the control limit.% of accounts with DD Form 2875 (System Access Authorization Form)
at the beginning of this project. Therefore, Although the Control phasewhile running the process during a four (4) week period. This project provides and % of training certificates on record were recorded for each week. This
clear guidance was provided to users and has not yet begun, part of the
information obtained through hypothesis testing using analysis of variance regarding is summarized on figure (#). an internal and external SOP was improvements that are
the comparison of Active Accounts versus Mission Capability % and Active Accounts vs. currently taking place will beSUMMARY OF REQUIREMENT FULLFILMENT ROLE REQUIREMENT FULLFILMENT PRIOR TO IMPROVEMENTS published. This SOP included a definitive
used to ensure that the
Funding Received. Also, information is obtained through simple and multiple linear guidance and an elaborated flowchart that
permitted users to understand how to established process is under
regression analysis regarding the relationship of accounts managed vs. time engaged request access and troubleshoot problems control. One of the controls
on each in order to determine the requirement of account managers. A single factorial with their accounts. Also a three (3) tier that is currently taking shape is
the implementation of the
design of experiment is used to determine whether there is any statistically significant customer service was emplaced to ease
users at each level. Command Maintenance
differences daily active accounts. While measurements are retrieved during the four (4) . Discipline Program (CMDP) in
week period, minor improvements on the process take place while considering the order to inspect units andVisual Management ensure that they adhere to the
behavior of descriptive statistics and failure mode analysis. Finally, this research
A pre-filled system authorization form maintenance standards.
highlights major strength and weaknesses while making explanation of improvements Top Offenders: (DD Form 2875) is provided as a visual
• Access to GCSS and specific required roles
and observed changes. This project also makes recommendations that will improve 79% of management in order to aide user to fill
• Users do not know how or who to request access to the 
other areas of the maintenance process. SUMMARY OF GCSS ACCOUNT ACTIVITY LAST 180 DAYS The average usage of GCSS out the form correctly and evade from• Lack of training to execute required tasks with given roles Problem
for the past six (6) months being returned. This helps to increase
• No Standard Operating Procedure in place
in accordance to the access the process capabilities of access record
Problem Statement: GCSS accounts in-activity leads to significant increase of deadlined activity report was 42% as processing. Visual Management is
equipment (un-realistic readiness reports) and a negative proportion return of seen in table 3. That is employed as well through a stop and fixFISH BONE DIAGRAM
because 58% of the standard. This was placed into the SUPPORT HIERARCHY DIAGRAM
Operations & Maintenance (OPTEMPO) funding. accounts are locked; GCSS Man Management Method material management section in order
Everyone Wants to be the Boss No Process to Request Access
accounts are automatically Fail to Maintain Access to define and standardize an escalation
SIPOC DIAGRAM Lack of Training No SOP in place
No Schedule for Man Hours
locked by the system after Absentism No Parts Inventory Control system and criteria to ensure all unitsPoor Prioritization of Resources
30 days of inactivity. In the Failure to Input Data In-adequate distribution of fundsUn-forseen Requirements were operating accordingly. Equipment
Failure to Complete Preventive Maintenance No-Reconciliations
last 30 days only 0.8% Lack of Communication specialists are empowered to take
Fail to take Disciplnary Actions Bureaucratic
logged into the system. actions into units that drop readiness
Un-realistic 
Access to Software is not Monitored Poor Internet Connectity readiness posutre
A relationship between active accounts versus received funding and levels on specific areas. These isParts are not availalbe or fundedTraining Requirements are not Monitored or Tested Poor Electric Infrastructure
Un-availability of Computers
mission capability ratio is established using the recorded data for daily monitored through a weekly Andon CallMan-Hour Reporting is not Being Monitored
In-adequate Working Areas
active accounts per role (input), daily status of funds (output 1), and daily Man-Hour Reporting is not Being Monitored (Critical Equipment Status Report).
Un-Availability of Office Materials
mission capability ratio (output 2). This is done by obtaining descriptive Measurement UPDATED VSM WITH KAIZEN BURST ON POTENTIAL AREAS OF IMPROVEMENTMachine Material Work Shops
statistics and analysis of variance (ANOVA) through Minitab. Roles are
further described as critical and non-critical. A critical role has significant Most defects are associated or translated into access, training, and SOP During the process, multiple work shops took place. Instead of time consuming
influence on the output. The figures below show a comparison of interval issues. The fish bone diagram yields that the cause of these errors yield to meeting trying to solve the problem, meetings became in productive workshops
and boxplots obtained for the Maintenance Supply Technician Roles obtaining an unrealistic readiness posture and the loss of recoverable were users learned how to request their access, how to do their job when they
(Critical) and the Commander Representative Role (Non-Critical) maintenance funds. got the access, and made networking with other counterparts.
PLOT DIAGRAMS COMPARISON ON OUTPUTS The employment of an adequate amount of Access Administrators was 5S
analyzed. Generally, access administrators are required to perform other
main tasks. The Access Administrator duty falls as an additional duty. If access
Objectives Baseline Goal administrators were reduced a bottleneck may occur in the process.
1. Readiness: Increase 49% Full Mission 80% Full Therefore, the best parameter was selected by analyzing a multiple regression
readiness by providing Capable Mission analysis. To obtain the best process capability with the least amount of access
users with required Capable administrators the result yielded to three (3) access administrators. Anything
access and training. lower than three (3) had a negative impact on the outputs. Also, based out of
2. Funding: Synchronized $749,000.00 $1,123,500.00 improvements managed through a failure mode and effect analysis the CpK
with objective 1, increase Annual Funding (+ 50%) for the access record processing was improved from 0.012 to 0.821. PLAN-DO-CHECK-ACT METHODOLOGY
the return of funds Annual 
proportional to readiness Funding In addition to an improved office layout, all maintenance shops conducted 5S.LINEAR REGRESSION ANALYSIS FOR MAINTENANCE ACCESS SINGLE FACTORIAL DOE
and execution levels. MANAGER STATIONS Quality at Source
3. GCSS Account Activity: 62% Active 100% Active UNIT GCSS ACCESS FULLFILMENT INSPECTION SHEET
Increase Active Accounts Accounts Accounts
based on required roles.
PROJECT GANT CHART
ACCESS FORMS PROCESS CAPABILITY Recommendations
CpK Week 2 ✓ Improve maintenance shops supply stocks by incorporation space 
0.012 utilization, incorporate 5S on parts warehouse, and eliminate waste by 
reducing inventory requirements.
✓ Recover funds from returned recoverable items and use these funds 
towards improvement of common maintenance shops.
The average processing rate of accounts entailed measuring the daily ✓ Optimize the parts requisition process in order to reduce wait times of CpK Week 4
average amount of time an access administrator took to process each In order to ensure quality at source, all subordinate units at the lowest level parts from the moment ordered to the moment received to the 0.821
account per day. Also, the amount of access forms received, processed, were inspected on the fulfillment of their GCSS Access requirements. A work maintenance shop.
and returned (error) was recorded in order to measure a weekly process sheet such as the one in figure _____________ is used to assess the units ✓ Maintain an authorized safety stock of essential parts in order to reduce 
capability based of account processing rate. fulfillment score and determine if the meet the standard. wait times of parts and accelerate the increase of readiness levels.