Tobyhanna Army Depot (TYAD) is expanding its use of business intelligence to better manage production and heighten data-driven decision-making.
Electronic production control boards (ePCBs) are a key tool for mission teams to manage their workloads. A centralized dashboard that provides real-time cost and schedule data for a particular process, ePCBs make production data easily accessible to all members of the workforce. While the tool has been used at Tobyhanna for several years, the depot’s Business Intelligence Team (BIT) is enhancing them for heightened success across the enterprise.
Refresher training was conducted on January 3 for members of the C4ISR Directorate’s Sensors Division and their counterparts in Production Management (PM). Subject matter experts (SMEs) from the BIT and PM’s Enterprise Resource Planning and Support Division presented material on the use of ePCBs and enhanced scheduling through the Logistics Modernization Program (LMP). SMEs also opened the floor for a lengthy question-and-answer session, addressing issues and concerns directly.
The endeavor served several purposes, according to Russell Wright.
“This training was designed to improve the Sensors Division team’s ability to efficiently manage production using data from the ePCBs and LMP. It was also beneficial to bring everyone together, allowing us to build relationships we can use in the future to better resolve production concerns.” Seth Black agreed.
“It was excellent to have the execution and PM teams in the same room for this training. The more accurate the data is, the better,” he said. Black leads the Sensors and Night Vision Project Management Branch in the PM Directorate.
One focus of the training was enabling students to handle discrepancies within the data.
“Good data in means good data out,” said Training Instructor Katherine Arnold.
Business intelligence tools are a high priority according to depot leadership.
“ePCBs help improve readiness by getting products out to the warfighter faster and cheaper, with less delays and waste. They are a great tool,” said Wright.
The BIT is comprised of eight data experts and developers from multiple directorates who strive to equip all members of Team Tobyhanna with timely and accurate data.
One goal of the BIT is to simplify data collection. They quickly analyze information that typically would take hours, if not days, to sift through and create visual tools that identify issues at a glance. The BIT is also striving to automate cumbersome processes, reducing the time it takes for leadership to review data for decision-making.
The use of business intelligence directly aligns with Tobyhanna’s long-range strategic plan, TOBY2035, which has four focus areas: Investing in Our People, C5ISR Readiness, Shape the Future and Strategic Communications. TOBY2035 aims to posture the depot for success in the coming years as the Department of Defense's premier worldwide C5ISR readiness provider.
Tobyhanna Army Depot is a recognized leader in providing world-class logistics support for command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C5ISR) systems across the Department of Defense. Tobyhanna’s Corporate Philosophy, dedicated work force and electronics expertise ensure the depot is the Joint C5ISR provider of choice for all branches of the Armed Forces and industry partners.
Tobyhanna’s unparalleled capabilities include full-spectrum logistics support for sustainment, overhaul and repair, fabrication and manufacturing, engineering design and development, systems integration, post production software support, technology insertion, modification, foreign military sales and global field support to our joint warfighters.
About 3,100 personnel are employed at Tobyhanna, which is located in the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania. Tobyhanna Army Depot is part of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command. Headquartered at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, the command’s mission is to empower the Soldier with winning C5ISR capabilities.
---With additional reporting by Nicolo Manzo, Public Affairs Specialist