Hull, Mechanical, and Electrical Equipment Standardization in the U.S. Navy Surface Force: A Case of Competing Objectives and Stakeholder Trade-Off Decisions

摘要

The lack of a successful Standardization Program for Hull, Mechanical, and Electrical (HM&E) equipment and components of ships in the surface force costs the United States Navy hundreds of millions of dollars annually. Approximately half of the total parts in the surface fleet are installed on three or fewer ships and nearly 20 percent are one of a kind. These parts are not officially considered to be 'non-standard' since they have been approved by the Navy and entered into the National Stock Number system. However, variations in equipment brands, models, as well as technical and physical characteristics result in significant issues for the Navy each year. The root cause of this real lack of equipment standardization is the existence of competing objectives and priorities on the part of stakeholders in the equipment selection process. These competing objectives lead to stakeholder trade-off decisions that effectively reduce equipment standardization throughout the Navy Surface Force. This is a result of decisions that are made in the best interest of the stakeholder instead of for the good of HM&E equipment standardization and moreover for the greater good of fleet operational readiness. This research presents an analysis of the people, organizations, and activities that influence HM&E equipment standardization to determine the extent of their impact and the reasons for their equipment selection decisions. The analysis reveals that competing objectives exist at the National Strategic Level, at the DoD Strategic Level, and at both the Operational and Tactical Levels in the Navy. Finally, potential options are identified that the Navy could pursue to minimize the impact of competing objectives and stakeholder trade-off decisions on the HM&E equipment standardization process. With the explosion of new technology and the increased availability of high-performance.