Rethinking Reduced Manning Design and Optimization Using a Modified Systems Approach

摘要

This paper proposes a new approach for developing and understanding reduced manning at the crewing level proposed for DD21. It is based on the combination of generalized principles from systems engineering, object oriented programming, and symbiotic biological structures in nature. This combination produces a very efficient and survivable integration base for coordinating, controlling, supporting, analyzing, and documenting the overall problem. The approach is the result of a personal attempt to reason through and make sense out of the Coast Guards last twenty years of reduced manning operations. Much of the information that could be used from this history has never been documented or studied because it doesn't fit what the 'experts' are saying, and involves many significant factors that can't be directly measured. What is needed, is detailed open minded analysis based on the assumption that reduced manning is much more complicated than first thought, and is very different from anything that industry, the Navy or the Coast Guard have ever done before. This paper provides first step work for bringing together the background information and foundational concepts needed to develop an approach capable of effectively addressing the overall problem.