Partnering Defense Depots with Industry for the Performance od Depot-LevelMaintenance: A Case Analysis of the AIM XXI Program

摘要

Partnering the public and private sector for the performance of depot-levelmaintenance and repair is a relatively new concept. While partnering arrangements offer tremendous opportumties to increase the efficiency of the industrial base; to be successful, these arrangements require substantial effort and commitment from all involved parties. Partnering arrangements are complicated by their reliance upon full and open communication, plus their dependency on the total commitment of senior leadership from all involved organizations. Phase I of the Abrams Integrated Management for the Twenty-First Century (AIM XXI) program, a partnering arrangement between General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) and Anniston Army Depot (ANAD), which called for the complete rebuild and modernization of 17 M1Als, offers valuable insight to acquisition professionals who are considering establishing a partnering arrangement. A principal finding of this research is the necessity for partnering arrangements to have the long-term commitment of senior management, and be thoroughly disseminated throughout the involved organizations, particularly to the mid-level managers who are responsible for executing the arrangement. Open and honest communication is the key to the success of partnering arrangements. Partnering is more than a new buzzword brought about by Acquisition Reform (AR). It is a new dimension to the relationship between the public and private sectors. Acquisition officials must ensure that the parties fully understand this, and the groundwork for this environment is established prior to approving requests to partner.