M2A1 Process Improvement Plan SWOT Analysis

M2A1 Process Improvement Plan: SWOT Analysis

Abstract

This essay provides a comprehensive SWOT analysis on the current processes in place for the 926th Contracting Battalion (CBN) that are related to the chosen management issue. It clearly highlights the weaknesses of current operations and articulates the reasons why the process needs to change. It also provides a business strategy to overcome the weaknesses identified as a result of the analysis.

SWOT Analysis

BACKGROUND

The organizational structure of 926th CBN is composed of 5 teams. Teams are composed of 2 officers and 3 Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs). The supervisor of the team is known as the team lead which is customarily an Officer in the rank of Captain (O-3) and above. A secondary supervisor, known as the team NCO In Charge (NCOIC) is usually a Sergeant First Class (E-7) and above. The other 3 members of the team are typically staff sergeants (E-6s). Each team operates independently to accomplish their assigned taskings to provide contractual support meeting the Commander’s intent. Soldiers are assigned to teams based on vacancies. Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) certification, experience and previous duty positions held, are some of the primary factors taken into consideration when determining the role of the Soldier on that team. The DAWIA required the Department of Defense to establish a process through which persons in the acquisition workforce would be recognized as having achieved professional status (DAU, 2015).

The workload of each team is assigned by the branch chief of the corresponding division the team is imbedded in. The Team Leader then assigns work to its team members based on their workload. Each division at the contracting center supports a specific facet of operations on the installation such as facilities, services, technology, construction, etc.. In addition to maintaining a contractual workload, the 926th CBN staff operations are additional duties that must be maintained to support the military aspect of the organization. These duties are assigned to Soldiers serving on these contracting teams. A SWOT analysis (Goodrich, 2015) is executed on current processes in place for the 926th CBN.

STRENGTHS

The team leader and NCOIC have the ability to workload the team members based on their current obligations for providing contracting support. This capability allows a team to provide continuous overhead coverage for whatever requirement comes in from the tenant organizations assigned to that team. The visibility of which requirement is being worked by which team member, allows the team leader to monitor progress and shift resources when action is needed. If a team member has the additional duty of supporting a staff function, that team member can inform the team leader and the workload of that Soldier can be adjusted to provide adequate time to support the staff function.

WEAKNESSES

The additional duty of supporting a staff function poses an inherent risk of limiting the capabilities of a team to allocate all resources towards a specific requirement. In a contingency environment, not having the ability to focus the team’s assets reduces it operational capability. The team is charged to perform for their customers and could possibly be limited in the execution of their duties because of a team member’s additional responsibilities of their assigned S-shop. Undue stress is placed upon the Soldier performing in the staff position because the taskers assigned to that S-shop are all “no fail” missions and must all be accomplished in the suspense provided. Having a dual workload to support staff functions as well as fulfill the contractual obligations to procure for the customer are additional stressors within the position.

OPPORTUNITIES

926th CBN is in a position to restructure the organization so that the Soldiers assigned to work in a staff position are also not work loaded to provide contractual support. Pointing out this change in procedure to senior leadership and providing evidence to support such an alteration in work flow would streamline operations for the 926th CBN.

THREATS

Soldiers assigned to a staff position with the change order in work processes that shields them from also maintaining a contractual workload may be frowned upon by those Soldiers assigned to work in staff positions. As a 51C contracting officer, the skills associated to the position are somewhat perishable and need to be exercised to maintain proficiency. It may be looked down upon to serve in a S-shop because it removes the Soldier from their military occupational specialty and forces them out of the acquisition realm to support military aspect of 926th CBN. In the end, the Commander’s authority supersedes all personnel assigned to 926th CBN mandated by regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

OUTCOME
The application of the contingency theory more appropriately provides the parameters to navigate through the proposed plan of not work loading Soldiers with contractual obligations that have been designated to execute duties of an S-shop. The contingency theory allows for a refined attention to detail to develop the best “fit” among the variables that affect the unit. In respect to the 926th CBN, a single aspect that is best addressed by implementing the contingency theory is the evaluation of performance because it is a variable that is objective to the assigned duty position of that Soldier and measurable. This project aligns itself with the broad organization needs of 926th CBN in that satisfies its mission requirement to the Army Contracting Center and enables the unit to better care of its assigned personnel. The project has the ability to increase morale within assigned staff positions, it provides a dedicated staff to address taskers handed down by the Department of the Army, and it improves customer service to its tenant organizations.

Utilizing the SWOT analysis of the current staffing operation for S-shops as a management tool provides the foundation of how to realign the current functions of 926th CBN for optimal performance. When a staff soldier must execute the duties of the S-shop, it takes away their ability to work on the requirements that have been assigned to that Soldier in support of the Warfighter. To eliminate the inherent risk of serving in a staff position and not being able to provide the best customer support to the requiring activity, assigning purchase requests to staff Soldiers should be completely eliminated. The reorganization of 926th CBN should incorporate a team composed of all S-shops that do not provide any contractual support and are solely tasked at completing staff functions.
STRATEGY
A pilot program should be initiated to capture data on the efficiency of executing this change. The time to complete taskings when compared to suspense dates for Army taskers could be used as a measureable outcome to ascertain its effectiveness at completing the mission in a reduced time frame. Tracing the procurement processing time-line for requirements executed by Soldiers that are only work loaded with purchase requests will help quantify the results of tracking the reduced time required to complete an action. The recommended period of performance for evaluation is 6 months but could be adjusted provided ample time is allocated to capture data and interpret the information for its effectiveness.
Identification of personnel that will be transitioning into the roles of an S-shop should be disseminated at the Commander’s Update Brief to corresponding team leaders. The traditional position of the BN Executive Officer needs to assume the responsibility of team lead for the S-Shop team and a date to hand over the functions should be established so that milestones can be set to meet that timeline. After transitioning the duties to the newly appointed personnel, the effectiveness of the change can be extrapolated from the documentation of the altered work processes, procurement timelines, and accomplishment of missions relatively to the suspense dates documented.

References

Defense Acquisition University (2015). Data file. USA.gov. Retrieved from http://www.dau.mil/doddacm/Pages/Certification.aspx

Goodrich, R. (2015). SWOT Analysis: Examples, Templates & Definition. Business News Daily. Retrieved from http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/4245-swot-analysis.html