Leaders need to be the “face of external optimism” for their employees, Defense Logistics Agency Director Navy Vice Adm. Mark Harnitchek told DLA Troop Support leaders Oct. 10 during a visit to Philadelphia.
“When leaders get focused on things, … when you get personally involved, they get better,” he said. “When your people understand (a problem’s) importance, they’ll become fanatics about it.”
The admiral and other senior DLA Headquarters representatives visited the organization to review DLA Troop Support’s annual operating plan.
Leaders from DLA Troop Support’s five supply chains – subsistence, clothing and textiles, construction and equipment, medical, and industrial hardware – and support offices presented overviews of their respective mission plans, key operational goals and initiatives.
Harnitchek reviewed each of the supply chains’ plans to meet his goal of reducing costs by 10 percent over the next five years through his five “Big Ideas:” decrease material costs, decrease operational costs, improve customer service, reduce inventory and achieve audit readiness.
To meet the director’s goal, it’s critical to take cost savings measures now and not wait until the fifth year, DLA Vice Director Ted Case said.
Reverse auctions will be one key tool supply chains continue using to reduce costs. The clothing and textiles supply chain conducted 26 reverse auctions and saved $21.4 million in 2012, Keith Ford, the supply chain’s deputy director, said.
Subsistence leaders plan to achieve their biggest savings though collaborating with their customers, Deputy Director Tom Daley said. They intend to reduce distribution fees and standardize catalogs among the military services by working together with their customers.
DLA Troop Support Europe & Africa Commander Army Lt. Col. Patrick Taylor and DLA Troop Support Pacific Commander Navy Cmdr. Jason Bridges traveled from Kaiserslautern, Germany, and Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, respectively, for the review. Harnitchek encouraged both to be sensitive to their customers.
“You speak for me and for DLA,” Harnitchek said. “I’m depending on you to be customer-based. You’re the guys out there.”
DLA Troop Support Audit Readiness Team Leader Gerry Cromley said the group just completed its first phase, identifying and documenting processes for major systems. Harnitchek’s goal is for DLA to achieve audit readiness by 2015.
A review of the recent DLA Culture Survey revealed that DLA Troop Support’s overall score increased from the 63rd percentile to the 68th. The increase is partly due to a successful telework program and communicating to employees that leaders are addressing their concerns, Neil Kovnat, Command Support Office director, said.
Concluding the review, Harnitchek said that DLA Troop Support is a great example of innovative logistical support to warfighters.
“We are living in historic times, and I need you guys to go out and do historic stuff,” Harnitchek said. “Nobody knows this stuff like you do. I trust you to go out and make tough decisions and do big things.”
Harnitchek also took time to honor a few employees by presenting them with coins for recognition of their efforts. The following individuals were lauded.
-- Clothing and Textiles Individual Equipment Team: Maria Aguayo, Kathy Logan, Marybeth Naimoli, Robert Rounay, Jennifer Scarpello, Joseph Szwec, Mark Twardziak and Maria Vasquez.
-- Industrial hardware: Deborah Cromwell-Bush.
-- Medical: Pat Quigley.
-- Subsistence: Maureen Steffani.
-- Procurement Reverse Auctions Team: Judith Flores, Peter LaVerghetta, Bill McGuire, Fred Miller, Chuck Reimer and Robert Spadaro.