Stackers Future

[Kim Wipe]

I can only go on personal experience, but

Offering support in any way possible to the customer without citing 'contractual hours' or reasons outside TOR's.

Looking for a solution to the problem, using the wealth of experience of you, and those more experienced in other 24 hour sections on unit, and returning with that solution, and not another problem.

Using personal friendships and trade knowledge of other sections, to allow you to get the job done quicker and more efficiently without having to wait for daylight hours, or for the usual processes. This goes for friendships outside the trade also.

Draw on personal knowledge and experience of the supply procedures when OOA to help you complete a task in the UK. I have used this to great help many times. It's amazing how much general knowledge can be drawn from situations you have had to learn from being 'outside the comfort zone'.

The customer has a great advantage of knowing the supplier appreciates where they are coming from. Just because they may say no to a state, doesn't mean they don't appreciate how much you need an asset. But the customer needs to appreciate that everyone placing a demand needs their item now. There needs to be a way to differentiate the genuinely urgent requirements.

We look rather sexy in blue

The main reason I can see is that wealth of experience we gain across the board from working so many sections. I can now advise an engineer on the bay repair procedures, POL issues, reciept and dispatch etc. Usually they go away happy (or not so much) with an image of the whole process from start to finish, appreciating any possible issues that may arise during that process.

Sorry If I've gone on a bit DT_Xtremez_14:

 

[Mongy Muppet]

Lets see how we all like the rumoured amalgamation. Then all of us will have summat to be unhappy about.

 

[Stevienics]

I can only go on personal experience, but

Offering support in any way possible to the customer without citing 'contractual hours' or reasons outside TOR's.

Looking for a solution to the problem, using the wealth of experience of you, and those more experienced in other 24 hour sections on unit, and returning with that solution, and not another problem.

Using personal friendships and trade knowledge of other sections, to allow you to get the job done quicker and more efficiently without having to wait for daylight hours, or for the usual processes. This goes for friendships outside the trade also.

Draw on personal knowledge and experience of the supply procedures when OOA to help you complete a task in the UK. I have used this to great help many times. It's amazing how much general knowledge can be drawn from situations you have had to learn from being 'outside the comfort zone'.

The customer has a great advantage of knowing the supplier appreciates where they are coming from. Just because they may say no to a state, doesn't mean they don't appreciate how much you need an asset. But the customer needs to appreciate that everyone placing a demand needs their item now. There needs to be a way to differentiate the genuinely urgent requirements.

We look rather sexy in blue

The main reason I can see is that wealth of experience we gain across the board from working so many sections. I can now advise an engineer on the bay repair procedures, POL issues, reciept and dispatch etc. Usually they go away happy (or not so much) with an image of the whole process from start to finish, appreciating any possible issues that may arise during that process.

Sorry If I've gone on a bit DT_Xtremez_14:

All the above is of course true, but sadly it is also true of every other organisation, military or civilian and is the textbook "informal organisation" (with the possible exception of the wearing of blue, but even trye fitters have a uniform these days).

If you are loking for the principle reasons not to third or fourth party outsource, these are generally confined to a short list of reasons for in-housing processes:

1. Loss of control, where the costs of quality failure are so high that it offsets cost gains in contracting.

2. An ever and rapidly changing organisation, where contracting is not flexible enough to keep up with the changing needs of the task.

3. The rarity of skills and resources than mean the costs of contracting exceed those of in-housing operation.

Bark up these trees if you want to survive.

 

[441staines]

I work at a contractorised Station, and when the budgetary minded powers that be see the Supply function at the Unit being carried out by personnel being paid half of we get and to the perceived same standard, guess what direction things are going to go. They are probably thinking post Afghan as well when the numbers on deployed ops will be less, so the future could be grim numbers wise.

 

[Mr_Mover]

I'll tell you where the future is peeps, but you will not like it.

Watch this space for more and more cross pollinisation between supply and movements. The powers that control us aren't split into two seperate trades so watch out for the forthcoming amalgamation. and before you all howl in derision, TG1 peeps had it forced upon them.

Standby for a Multi skilling course duderinos.:0

Groan! The feeling of dread is coming on already. I really hope this doesn't happen, I've met far more good Stackers than bad ones and for some of the jobs they do such as TSW, there is no other alternative, Army, civvy or otherwise! The people in Clothing Stores at Odiham are testament to how Stackers should be.

Take a look at this thread from PPrune - Link

It summarises everything we already know about taking something that the RAF do very well and cocking it up by getting others to do it for little or no reason. I, for one, am not relishing the idea of doing any sort of multiskilling courses because it'll be our trade that'll bear the brunt. As someone has already mentioned, Stackers have done Movs-related courses for years, but it'll take alot more work to train Movers to do their jobs. Couple the current flood of fresh blood in our trade, it's obvious to see that we'll be heading down the RLC route and will turn us into a jack of all trades so to speak.

 

[snowball1]

Groan! The feeling of dread is coming on already. I really hope this doesn't happen, I've met far more good Stackers than bad ones and for some of the jobs they do such as TSW, there is no other alternative, Army, civvy or otherwise! The people in Clothing Stores at Odiham are testament to how Stackers should be.

Take a look at this thread from PPrune - Link

It summarises everything we already know about taking something that the RAF do very well and cocking it up by getting others to do it for little or no reason. I, for one, am not relishing the idea of doing any sort of multiskilling courses because it'll be our trade that'll bear the brunt. As someone has already mentioned, Stackers have done Movs-related courses for years, but it'll take alot more work to train Movers to do their jobs. Couple the current flood of fresh blood in our trade, it's obvious to see that we'll be heading down the RLC route and will turn us into a jack of all trades so to speak.

Stop moaning, your nco's are on rock star wages, while us stackers get fed peanuts to help out movers!

 

[BOWSER]

I would only stop working in an ESA after I had been promoted. I have not met a Cpl that has worked in an ESA trhat has not been picked up - Its a mind **** job that gets under your skin and lets face it, anyone can drag their knuckles on the ground and talk the talk with Armourers!

The MJDI system is based on the Army SS3 computer and the finished product will rerquire alot of retraining for RAF Suppliers - It is not the same systema t all.

Resignation and suicide to follow!

It would appear that "You CAN fly without Supply!"

MJDI is based on USAS II - based on USAS I - based on DLT - based on 1010 - cant go back any further than that. However I will agree that SS3 is playing havoc with the data held on MJDI. Been screaming about till I'm blue in the face -- but funnily enough no-one seems to want to take any responsibility for the f**k ups

 

[dkh51250]

Pre 1010 we were using slates and abacus.

 

[BOWSER]

Pre 1010 we were using slates and abacus.

Were they the Battleship grey or field green slates

 

[Avery Hardoll]

Were they the Battleship grey or field green slates

Ground equip blue.

 

[Tyson]

"As an RAF techy, I met some suppliers who were worth their weight in gold. In fact to the point of reverement in two or three cases. These were the lads who knew that we needed them, not in the background of our engineering tasks, but right up there with us, with the aircraft.

These were the lads who would go the extra mile to help us get the aircraft serviceable, using and tweaking the supply chain to get the spares we needed, especially more so when on det. These were the lads who would get in early and go home late just to make sure that the flying program was achieved"

Agree 100%, I just can't ever imagine a civvy being as helpful. I've been depth for a few years now and all our stores staff are BAE and they do quite a good job.

Do flying Squadrons all still have their own suppliers?

 

[Downsizer]

We used to have a stacker on the Harrier OCU who was worth her weight in gold....

She had cracking tits and put out out loads....DT_Xtremez_30:

 

[Oldstacker]

MJDI is based on USAS II - based on USAS I - based on DLT - based on 1010 - cant go back any further than that. However I will agree that SS3 is playing havoc with the data held on MJDI. Been screaming about till I'm blue in the face -- but funnily enough no-one seems to want to take any responsibility for the f**k ups

Bowser, the issue is more to do with the fact that SS3 has different processes to SCCS and not all of them were fully understood (or, more accurately, were more or less unknown) when MJDI was given it's direct link to SS3. Even those of us in the development/delivery loop for MJDI are still finding things and going 'It does what!!!!' Our problem, as ever, lies in the time and costs to put sme of these things right compared to the time and costs to the front line of leaving them as they are.

Bottom line here... don't scream until you are blue in the face.... put some hard facts on paper in a structured way about the time and effort you are using to cope with the errors..... send it to HQ Air and the Log NEC Front Door and then maybe we can persuade the powers and money merchants of what needs to be done.

We're on your side but less noise & more facts please....

 

[UlsterExile]

Bowser, the issue is more to do with the fact that SS3 has different processes to SCCS and not all of them were fully understood (or, more accurately, were more or less unknown) when MJDI was given it's direct link to SS3. Even those of us in the development/delivery loop for MJDI are still finding things and going 'It does what!!!!' Our problem, as ever, lies in the time and costs to put sme of these things right compared to the time and costs to the front line of leaving them as they are.

Bottom line here... don't scream until you are blue in the face.... put some hard facts on paper in a structured way about the time and effort you are using to cope with the errors..... send it to HQ Air and the Log NEC Front Door and then maybe we can persuade the powers and money merchants of what needs to be done.

We're on your side but less noise & more facts please....

I can assure you us at LCC have tried to put hard facts into writing, but time and time again it is ignored. They trialled the new MJDI FOC at St Mawgan and it fell on it's arse in 2 days. We knew it would but they wouldn't listen as usual. It's all down to politics and the unwillingness to take advice from blue suiters. As we are deemed not worthy to advise, but we do all the testing before a new upgrade is done so we must be good for something. What do we know most us have only used it for the last 20 years or so.

 

[Robby]

A different view?

A different view?

Whilst I know that St Mawgan had a few issues on initial rollout, MJDI Release 1 has since rolled out to three Main server units as well as several satelite and remote units and after overcoming a few IT infrastructure problems is working well.

We all know the station IT infrastructure is not fantastic on many Units but it is hardly MJDI's fault. Possibly more testing would have helped but look at the age of the USAS II infrastructure that is being replaced, the Escala servers are 11- 12 years old - why would we want, or risk, relying so heavily on such old infrastructure, regardless of how reliable it has been to date!

Off TopicThe real change is going to be the change in business practises which the new JSP 886 will require and which MJDI will support, then we will have to learn new tricks! Off Topic


PS. I may be considered biased as i'm part of the MJDI Rollout team but I would be banging desks if I thought we were replacing USAS II with inferior equipment, and its not- simples!

 

[Hcut99]

As for TSW it could and can be done by anyone. The Wing is a great place to spend your career however the problem is that the high ups dont really understand how good the lads and lasses from all trades are at the job they do.
Countless times the green mongs have tried to take over, certain people may remember Eagles execises when teeny weeny had all the TAC'Bs in the world lined up but the RTR's were pretty excluisivly done by us.
We were and still are the best as what we do in all spheres of the trade not just The Wing, problem is I soemtimes think WE dont believe it.


Wing before bedtime, and remember SAC's are for life not just Christmas.

 

[441staines]

Mjdi roll out

Mjdi roll out

In support of the MJDI Roll out team mine is working fantasically, its on my desk top and connected to my normal printer, its a shame it coul'dnt have happened years ago. I dont see many positive things in the trade but this is one of them.

 

[Stakz]

As for TSW it could and can be done by anyone. Countless times the green mongs have tried to take over, certain people may remember Eagles execises when teeny weeny had all the TAC'Bs in the world lined up but the RTR's were pretty excluisivly done by us.
We were and still are the best as what we do in all spheres of the trade not just The Wing, problem is I soemtimes think WE dont believe it.

I remember the same things happening many moons ago, AAC lads jumping all over the place at their refuel site, we had cleared about four chinooks and they were still on first lynx ...... the one at the back lifted off came over to us, one by one they came!

 

[Hcut99]

I remember the same things happening many moons ago, AAC lads jumping all over the place at their refuel site, we had cleared about four chinooks and they were still on first lynx ...... the one at the back lifted off came over to us, one by one they came!

Ha it was like Apocalypse Now. Helis everywere and mongs shouting " I love the smell of Avtur in the morning"Off Topic.

 

[Avery Hardoll]

Ha it was like Apocalypse Now. Helis everywere and mongs shouting " I love the smell of Avtur in the morning"Off Topic.

AAC Apache refuel team at Bastion turning away USA Apaches I kid u not, as they were to busy going on a boot run.
Just another whirling Avtur burning bird for the TSW team. Bring it on!!!! Shame RLC seen as the future despite being hugely overmanned and stuck in the world of single Unit accounts