ANALYSIS OF THE REMAIN-IN-PLACE POLICY

The current materiel return process for the Navy is to have a broken depot-level repairable (DLR) part removed and turned in to the local supply system before requesting a new piece of equipment. If the unit fills out the appropriate paperwork with adequate justification, the maintainer is able to leave the piece of equipment in its original location until its replacement arrives. The current operating procedure forces the maintainers to open and close the system twice, which may result in an additional tag-out of the system. This research proposes to decrease the steps for maintainers in repairing broken equipment by allowing them to automatically leave the DLR within the system until the new piece of equipment arrives to reduce redundancy and increase safety when tag-outs are required. By implementing this alteration, the Navy could decrease time spent by the maintainer, reduce installation errors, and minimize wear and tear on the system. Upon completion of this research, the authors identify the costs, benefits, and possible risks associated with the implementation of an automatic remain-in-place policy and provide their recommendations on how to improve the current process.