Common Parts Catalog (2004-328)

Provide a comprehensive, inter-shipyard compendium that provides standardized sourcing information which will reduce redundancies and allow parts equivalency determination.

The Common Parts Catalog (CPC) went online at GD Electric Boat and Bath Iron Works in May 2004 and at Northrop Grumman Ship Systems in June 2004. In September of 2004, the catalogs of all three yards were linked for continuous real-time interaction and parts equivalency determination. CPC provides a real-time, searchable inter-shipyard catalog to facilitate the reduction of the number of parts on warship designs through the ability to support formal part standardization programs for new designs.

The Common Parts Catalog is providing standardized equivalency/sourcing information on the various part numbering formats at these private shipyards, while delivering increased speed and accuracy in information retrieval, reductions in the number of parts through non duplication and data reuse by providing more visibility and timely access to the data. A robust search capability ensures identification of existing duplicate part numbers and eliminates the generation of new part numbers for components already shown in the catalog.

The catalog is also facilitating process improvements for these shipyards to address supply chain issues of non-standard part requirements from yard to yard and small quantity orders not fulfilling minimum production runs.

Because CPC is facilitating a formal part standardization program for a new design, fleet maintenance issues that can be addressed include decreased variety of parts to maintain the fleet and the potential for visibility of design part data and construction yard inventory. Electronic parts sharing has the potential to virtually integrate Navy inventories with shipyards. CPC is a standards-based parts catalog definition file that contains technical, design, quality and procurement data. While CPC was primarily developed for use in the ship design process, it facilitates the ability to provide data to downstream systems in the areas of material availability, ordering capability and quality inspection tracking. Under the present shipyard legacy systems, catalog data and part numbering formats differ greatly between the private shipyards, leading to an abundance of duplicate and nonstandard parts. This situation is exacerbated by an inability to link or share information between the private yards. Through CPC collaboration, a 10% to 20% reduction in parts cost is projected through the availability of existing standard data and the facilitation of formal part standardization programs. The CPC implementation includes part equivalency (no drawing change), and common characteristics across all parts – – such as catalog number, noun, material type, etc. There are also unique data fields that are only applicable to specific part types to promote data standardization. Whenever the private yards become aware that a National Stock Number exists for a part number, that relationship is captured in CPC. CPC also has the capability to show allowance parts list (APL) data and higher/ lower assembly data where applicable. Procurement information and business data (e.g., vendor pricing) will not be shared by this system to protect appropriately sensitive proprietary data.

Final Report – Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited

Ed Gladue, General Dynamics Electric Boat

Project Team:

• General Dynamics Electric Boat
• General Dynamics Bath Iron Works
• Ingalls Shipbuilding
• General Dynamics NASSCO

August 2003 - December 2004

NSRP ASE Investment: $3.02M

Industry Investment: $4.0M