ZAI’s engineering services group manages large DoD programs and delivers leading edge solutions. We’re proud of the excellent performance record we have compiled while providing more than 30 years of continuous support to our U.S. Navy customers. But more than that, we’re proud of our perfect record when it comes to sailors’ safety.

Our system and process engineering for fleet support and operations include:

• Submarine lifecycle systems engineering and maintenance
• Certification and configuration
• Modernization management functions
• Lean Six Sigma submarine install and modification management
• Technical assessments
• Reliability, maintainability, and availability (RM&A) support
• Systems safety engineering
• Quality Assurance (QA) support for technical content
• Programmatic accuracy
• Fiscal impact
• Action items tracking and document tracking/workflow management
• Database design and maintenance

Engineering Services project highlight:
Broad Engineering Support for NAVSEA

Program Management
Our program management support has improved efficiencies, helping the Navy enforce guidelines for safety and process. ZAI provides a breadth of program management and support services, including technical document reviews, configuration management, ship systems and weapons support systems, and workflow management. Our work has included:

• Managing changes made to ship systems, including tracking changes, gathering data, and developing the final document and approval process
• Creating an upper-level action item tracking system for management during install phases
• Reviewing documents for the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center(SPAWAR), with an emphasis on how the fleet will use the data
• Training crews for new classes of submarines and maximizing efficiency by developing and regularly updating template-based packages to streamline the process
• Developing a system to streamline submarine building, featuring search and retrieval of physical structure and electrical components

Project management project highlight:
Lean Six Sigma to Visually Depict Submarine Install

Financial Management
ZAI provides budget and financial administrative support for Federal Agency Program Objectives Memorandum (POM) development, submission and reporting. We also perform business case analyses to provide recommendations on reducing costs. ZAI uses sound financial management practices and procedures to expedite and integrate multiple Fleet/OPNAV requirements. We coordinate between multiple Navy in-service and acquisition support organizations to strike a balance between overall program requirements and financial resources to ensure mission optimization. Specific ZAI experiences include:

• Performing Business Case Analyses required to provide recommendations on reducing costs, addressing schedule, risks and achieving program technical performance objectives
• Combining technical requirements and fleet priorities to produce and manage the Program of Record (POR) for in-service submarines
• Developing program budget and assemble supporting documentation
• Maintaining liaison with OPNAV, the submarine community, PARMs, SUBMEPP, NUWC, Shipyards, TTF/TRF, and other activities including TYCOMs
• Successfully utilizing experts in engineering, program management, financial management, and logistics to ensure that all prevailing configuration management requirements are met and that financial requirements are properly documented in the POR, POM, and Requirements Data Base (RDB)
• Performing cost analysis and risk assessments

Systems Engineering
At NAVSEA, ZAI’s onsite engineering team includes many former Navy submariners. We’ve built relationships of trust and respect with the Navy’s engineers. Our people understand how the systems work, and we play a critical role in decision making. We provide a variety of systems engineering support. We’ve been onboard submarines assisting in inspections, overall materiel assessments, and emergency support. We’ve written maintenance procedures, evaluated fleet performance, and made recommendations for solving problems. ZAI assists Navy customers in technical reviews by providing engineering reviews of ship system manuals, operation instructions, drawings, engineering alterations, technical manuals, curricula, military design specifications, facility requirements, installation packages and casualty procedures for all ship classes. Our technical personnel have in-depth understanding and appreciation of the operational impact, critical aspect of ship maintenance and certification requirements, and the need for timeliness and technical accuracy required by the Navy. Among ZAI experiences are:

• Collecting, reviewing and commenting on correspondence relating to technical issues and drafting a response identifying required inspections
• Implementing engineering studies to support resolution of specific technical problems that rendered a ship unsafe requiring the preparation, review, and analysis of plans, guidelines, and work packages, and development of a checklist in support of the Program Office
• Combining technical requirements and Fleet priorities to produce and manage the POR for in-service ships
• Providing technical resolution to the fleet through response to Liaison Action Requests, Departure from Specification Requests and Common Problem Reports
• Reviewing JCFs, ECPs, CPs, TEMPALT, LARs, TFRs and Requests for Waiver and Deviations from Specifications for technical content, programmatic accuracy and fiscal impact

Integrated Logistics Support (ILS)

It’s said that a rising tide floats all boats, but ZAI knows that a naval vessel that is not properly outfitted will not perform its prescribed mission. ZAI provides integrated logistics support (ILS) for the VIRGINIA Class Submarine Program during new construction and operational phases. We support all post delivery scheduling, testing and resolution of material issues, provide logistics management support to Launch and Recovery Systems (LARs), support all aspects of casualty report resolution, and resolve Inter-fleet transfer material issues.

The experience of ZAI’s logistics professionals spans a broad spectrum of roles in this discipline. Among the ILS tasking of ZAI are:

• Developing Integrated Logistics Support Plans (ILSPs) for various ship classes
• Contributing to the development and review of Consolidated Allowance Lists (COSALs) for numerous systems
• Providing tracking of hardware configuration changes to technical specifications allowing the NAVSUP community to track and ensure compliance with emergent material procurement requirements
• Managing logistics efforts of the NAVICP Level 1 and SUBSAFE Programs
• Developing automated tools for use by NAVSEA field activities in performing lead time studies to optimize the procurement cycle
• Providing logistic and configuration management expertise that has been relied upon in the review and assessment of the various submarine modernization and configuration management documents to bring them in line with Navy-wide processes and procedures

Lean Six Sigma to Visually Depict Submarine Install

We used Lean Six Sigma to develop Execution Dependencies Network (EDN), a visual tool used by the Navy to manage submarine installation activities. The tool optimizes the Navy’s ability to manage people performing installs within...

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