The development acquisition and sustainment of tools Air Force warfighters need is the central task uniformed, civilian and contractor airmen work toward across the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center. But managing such complex tasks takes time and effort, and with the pacing challenges near-peer competitors present, streamlining these processes is a priority.
But how do you increase speed, while maintaining such a large and complex inventory of Air Force materiel? Can applying more digital-first approaches help?
One tool to utilize is Digital Materiel Management (DMM), which “enables an accelerated and synchronized delivery of integrated capabilities,” according to a June 2023 white paper by Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC). “By replacing outdated processes, fostering digital collaboration, and adopting enterprise DMM capabilities, AFMC intends to surpass adversarial pace in fielding, sustainment, and modernization efforts.”
To learn more about how DMM can support warfighters, AFLCMC Public Affairs spoke with two practitioners for an overview: Kevin Torres, Digital Architect with the Mobility and Training Aircraft Directorate and Oren Edwards, Chief Engineer, Medium Altitude UAS Division with the Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR) and Special Operations Forces (SOF) Directorate.
“What DMM gets us in the sustainment and development of new weapon systems is speed,” Kevin Torres said in the podcast. DDM can “shorten the amount of time to deliver not only new weapon systems, but new capabilities to our warfighter. That's what DMM buys us.”
But change isn’t always easy, especially with trying new workflows while trying to meet existing demands.
Adopting DMM may require overcoming “cultural inertia” Oren Edwards stated in the podcast. To remove roadblocks and accelerate use, Edwards said he and colleagues began to “measure culture” as a way to learn and adopt DMM practices. “If anything is important, it needs to be measured,” he stated.
Torres and Edwards also discuss how operators’ needs can be incorporated into DMM workflows, how best practices are shared, and other ways DMM can be part of future acquisition and life cycle activities.
To hear the full conversation, watch above. You can also listen by searching “Leadership Log” on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Overcast, Radio Public or Breaker.