SCOPING THE MRO
Genesis
It was a chance encounter with Lt Gen J S Matharu with whom I had served in DGIS wherein I learnt as to what all he has been doing to realise the potential of MRO in the country. The thought about its huge potential gave me an answer to the problem of nation building to include the enhancement of Comprehensive National Power (CNP), addressing the issue of unemployment, skilling the youth and India becoming a powerhouse of the world in this particular domain. It is a low hanging fruit which if handled well, can change the country to unbelievable levels of growth and development.
But then there is the main issue as to how do we progress to operationalize the concept on the ground? Since product is more important than the process, it is important that we discuss scope of MRO. Though the concept has limitless potential but a beginners approach is being attempted in this paper.
Drawing out contours of the scope of MRO is important even if it is nuanced as with progress both in time and expertise, it can be further finetuned. Beginning is essential.
Majority of us come from the service background and it therefore comes naturally to us to dwell on the MRO issues related to the defense forces. While the deliberation will start with scope of MRO in the defense forces but it needs to be a small part if we wish to really hone the potential of MRO in the national context event to the extent of leveraging it in the international environment.
Since MRO can be a big game changer and therefore initial resistance may come from certain quarters. It may therefore be a good idea to have pilot projects with overall architecture in the mind whereas all these can be enmeshed appropriately leading to the scaling up of this thought.
Scope Statement
MRO should encompass all type of equipments and support means in India and abroad irrespective of the user segment.
Beginning
Whenever we go to buy a printer from the market, the cost of the printer is not that much as is the cost of cartridges. In fact, we are mentally accustomed to see the cost of the main equipment and not focus on those facets which are required to run the equipment. Same logic holds good for majority of other equipments well. A closer analysis of equipments purchased in the defense forces will also reveal the same pattern where the main equipment cost is enhanced by loading the cost of auxiliary equipment, armament and MRO support. MRO therefore has the huge potential of saving the costs for the country besides making it overall economical for all the users. Economic considerations are the considerations which can neither be ignored now nor anytime in the future.
Being from the service background, it will be appropriate to make the beginning from the defense forces. MRO in case of defense forces should not only be limited to the role of EME alone but must encompass anything and everything which is required to be addressed to ensure that the equipment is kept ready, aligned to emerging technologies and threats and is available to the users in battlefield in time sensitive conditions.
We have been following a mixed approach so far and have segmented the larger meaning of MRO in various verticals which is not a good model necessarily. All stake holders of MRO to include auxiliary equipment including fabrication if needed, maintenance persons, resource inventory holders and alike have to be either under singular control or need to be networked in a seamless manner at least being one head virtually.
Our current model has dedicated workshops for the specialized equipment, some hierarchical model for high end support, some workshops looking after larger number of entities especially in case of generic equipments. Of course outsourcing and GOCO models have been attempted but their execution is tardy and affecting the equipment life serviceability adversely.
What could be the way out? Dedicated MRO responsibility co-located with the equipment or a gridded network where users can utilize the facilities both during peace and war? Or a mix of these or any different model? There are no simplistic solutions and the model will require a critical analysis to suggest the option. What is evident is the defense forces due to varied type of equipments including majority percentage being ex-import require a bespoke MRO model which may be the answer.
Path
Having given some thought to the ‘beginning’ and having inferred that probably a bespoke model of MRO may work better for the defense forces, it will be interesting if the hierarchy can allow a pilot project steered by the mrodigesforums whose outcome can then dictate the contours of MRO in the defense forces.
As outlined in the scope, MRO will encompass all types of equipments in the country to begin with and it is this approach which will make it most efficient and economical. While we may state economics don’t matter when it comes to serviceability of the defense equipment but it matters and should matter. MRO options therefore have to factor these in all dispensations.
Defense forces have already started using number of equipments from the civil industry with civil specifications. Military grade/specs in anything and everything is not a progressive approach. A beginning has already been made wherein AMC/Repairs are outsources to OEM or their nominated establishments. A combined approach will probably be the way forward where common MRO hubs/sub hubs can address MRO requirement in the totality for all the equipments of the defense forces and these need not be purely to meet the defense requirement. These should be also addressing the needs of all other users to keep them economically viable. Substantial portion of training and maintenance needs in UK and some other countries are outsourced which in turn is handled by the defense veterans. On one hand, it utilizes the skill sets of the maintainers whereas releases the persons in service for more combat linked role, a model which also has reasonable potential in India in MRO domains.
Future Ransom Thoughts
As we could be dwelling on this, MRO as scoped should address all the equipments. Just imagine a MRO hub or Sub Hub could be providing MRO support to a tractor, to a Maruti Gypsy and for a Radioset. Physical co-location for all facilities in a standardised manner may not be the way out but it could be based on the density of the equipment to evolve a model.
Urban company provides certain facilities to its members free of cost viz video consultation to the problems being faced by the users. In number of such cases, the problems get resolved with no need of technician whereas technician support is needed in certain cases.
Our MRO model should also have at least three important features, one could be video based guidance wherein the user can handle the MRO need of the equipment or the embedded maintainer can do the job,. Next level could be the visit of specialists wherein he/she reaches the site of the equipment and MRO support is provided. In case of specialized need requiring special tools and other resources, the equipment can be moved to the MRO hub/sub hub closest to it to make it fully functional.
A deliberate plan should then emerge at national level for creating a networked MRO which will ensure timely availability of the equipment reducing the down time. Large number of persons will get employed, skill sets enhanced which in turn will result in quality MRO support all over.
Having looked at India, requirement of other countries could be also examined which can be a mixed model viz one in which facilities are established at our ports or closer to ports or close to airports whereas second could be a network established in the MRO needing country
Wherein Indian diaspora could be roped in besides our skilled nationals providing this support in that country.
Summary
The scope and implementation challenges are complex and large as this concept has such potential of adding to CNP of India besides addressing large scale of unemployment in the country. An urgent need exists to bring all the stake holders on board and present workable pilot model besides integrating existing ventures already working in this direction. Once it succeeds, it will spread like wild fire unleashing a new era in India and abroad.
Rajiv Gandotra
Very apt articulation of MRO Concept. With the variety of Defence equipment for Land, Sea and Air operations, a viable integrated MRO Project Plan needs to be evolved covering various aspects of product support mechanism.
Gautam Moorthy
Very well brought out. Also with complex equipment, price analysis is not easy and more often than not, the user has no input on this and hence OEMs get away with exorbitant initial costs which may appear cheap when compared with other OEMs.
Next of course is the obsolescence costs. With practically all equipment today having onboard computers, it’s easy for a company to make redundant the current software and allied hardware & simultaneously keep the upgrade costs very high which cannot be predicted at the time of buying the equipment.
I have been using an iPhone since the last ten years and have changed it four times, each time having to fork out upwards of ₹50,000-/!
Rakesh Nandan
An idea which is good Gen Ashok. But it has to be tried out as suggested as a pilot project. It has to be so tailored that it does not fail at critical times.
I would go a step further, so far as defence equipment is concerned. Why not have an operator/ repairer concept? Eg. Say a tank or a radar which has crew of 3 to 4 person can have one of the crew member as operator as well as repairer. So all R2 and some R3 repairs can be done in situ. It’s only for some R3 and all R4 repair that eqpt moves to MRO. Therefore, separate templates for hi-tech but low population eqpt and another for high population but low tech ones. Just a thought.
Well covered.