# Troop Support shares successes, receives feedback from DLA Director

/ Published June 25, 2019
PHILADELPHIA, 
Progress updates, sustaining improvements and the Defense Logistics Agency’s way forward with audit readiness were the main topics of conversation at DLA Troop Support’s Dynamic Operating Plan review June 14 in Philadelphia.

During the meeting, DLA Troop Support senior leaders engaged in dialogue with DLA Director Army Lt. Gen. Darrell Williams to share the command’s progress since the last review, Dec. 7, 2018, and receive guidance from the director.  Williams also took the time to recognize Troop Support accomplishments and remind employees of the importance of its mission and their contributions.

“Without you doing what you do, the Defense Logistics Agency would not enjoy the [positive] reputation that it presently has,” Williams said.

One improvement noted by Troop Support was the use of the Director’s Dashboard, an internal tool that communicates DLA’s impact on weapon systems’ readiness, to improve certain key performance metrics such as availability of materiel and numbers of backorders, both impacting the speed at which Troop Support fills customer requests.

Troop Support Industrial Hardware achieved a more than two percent increase in materiel availability and an approximate 13 percent decrease in backorders, since February 2019. IH Director Air Force Col. Adrian Crowley ascribed his supply chain’s success to collaboration with partners at DLA Aviation and DLA Land and Maritime in conjunction with information gleaned from the dashboard.

Simerly noted that those internal partnerships are part of an ongoing synchronization effort within Troop Support and the Agency as a whole.

“The dashboard drives information,” Simerly said. “But it’s that our priorities are nested in those of [other DLA entities], and that we’re working in concert with them on all of these items, that continues to drive our success.”

The Construction and Equipment supply chain experienced similar improvements thanks to the dashboard. When combined with IH and other supply chain contributions, the efforts led to what Williams called a “staggering” 62 percent reduction in the number of non-mission capable weapon systems due to DLA-attributable supply issues.

“We are now reaching a point where we can more efficiently manage [DLA’s] business on a corporate level,” Williams said to the Troop Support leaders. “A lot of that has been due to vision on how Troop Support fits into [DLA’s] overall effort.”

The Director also commended Troop Support for its continued progress in other areas of business such as Medical’s partnership with the Defense Health Agency, C&E’s work improving the availability of Federal Stock Group-80 items such as adhesives and lubricants and agency-leading small business achievements.

Williams lauded the climate and culture of Troop Support as reported in a 2018 Denison survey, and offered advice and reasoning on how to sustain results based on his experience.

“For me it comes down to a couple of really big things ... transparency and open communication with the workforce,” Williams said.

He added that while telework and a geographically distributed workforce may pose challenges to maintaining the survey’s results, Troop Support commanders, past and current, deserved praise for the positive results.

Throughout the discussion, Williams also encouraged Troop Support leaders to keep the “pedal to the metal” on audit readiness efforts, a Department of Defense and DLA focus area.

Troop Support Director of Process Compliance Daniel Keenaghan updated the Director on continuing audit readiness efforts to include internal audits readiness reviews and workforce education focused on the fact that audit readiness is “everyone’s business.”

During the event, Williams recognized several employees for outstanding contributions to the DLA mission with his signature “Ya Done Good” award. Troop Support awardees included:
      - Danny Osborn, Audit Readiness
      - Beatrice Ross, J3/5
      - Tina Piotrowski, Industrial Hardware
      - Denise Scobee, Medical
      - Theresa Ferlaino, Subsistence
      - David Lipshutz, Industrial Hardware
      - Joyce Francesconi, Clothing & Textiles
      - Jessica Sheaffer, Construction & Equipment
      - Veleda Simonson, Command Support Office
      - DCMA Procurement Team
      - Office of General Counsel Culture Improvement Team

In closing, Williams led the group in a round of applause for Simerly as he prepares to relinquish command of Troop Support on June 25.

“[DLA Troop Support] is an extremely professional organization,” Williams said. “I think you have been very blessed with some extraordinary leadership.”