With Realization Technologies, U.S. Marine Maintenance Center Cuts Repair Cycle from 167 to 53 Days Project Management Software Manages Uncertainties in MRO Projects

Realization Technologies (formerly Speed to Market) has announced that a combination of commercial best practices including the companys Concerto Multi-Project Management software, Manufacturing Resource Planning and 'Lean Thinking,' have helped the U.S. Marine Corps Multi-Commodity Maintenance Center in Albany, Ga. improve operations across the board.

SILICON VALLEY -- February 18, 2003 -- Realization Technologies (formerly Speed to Market), whose multi-project management software is used by over 60 leading organizations, such as Pharmacia, LSI Logic, Medtronic and others, today announced that a combination of commercial best practices including the companys Concerto Multi-Project Management software, Manufacturing Resource Planning and 'Lean Thinking,' have helped the U.S. Marine Corps Multi-Commodity Maintenance Center in Albany, Ga. improve operations across the board. This center is a remanufacturing depot for Marine Corps vehicles, armament and equipment. Realization Technologies partner Vector Strategies (San Diego, Calif.) directed the initiative, which went live in April of 2002.

The Center was spending too much time compensating for multi-tasking," emphasizes Realization Technologies CEO Sanjeev Gupta. Unplanned uncertainties make projects unique. They account for more than 30 percent of a project's work. As uncertainties strike, plans go haywire, especially in the multi-project situations that the Center faces. People are constantly pulled from one project to fix other projects problems. Priorities become unclear and people start multi-tasking. Delays compound. Schedules slip."

According to Gupta, Concerto manages project uncertainties. The software inserts blocks of unscheduled time, called buffers, into a plan typically at its end. These buffers weaken the cascading effect of uncertainties by absorbing and lessening their shocks. As uncertainties create delays in execution, the buffer gets used. The softwares Reality Engine then calculates how much of the unscheduled time is still available for future uncertainties and sets forward-looking priorities for everyone, including managers.

The repair cycle on one of our vehicle production lines went from about 167 days down to 53, and some even as low as 30 days," reports Col. Steve Foreman, commander of the Albany Center. At the same time, readiness on this item increased by more than 10 percent, and the cost for repair dropped by $17,000 per vehicle. That's roughly $2.5 million saved, and that's just on one production line.

"Simultaneously," he adds, "Work-in-process was slashed from 55 assets with a monthly production rate of ten to 32 assets with a monthly production rate of 20. These are remarkable achievements."

Concerto users are completing more than 90 percent of their projects on time, Gupta advises, accomplishing more projects with more scope in each project and providing managers with increased control.

About Realization Technologies, Inc.
Realization Technologies, Inc. (formerly Speed to Market) provides premium project management software, specifically designed to manage uncertainties in projects. Its 65-plus customers around the world include leading organizations such as LSI Logic, Medtronic, NASA, Pharmacia, the U.S. Air Force, and the U.S. Navy, who now deliver over 80 percent of their projects on time without compromising scope, budgets or lead times. Realization is headquartered at 2 North First Street, San Jose, CA 95113. Website is www.realization.com.
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For more information, contact:
Shailesh Sood
REALIZATION TECHNOLOGIES
408-271-1711
ssood@realization.com

or

Tom Brigham
BRIGHAM SCULLY
818-716-9021
tbrigham@brighamscully.com