NEW CUMBERLAND, Pa. –
The Defense Logistics Agency Distribution, Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania Quality Assurance team has won the 2019 DLA Distribution Andrew L. Leitzel Annual Contract Quality Assurance Program Team Service Award.
Being collocated on the premier electronics maintenance depot within the Defense Department, DDTP must follow stringent guidelines regarding electrostatic discharge sensitive returns. Without these guidelines, the potential for additional damage or failure of critical electronic components can happen. The Tobyhanna Army Depot, in conjunction with the DDTP Quality Assurance team, validated procedures that met the TAD requirements for handling, storage, packaging and distribution of these sensitive items. As a result of the combined effort, a QA rep from DDTP completed their online training, hands-on training and shared newly gained knowledge with the workforce to improve processes and increase quality when handling sensitive devices and circuit cards.
The DDTP QA team has enacted policies resulting in any backlog reduced to zero.
Thorough surveillances by the QA team identified several storage improvements areas in HAZMAT storage coding and segregation. As part of a large initiative to empty bays in various DDTP warehouses to facilitate upgrade projects to the facilities, the QA team conducted research and provided training to warehouse supervisors and workers on how to properly segregate material based on type storage code and hazardous characteristic code eliminating potential damage, loss and injury to commodities and personnel.
Despite being understaffed during the time, the QA team managed to complete 100% of all assigned surveillances. Agile and adaptive, the team demonstrated they could adjust to an increased operational tempo over an extended period while learning a new management system. More than 660 surveillances were accomplished within the allotted time and met or exceeded the quality standard for documentation.
In addition to these duties, the team performed additional audits on time, or ahead of schedule. Not only were all audits completed to satisfaction and ahead of schedule, but the team identified material and applied corrective action resulting in saving over $12 thousand.