Dyess Air Force Base: An Automated Tool Control Case Study

By Gray McDermid, IDZ Technologies Inc.

The Dyess Air Force Base C-130 aircraft maintenance managers faced a problem, a high level of accountability was needed to control their tools and equipment to prevent foreign object damage (FOD), but a manpower shortage required them to shift personnel away from their tool control facility. Threatened with losing control over the manpower intensive tool and equipment control process and potential jeopardizing mission effectiveness and safety, the maintainers at Dyess looked for a solution.

Leadership quickly realized that technology was the key to overcoming the manpower shortage and tool accountability obstacle. A small team of Dyess managers led a study that investigated commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technologies that could be used to help alleviate their pain. The team investigated tool control and equipment accountability software, barcode solutions, RFID (both passive and active), GPS, GPRS, and long wave identification technologies. The study concluded that no COTS system would work for their processes. They then began soliciting companies to help develop a tailored tool and equipment accountability solution that could be applied at Dyess and across the Department of Defense (DoD).