IN PRIDE WE TRUST

The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) PRoductivity and Innovation in Daily Efforts (PRIDE) Day honours individuals, groups and units that have embodied the movement's spirit of organisational excellence, innovation and productivity in the workplace. This year, more than 170 teams and individuals were recognised across MINDEF and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).

Challenging Norms

Team Systemyst
Award: Savings and Value Enhancement (SAVE) Award
Project title: Redefining Technical Specifications for Acquisition of 25mm Training Ammunition

Sometimes the best ideas come from challenging long-established norms.

Noticing that the cost of 25mm training ammunition used by Bushmaster guns in infantry fighting was higher than that of other similar ammunition, staff officer Elenia Tay and her colleagues from SAF Ammunition Command (SAFAC) wondered if cheaper alternatives were available.

However, the tight technical specifications for the training ammunition were based on those for operations ammunition, and the price of these was steep because there was only a small pool of suppliers who were able to meet the requirements.

The team questioned if the specifications could be revised to include more competitively priced options without compromising on the quality of training. That was when they roped in the Defence Science & Technology Agency (DSTA) and Headquarters (HQ) Armour.

"The Ammunition Management Strategy on managing the SAF's stockpile started in 2012, and we began looking more closely at managing the overall cost of ammunition," said Ms Tay.

"What we do costs a lot, so prudence is always (necessary)."

Following extensive research, the team finally came up with a set of specifications that had a slightly higher dispersion, but remained within safety parameters.

The newly acquired ammunition was finally introduced about a year ago, and the results have been satisfying.

Lieutenant Colonel Teo Hup Gin, Head of Logistics for HQ Armour, was pleased with the feedback from the ground: "The trajectory of the new ammunition conforms better to operations ammunition in shorter range live-firing training in Singapore. On top of that, because of the savings, we are able to buy more ammunition."

Gaining by sharing

Naval Logistics Command (NALCOM)
Award: 2014 Minister for Defence Award (MDA)

Some may be afraid of losing their winning edge by sharing their secrets to success, but not NALCOM. They strongly believe that by sharing good practices and working as a team, everyone can benefit and grow together.

"Like the story of the farmer who sowed good corn and shared his good seeds, we tell our people that they must constantly share innovation with the people around them. This will spur innovation in other domains and as a result, the overall innovation culture in the formation is strengthened," said Commander NALCOM, Military Expert (ME) 7 Andy Tay.

This approach to innovation has clearly paid off, enabling the formation to clinch the prestigious MDA, the highest accolade for the unit that has excelled in all the PRIDE components. This is the first time NALCOM has won the award as a formation.

Besides open sharing, the formation believes in playing to the individual's strength in coming up with new ideas. Best Work Improvement Team Scheme (WITS) Leader awardee ME2-2 Sivanantha described his leadership method: "I try to understand the team dynamics and the members' strengths and weaknesses. We also bring in the stakeholders and extended team members to chip in ideas." His team, Sjo Power from the Submarine Maintenance and Engineering Centre, won Best WITS Team and Best WITS Project (Technical Engineering).

Added ME7 Tay: "One of NALCOM's core values is 'Never Give Up', which embodies the spirit of innovation. We are always looking to do things better and do better things."

Unity in Head, Hand and Heart

6 Air Engineering and Logistics Group (6 AELG)
Award: 2014 MDA (Innovation)

Just like the parts that work together to form the human body, 6 AELG believes that the unity of head, hand and heart is essential in fostering innovation in a formation.

"We believe that everyone, from the leadership down, needs to be involved in innovation," said ME7 Timothy Yap, Commander 6 AELG.

Thus, the formation came up with the "Three H" philosophy in their innovation strategy. He explained: "First, we make sure the people have 'Head' - knowledge and fundamentals of aircraft maintenance. Next is 'Hand', which covers the skills they pick up through tough training that enable them to better understand the context of their work in a mission. Last comes 'Heart' - the belief that everyone is important, as far as innovation is concerned."

And this philosophy has certainly served 6 AELG well. Apart from the MDA (Innovation), the formation picked up two other awards, including the WITS Best Project Award (Safety) for team Tandem Raiders' project on redesigning procedures to replace the CH-47 Chinook rotor head shoulder bolt. The new procedure helped to cut down man-hours by 83 percent and brought about some $200,000 in savings.

For 6 AELG, successful innovation is a concerted effort. ME5-1 Liu Jianlin, who acted as advisor to Tandem Raiders, explained: "Everyone plays a part: not only the guys who come up with the ideas, but also the management who provides the necessary support and resources."

The Rotor Transmission Flight Officer Commanding added: "All units face constraints in financial and especially manpower resources. When we see a labour-intensive procedure, we will find ways to enhance it and reduce equipment down-time. Innovation helps us to do our job better and more efficiently."

Innovation in surveillance

During the PRIDE Day 2014 awards presentation ceremony on 28 Oct, Defence Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen announced the deployment of a tethered aerostat system in a military camp in early 2015.

This new system will complement the Republic of Singapore Air Force's suite of airborne and ground-based radars and provide early warning of threats from sea and air.

The 55m-long aerostat system will operate from a height of 600m. It requires eight ground crew members and will provide 24/7 low-level radar coverage with a range of up to 200km. It will be secured safely to a ground mooring station by a Kevlar tether, that is by far the strongest in its class.

This is the first time that the aerostat system will be used in Singapore. Compared to maintaining an airborne radar round the clock, the innovative and cost-saving aerostat system is expected to save the Ministry of Defence and the Singapore Armed Forces an estimated $29.2 million a year.

Check out our exclusive infographics on this new aerostat system!