Faced with shifting geopolitics, rapidly evolving technology and budgetary constraints, IAF reviewing its work procedures to ensure efficiency
Vijay Mohan
Chandigarh, August 21
Faced with a fast-changing geopolitical environment, rapidly evolving technology and budgetary constraints, the Indian Air Force is going in for a comprehensive review of its structure and work procedures to ensure operational and administrative efficiency.
The IAF has earmarked four establishments where the review will be carried out. These include No.3 Base Repair Depot (BRD) at Chandigarh and No.11 BRD at Nashik that are responsible for the maintenance and overhaul of Russian origin helicopters and fighter aircraft, respectively, Equipment Depot, Nasik that deals with items and spares of fighters, and Air Force Station Tambaram that houses a transport squadron and training establishments.
The project will be outsourced to the industry and the IAF has issued an expression of interest (EoI) inviting consulting firms possessing the stipulated expertise and eligibility to carry out a “workflow analysis and provide management solutions to improve operational and administrative efficiency of selected functions of designated units in the Indian Air Force.”
“Fast paced geo-political events, rapidly evolving technology, limited / finite budgets pose a challenge to the IAF to achieve its assigned tasks in an ever-increasing complex operational environment. Thus, a need has been felt to review the work processes of selected functions and sub-functions within IAF to bring improved efficiency and extract more value in terms of both manpower and resources,” the EoI document states.
Stating that the IAF is a complex organisation, functionally organised in three verticals – operations, maintenance and administration, the EoI states that inter and intra vertical functional workflows and processes within IAF merit a de novo review to enhance the overall operational and administrative efficiency.
“Such a review is aimed at identifying duplications and bottlenecks in each process and ascertaining unproductive activities / functions. Addressing these issues through the implementation of restructured workflows will bring out better information flow and process management across the IAF to achieve greater transparency, increased accountability, improved productivity and enhanced operational efficiency,” the EOI adds. The aim is to simplify tasks and work procedures and extract the full potential of contemporary technologies and professional skill of every personnel.
The exercise will involve a detailed assessment of the existing workflows, identifying gaps, bottlenecks and areas for improvement, suggesting restructured workflows and making recommendations to enhance the overall efficiency in a quantifiable manner.
During the project, expected to be executed over 10 months, production, involving maintenance, repair and overhaul, supply chain management and support services in engineering and administrative domains will be analysed.
