digest - dsg.mod.uk · pdf file2008 digest. 2 digest august ... post: dsg corporate...

The magazine of the Defence Support Group

August/September2008

DIGEST

2DIGEST August/September 2008 www.dsg.mod.uk

contents

DIGEST points of contactEditor: Sheryl HarriesPhone: 96500 5203/01446 755203Email: [email protected]: DSG Corporate Communications, PP2, St Athan, Barry,

Vale of Glamorgan, CF62 4AD

Editorial BoardCeri Jones St Athan 96500 5319Geraint Roberts St Athan 96500 5761Matt Stealey Sealand 95541 7720Alexandra Morris Sealand 95541 7201Venus Tingzon Andover 94391 3217Roz Cronin Bovington 94374 3909Lorna Morris Catterick/York 94731 2062Sue McDonald Colchester/Aldershot 94651 2439Julie Perrins Donnington/Bicester 94480 2578Rosemary O’Hare Kinnegar 94914 3755Arlene Hamilton Stirling/Edinburgh 94741 8373Teresa Evans Stafford 95551 5173Kathy Tuck Warminster/Sennybridge 94381 3233

Editor’sintroWelcome to thisedition of the Digestmagazine, where wetake an in-depth look at allthe newsworthy items from thepast couple of months.

On pages 4 and 5, we reporton the first DSG and TUconference, where bothmanagement and the TUs wereable to share their views openlyon the way forward for thebusiness.

On page 6 we focus on thepart DSG has played in keepingsoldiers safe on the frontlinewith our Bulldog feature, whileon page 8 we see how theBovington apprentices havemade their mark.

On page 12, you can find outall about Foreign Object Debris,and on pages 18 and 19 we lookat what you have all been up toin your spare time. This month’scompetition prize is a DABradio, so have a look at thecompetition on the back pageto be in with a chance ofwinning.

Finally, thank you toeveryone who has contributedto this edition.

3 Talking point / Donnington launches upgrade work

4 DSG and Trades Unions Conference

6 500th Bulldog unleashed

7 DSG arrives at DVD

8 Ten years in the making / Corporate briefings

10 Poster

12 Introducing the FOD plod

13 Sealand supports Bowman / A day in the life of

14 5 minutes with / Rewarding ideas

15 Sealand provides solutions / Spotlight on Stafford

16 Support to BATUS / A new addition to the DSG portfolio

18 Across the country

20 Competition time

Pictured on front cover:

© Copyright MoDPhoto by Andrew Linnett

Contents

Designed by: Isabel Butcher www.designis.co.uk

This edition of Digestshowcases our first highprofile media event when wedelivered to our customerthe 500th Bulldog vehicle fromour site at Bovington. Althoughthe event was primarily aimed atjournalists from the trade papers andmagazines, the BBC’s regional broadcasters in the southaccepted the opportunity to come along to cover the eventfor their main evening news bulletin. The result was a hugelyimpressive piece containing interviews with DSG employeesand soldiers recently returned from the Front Line.

To maintain the impetus in raising our profile, DSG wasone of the defence sector’s key exhibitors at the DefenceVehicle Demonstration (DVD) event at the Millbrook circuitin Bedfordshire. This occasion was an important opportunityfor the DSG team working in the Land environment to meetwith key customers and industry partners, whilst furtheradvancing the principles of our vision and mission to atargeted defence sector audience of decision makers andcommentators. Digest will be covering DSG’s attendance atFarnborough last month where our Air businesses are lookingto cement relationships with existing customers and forgenew ones with the aim of securing future work on key airplatforms.

The recent series of corporate briefings gave me theopportunity of visiting many of DSG’s sites. The schedule tocomplete these briefings within a reasonable timeframe wasintense, although I was unable to get around every site on thisoccasion the messages delivered were the same to all ouremployees. I certainly hope that staff feel that one hour everysix months is time well spent and they leave the briefings witha better understanding of what we are aiming to achieve andhow we are performing.

Communication that is open, timely and relevant isessential if we are to move forward successfully as a unitedorganisation sharing common goals and aspirations. I amalways willing to answer questions from staff at every leveland from across all areas of our business. To maintain a levelof control and ensure you get a speedy reply from me yourquestions should be channelled through the Local InformationOfficer at each site.

Best wishes

Archie HughesChief Executive

3www.dsg.mod.uk August/September 2008 DIGEST

business

DonningtonlaunchesupgradeworkDSG employees at Donnington were recentlyinvolved with urgent operational work on theMulti Launch Rocket System (MLRS). TheMLRS Urgent Operational Requirement(UOR) task started in September 2007 andwas completed in May this year. The work isworth approximately £250k to the DSGbusiness.

The task was carried out in two stages, thefirst being to fit mine blast protection andsecondly, to prepare a launcher for DSTL tocarry out trials, which included simulatingmine explosions under the vehicle. DSG wasalso involved in the post trial investigations.

The main production phase consisted offitting mine blast protection, ballisticprotection, BAR armour protection, internalrocket pod protection, electronic countermeasure equipment and enhanced visionsystems. Also included in the contract, thefitting of infrared camera systems to six M270B1 launchers and two repair recoveryvehicles. In addition, the platforms wereregenerated on LAND tasks. The workcarried out involved between 7 – 12 men atany one time, depending on availability ofvehicles and kits, working approximately 900hours on each vehicle. Four of the launchersand the repair recovery vehicles are nowdeployed to Afghanistan, with the remainingtwo launchers being used for pre-deploymenttraining at 39 Regiment in Newcastle.

“

Talkingpoint

”


conference

In early May, the first DSG andTrades Unions Conference washeld in Southampton, where theBoard, managers and TradesUnions officials gathered toshare and discuss importantinformation about DSG that willshape the business for the future.The key objectives of theconference were to bringdelegates up to date withbusiness news and to give thosepresent the opportunity todiscuss key issues of mutualconcern. The conference alsoserved to give some of thedelegates a better understandingof the principles of partnershipworking and to encourage andpromote this ethic back in theworkplace.

Opening the conference, ArchieHughes and members of the DSG Boardgave individual presentations andexchanged important information abouttheir shared aims and aspirations forDSG’s future. Delegates were encouragedto ask questions throughout thepresentations, which were then answeredopenly and honestly. Archie Hughes waskeen to stress that he championed openand honest communication across thebusiness, whether the news was welcomeor not.

A common thread among thepresentations was that DSG had strongfoundations on which to build a biggerand better business for the future.Retaining DSG in MoD ownership wasseen as integral to our future success. Thecustomer already likes what he sees andwants more, particularly our support tooverseas operations and the frontline.These are the strengths we should becapitalising on.

John Reilly’s message focused on thetalent held within the business and howDSG needs to build a strong team tosecure the future success of the business.He told delegates, “We need to get keyskills developed in order to turn our

people into the managers of the future.We need to focus on who thetorchbearers are, leading the businessthrough change and taking it forward. Iam encouraged by the amount of talentcoming through from the apprentices andthis gives me great hope for the future.”

As part of the conference, delegates wereable to experience first hand, theobservations of a guest speaker. WillHutton, Chief Executive of the WorkFoundation, gave an informative accountof apex organisations and competing inthe business markets. Will’s varied career

includes credits as a BBC radio producer,Editor in Chief of the Observer, politicaljournalist, investment analyst andGovernor of the London School ofEconomics.

The main thrust of Will’s address wascentred on the constant pressure forbusinesses to innovate and “up theirgame” in order to deliver what thecustomer wants. During his presentation,Will explained, “To give customers,consumers and businesses what theywant requires employees with hard andsoft skills to interpret the trends, toshape an innovative business responseand feed into the delivery process, all thatis required.” Speaking about working inpartnership with the Trades Unions, Willadded, “ There is now an opportunity forDSG and the TUs to work together atbuilding a new business and applyingcreativity and innovation to newopportunities. Joint development of the new DSG culture will enable you to create a high performance apexorganisation which is renowned for quality.”

DSG and Trades UTaking partnership forward

We need to get

key skills developed

in order to turn

our people into

the managers

of the future

“

”

Delegates at the conference

Following an open forum, ArchieHughes made the closing address. In hissummary, he echoed John Reilly’s viewson developing the talent within thebusiness. Archie commented, “DSGis now stronger and better placedto position itself for future keyopportunities. The customer regardsus highly and wants to use us. Wehave good, bright people at all levelswho are experienced and capableand we should be maximising theseskills. We need the right people in the

right jobs, and we need to aim towardssuccession planning.”

On working in partnership with theTUs, Archie summarised by tellingdelegates, “In the coming months therewill be tough decisions to make becausethe leaner we are, the better we are, andthe more the customer will use us.Working closely with the TUs will give usthe chance to minimise any effects onemployees from the earliest opportunity.”

Read on to see what the conferencemeant to one of the TU delegates.


conference

Unions Conference

It was a hot sunny day in May,when a group of TU reps andsenior managers gatheredtogether in a boiling hotconference room to discuss theway forward for the DSGbusiness. Presentations from theDSG Board on how things stoodformed the basis of the meeting.

It was welcoming to hear managersadmitting that the business had mademistakes. They were speaking aboutABRO making a financial loss but it wouldbe wrong to presume that mistakesweren’t made in DARA. The Board wereconsistent in saying lessons must belearnt, even if they didn’t say so in suchfew words!

Now you might think you knowwhere this is heading but you would bewrong. One TU rep described theadmissions as “a breath of fresh air”.Clearly, the conference was paving theway for good foundations for thepartnership agreement.

Now I should explain what thepartnership agreement is about. There arethree key aspects:• An agreement between the

management and the Trades Unions torecognise and allow each other’s rolesand objectives.

• An agreement between the Trades Unions to recognise their rights to pursue the differing priorities of the members of each union.

• Moving the DSG forward successfully.

To make these agreements work then themanagement and the TUs should meet todiscuss and negotiate issues across theDSG. This will mean that managementprovides sufficient facility time for the TUreps and it is for the TUs to makeeffective use of the facility time for thebenefit of the members and DSG. It is ofno use to anyone if TU reps are ‘twiddlingtheir thumbs’.

But are the objectives of themanagement and the TUs so verydifferent? Both want DSG to be a successand to usefully employ as many people aspossible. In order to be successful, youneed the right people in the right placesdoing the right things, and you need themto be pushing the business forward.

To achieve this you need to invest inpeople and give them the best package inorder to attract and retain them. This is,generally, what members want their unionto achieve for them. In the end it is thesalary and how you are treated thatmatters to most people.

It is this common ground that willultimately determine the foundations fora lasting and successful partnership thatwill enable DSG to be a success.

It is important for both sides torecognise that there will be issues thatthe management and TUs may not alwaysagree on how to resolve. The TUs have toaccept that the management have aresponsibility to manage and that includessometimes making difficult and unpopulardecisions. Equally, the management haveto recognise that some issues that TUsraise, may seem relatively trivial but are

important tomembers. If theseissues are leftunresolved thenthe efficiency ofthe business couldbe adverselyaffected if themorale goesdown.

So what else came up in theconference? Archie Hughes was keen tostress the importance of successionplanning. This, he recognised, meantdeveloping and taking chances with theemployees of DSG. He said he became asenior manager at a young age becausesomeone took a chance on him.

There was also a lot of discussionabout corporate bonuses. This was mainlydue to the fact that the ex-DARAemployees would be receiving one andthe ex-ABRO employees wouldn’t. As anex-DARA employee it is easy for me tosay that there are bigger issues for theTUs to be concerned with. These includegetting a proper cost of living payincrease for members and the fact anumber of sites are vulnerable becausethey are making losses, which the Boardindicated couldn’t be sustained if the DSGis to survive and prosper.

So overall, the DSG Partnership eventwas successful because it allowed openand honest communications between theTrades Unions and the management.Long may this continue!Robert Miles, Prospect DSG Sealand Section Secretary

A Trades Unionist perspective

Archie Hughes with guest speaker Will Hutton


news

The Bulldog is used by the British Armyas a battlefield taxi, where it seesfrontline action on a daily basis andplays a vital role in protecting soldiers’lives. Otherwise known as the FV432,tracked armoured personnel carrier,the Bulldog has earned high praise fromsoldiers and commanders alike for it’spivotal role in supporting operationsin Iraq.

The standard Bulldog weighs 13tonnes in its modified form, has a top

speed of 44mph and can carry eightinfantrymen, who dismount from thevehicle to carry out operations, and acrew of two. The primary role of theFV432 vehicle has been as an armouredpersonnel carrier. Additional key roles areas command post, mortar carrier andambulance. The £155m programme began with anoriginal £85m contract placed with BAESystems by MoD in October 2005. Thiscovered the upgrade of the engine,transmission and other systems to 500FV430 series vehicles. A £70 millioncontract amendment in September 2007added the upgrade of a further 400vehicles.Speaking at Bovington, Major GeneralAlan Macklin, leader of DefenceEquipment and Support organisation’sArmoured Fighting Vehicles Group, said“People from my team have workedalongside DSG and industry tosuccessfully deliver to the front line, inrecord time, effectively and efficiently andwith greatcommitment. We aimto deliver the best toour armed forces andin Bulldog we have agreat example of that.”

The conversionprogramme isscheduled forcompletion in March2011. Some 20vehicles are convertedeach month at the

same time as they receive a majoroverhaul at DSG’s Bovington facility.Further upgrades, mostly to provideextra crew protection, have beencovered separately under a series ofindividual contracts.

DSG’s Chief Executive, ArchieHughes, praised the Bovingtonworkforce and said: “This event marksa major milestone for the techniciansand engineers who have worked sohard to ensure our Armed Forces aregetting the best possible service. TheBulldog is critical equipment that helpsthem do their jobs to maximum effectin conditions that are demanding anddangerous. There is now a growingrecognition of the contribution DSGmakes in supporting troops at homeand abroad and having members of the1st Battalion, Duke of Lancaster’sRegiment at Bovington to celebratethe Bulldog with the DSG workforceis something we will long remember.”

500th Bulldogunleashed

Soldiers from the first battalion of the Duke ofLancaster's Regiment just back from Basra, paid avisit to DSG Bovington on 21 May to thank workers as the 500th Bulldog vehicle cameoff the line. The Ministry of Defence upgrade programme is managed by BAE Systemsand carried out by DSG. Under the programme, the vehicles receive a new engine anddrive train, which greatly increases reliability and significantly reduces support costs.Vehicles destined for Iraq also receive a package of armour, a remotely operatedmachine gun and other improvements, which provide enhanced personnel protection.

Bulldog on the line at Bovington

Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, Duke of LancasterRegiment discussing the Bulldog programme with a

DSG technician (Photo by Andrew Linnett)

BBC South's Steve Humphrey reporting from Bovington


news

Millbrook was purpose built morethan 30 years ago and has evolvedinto one of the most comprehensivetest and development facilitiesavailable to the world’s transportindustries. The DVD event has beenheld at Millbrook for a number ofyears and is one of the mostimportant events in the defenceequipment calendar. It is a two-dayevent, organised by the MoD, forvehicle, battlefield infrastructure andrelated support services industrieswith an interest in the defence sector.It is aimed primarily at manufacturers,purchasers, specifiers and seniorusers. With over 200 exhibitors andup to 4,000 visitors, it provides asingle point of contact and interaction for the multitude of large and small stakeholders involvedin these sectors.

DSG was located in the off roadarea amongst other exhibitors such asBAE Systems, Thales, Lockheed

Martin, Babcock Land Systems,General Dynamics and Land Rover.

Chief Executive, Archie Hughes,Commercial Director, Alan Lewis,Strategy Director, Keith Norris, theLand Key Account Managers, BusinessDevelopment and Marketing staffhosted over 200 guests over the two days.

Archie Hughes took theopportunity to meet a large numberof partners and customers. Highprofile visitors to our stand includedDr Andrew Tyler, DE&S ChiefOperating Officer, Brigadier Ian Dale,who is due to replace Major GeneralTim Tyler as the Director GeneralLand Equipment, Les Mosco who isthe Director General Commercialand Major General Bill Moore CBE,Director General Logistics, Supportand Equipment (HQ Land Forces).

Commenting on the event, ArchieHughes said, “The show was a hugesuccess and provided the ideal forum

to raise DSG’s profile and to thankour MoD customers. We are nowconfident in being able to marketDSG as a responsive and innovative,quality service, which is second tonone. The DVD event has proved thatwe can hold our own and standalongside some of the biggest namesin the industry.”

DSG arrives at DVD DSG made a successful entrance to its first trade event, by exhibitingat the Defence Vehicle Demonstration (DVD), held on 25 and 26 Juneat Millbrook Proving Ground, Bedfordshire.

We are now confident

in being able to

market DSG as a

responsive and

innovative, quality

service, which is

second to none

“

”

Left to right: Brigadier Ian Dale, Archie Hughes and Major General Tim Tyler at the DSG stand


awards

It was a double celebration for MarkDavis, who won the overallApprentice of the Year Award, andbecame the third generation of hisfamily to enter the fold atBovington. Apprentice of the YearMark, joined DSG in 2000 at the ageof 16 and began working as astorekeeper before moving on tothe main shop floor as a craftauxiliary. He began hisapprenticeship in 2004, the year inwhich DSG re-instated theapprenticeship scheme. Mark'sfather Ken received his apprenticetraining at Bovington and works as ateam leader at Lulworth. The familytradition goes back even further

with Mark's grandfather, Roy Davis,who also worked at Lulworth aswell as at Bovington until hisretirement in 1997.

Although unable to make it tothe ceremony, Chief ExecutiveArchie Hughes praised thegraduates, their families and all thoseinvolved in the Bovingtonapprenticeship scheme and said:"The DSG apprenticeship scheme isan integral part of our business. It isfrom this pool of talent that thefuture leaders of our business willemerge and we place great store inthe training and experiencedelivered both in the classroom andon the shop floor."

The first apprentices to graduate from DSGBovington in more than a decade recently receivedtheir deeds at a ceremony held at the RNLI LifeboatCollege in Poole. The nine apprentices graduating atthe event were Mark Davis, Daniel Bennett, ShaunGardner, Daniel Hurlstone, Dean Kinson, MichaelRussell, Stuart Richardson, Scott Smart and Dean Toft.

Presenting the awards, DSG’s ChiefOperating Officer John Reilly also praised the hard work of the apprenticesin achieving their deeds. He went on tocongratulate the DSG training team andpartnership-training provider, Paragon,for its commitment to the scheme.

Additional awards for ongoingapprentices were also presented at theevent. The Unite Trades Unionrepresentative and Regional Officer,Colin Rose presented the union's specialaward for most improved apprentice. This award went to Jamie Huet who is inthe second year of his apprenticeship.Other award winners were first yearapprentices Peter Waite and RyanGibson, second year students DanO'Donovan, Jeffrey Warr and Keith Avantand third year graduating apprenticesMark Davis and Daniel Bennett.

The evening ended with BrendanBurrows DSG Bovington’s Head ofBusiness signing deeds for the new intake of First Phase Apprentices,therefore ensuring that successionplanning continues.

Ten years in the making

The proud graduating apprentices John Reilly presenting the Apprentice of the Year award to Mark Davis


news

The latest series of corporate briefings took place around the sites in June, with a finely honed but busy schedule, which took two weeks to complete.

Corporate briefings

Key topics on the agenda this timewere the business performancesduring the last financial year of bothABRO and DARA, DSG’s keyobjectives for the future, building onour strengths and taking the mergedbusiness forward. The underlyingmessage was that DSG now has a clearstrategic direction, but there is still alot of work to be done in taking thebusiness to the next level.

Highlighting some of the successstories that marked the 2007/08trading year, DSG’s Chief Executive,Archie Hughes, praised those involvedin bringing about the successfulconclusion of the Rotary andComponents sale. He also mentionedthe 500th Bulldog celebrations atBovington where soldiers took time tovisit the site and personally thank DSGstaff for their sterling work insupporting operations in Iraq, and theBAE Systems Chairman’s Award forVC10. As a business, we have alsosupported our customer in theatre,where we have deployed personnel tosupport operations in Afghanistan, Iraqand Kuwait. The praise for the DSGemployees has come from all quarterswithin the military and at the time ofwriting we are awaiting confirmation ofthose staff who are to be awarded

campaign medals in recognition oftheir valued efforts at the Front Line.

The Chief Executive reported thatnew DSG policies for Communicationsand Security were now in place, andwork is in progress on a draftPartnership Agreement with the TradesUnions. Merging the business activitiesand employees based at Stafford intothe business was now complete, with aVesting Day for those employees in theProcurement group based at SapphireHouse in Telford planned for 1September.

Whilst it was also made clear thatsome of the businesses on the Landside had failed to meet financial targets,there was much to be proud of and asolid base to build on for the future.Efforts will now concentrate on ourreputation for delivery and provencapability in supporting operations,positioning for AVSI, securing DSG’srole in Whole Fleet Management andintegrating DSG into the FRESsolution. We will also maintain andbuild on our outstanding reputation inthe Air environment, where our keygoals are to maintain the VC10business, manage the transition fromTornado to Typhoon and position ourbusiness for the future support of theJoint Strike Fighter.

Major change and transformationactivity will include a proposed DSGPay Strategy for August 2009, a revisedLearning and Development Strategy,delivering the Customer ReviewProgramme and implementing adivestment plan for non-defenceactivity.

Questions from employees werewide and varied and acknowledged theinterest staff have in being keptinformed about the performance ofthe various business streams.

Summing up, Archie Hughes said,“We must now all work together asone business with a shared vision forthe future. We need to continue doingwhat we do best, and firmly embedourselves within the MoD as theultimate, in-house strategic supportprovider.”

We must now

all work together

as one business

with a shared

vision for

the future

“

”

Light Gun

11© Crown Copyright images from www.defenceimages.mod.uk


news

What is FOD?Foreign Object Debris (FOD) is officiallydescribed as ‘any item or material, otherthan birds or wildlife, that originates fromany source, either external to or part ofan aircraft, and which then has thepotential to cause damage’.

Why is FOD a problem?Foreign Object Debris can compromiseaircraft safety in many ways includingcontrol restrictions and systemmalfunctions. Additionally, enginecompressors can also ingest loosearticles, leading to significant damage orcatastrophic failure.

Whose responsibility is it?Whilst FOD is an inevitable part ofaircraft operations, every effort is madeto ensure that all avoidable FODincidents are prevented. Dave Edmunds,DSG St Athan’s Head of Large Aircraftexplains, “As the named airworthinessdelegate for LABU it is my responsibilityto ensure that the business has a robustFOD prevention policy in place in orderto mitigate the likelihood of FOD damage.Everyone is expected to take a proactiveand personal interest in, and responsibilityfor, FOD prevention for their respectiveareas. We must all remember that eventhough the flying of VC10s is minimal,

there is still an operational airfield tomanage which must be maintained to the highest flight safety standard at alltimes. There is no lay-by or hard shoulderin the sky.”

So, once a month, DSG employees atSt Athan don a pair of protective glovesand armed with a large plastic bag each,carry out a mandatory search of theground for any stray debris, which couldcause serious damage to the aircraft. Anydebris is collected in the bags and thendisposed of accordingly. Head of HR atDSG St Athan, Lynn Doel adds, “As amember of the LABU team, I share theresponsibility of flight safety, equally withevery other DSG St Athan employee,which is why I’m required to take part inthe FOD plod.”

Introducing the “FOD plod”

Did you know that on the first Monday of everymonth, all employees in the Large AircraftBusiness Unit (LABU) gather to carry out what isaffectionately known for short as the “FOD plod”?

Summing upThe monthly FOD plod is criticalto the safety of our aircraft, pilotsand any passengers. Lynn sumsup by saying, “As many of usprepare to jet abroad for ourannual holidays in the sun, wetend to take it for granted thatpassenger safety is the numberone priority for the civilauthorities. To also allow DSGthe same peace of mind, theelimination of FOD is obviously akey safety target for us, being theonly aircraft maintenance facilitywithin the business.”

Waiting to collect any FOD at the end of the search

Examples of FOD


news

My main role within the team is tocarry out all electrical repairs, faultfinding and electrical testing. I also act asteam leader for the Landrover re-generation programme, which is a newrole for me. I was a vehicle electrician in46 Northern Ireland Workshop REME,but as this unit disbanded at the end ofJuly 2007, I took the opportunity andapplied to join ABRO as part of the In-Barracks Equipment Support (IBES)facility in Kinnegar. I am now part of theDSG team working alongside a few ofmy former colleagues from 46Workshop.

The first thing I do when I get towork at 07.30 is liaise with my fellowteam leaders about the day aheadprioritising jobs, ordering materials andorganising the work for the teams. Iorganise my day as best as I can giventhe information to hand, trying to co-ordinate the work priorities against

available manpower, resources andspares availability.

By the time lunchtime comes, I willhave got myself organised and madeprogress with what the day has thrownat me. Hopefully everything is runningsmoothly and everyone is working welland knows what is required of them.The afternoon is usually spent doingeverything that I have not been able toget to, and ploughing through myworkload.

The thing I like best about my jobis definitely the people and being part ofa team. It can be very rewarding andsatisfying and if you have a good teamaround you, it makes it all the moreeasier. Being the only vehicle electricianhere presents a lot of challenges and therole of team leader also brings its owndemands and challenges, whichmotivates me to do a good job as

others are relying on me to do my bit.

The worst thing about the job is nothaving the parts available when you needthem.

My problem-solving strategy is todiscuss any issues or problems with theteam, and to try and solve them usingbest practice, consensus of opinion orjust using common sense.

At the end of the working day I liketo get home, relax and put work behindme so that I can enjoy the rest of theday with my family. I also have a nicecold beer and try to forget about work,even if it is only for a few short hours.

SealandsupportsBowmanAs part of the DS&TE Calibrationcontract, DSG Sealand’s Electronics &Components business has been providingcalibration support to the Radio TestSuite (RTS) for Bowman Radio. Thisincludes development of the capabilityinvolved, training by the PrimeContractor and OEM, provision of newTest Equipment and in-house proceduredevelopment.

The RTS is mission critical equipment.Without the RTS, the radio systemcannot be used. This has lead to the TestEquipment product line delivering an ad-hoc UOR service in support ofoperations in Afghanistan and Iraq, whichrequires DSG to be responsive andflexible to ensure that the overseasoperations are fully supported in theatre.

Since the declaration of capability, the

owner of the equipment, BATCIS IPT, hascontinually been impressed by theprofessionalism, enthusiasm and technicalexpertise of all involved with the RTS.During the working group meetings thatrepresentatives from DSG attend, boththe IPT and Bowman HQ Land, havetaken every opportunity to praise DSGstaff for their performance andcommitment to support the Front Line

operations. During a meeting in February,Phil Bunce, Bowman HQ Land, openlythanked DSG for our recent activity toensure availability in theatre.

Following on from this success, theIPT is now funding a feasibility study toascertain the potential for DSG Sealand’sElectronics & Components business tobecome the on-shore repair facility forthe RTS.

A day in the life of…Have you ever wondered how your day job compares with others? Read on to find out more about the role of a DSG vehicle electrician and team leader, based at Kinnegar in Northern Ireland. For personal security reasons, the identity of our technician is withheld.

Tony Pye (left) and Colin Augustus with the RTS

Landrover in the workshops


news

If I weren't talking to you... I wouldbe hard at it, learning about cooking thebooks, lots of ingredients to remember.Pick a number, no not that number, tryagain. Seriously, it’s a very steep learningcurve, but I am enjoying the challenge.

A common misperception of me is...that I’m aggressive. My nickname isGrowler, which may have something todo with it I suppose.

The worst thing you could say to meis… calm down, there’s no need to getaggressive.

When I was a child I wanted to be…a Policeman.

The best thing my parents taughtme is… “manners make the man” andrespect is earned, it’s not an entitlement.

If I can, I always try to avoid…housework. It’s a lot of pain for littlegain!

A phrase I use far too often is... “Intheory…”

I'm good at... socialising and being withpeople. I’m a bit of a party animal.

I'm very bad at... keeping quiet, whichis probably why I’m a party animal!

In moments of weakness... I let myemotions take control

The best age to be is... any, as long asyou’re happy

In a nutshell, my philosophy is... life isfor living, so make the most of it.

5 minutes with… Paul Grealis who is a Management Accountant based at Sealand

Paul started his MoD career in 1991 when he joined RAF Sealand as an electricalapprentice. In 2003, Paul was promoted to Production Manager and moved intoproject management in 2007. Shortly afterwards, Paul moved to what he refers toas the “dark side” of finance, and into a role which he thought looked so easy fromthe outside. After the initial shock however, Paul saw the light and began enjoyinghis new job.

Back in June, three DSG employees atSt Athan were presented with GEMSawards for their innovative ideas putforward to the Local Award group.

David Brine from the Large Aircraftbusiness developed a database thatenabled his team to quickly locatedetails of aircraft drawings. This newsystem has been used approximately250 times on each of the last fouraircraft which were undergoing

maintenance, saving about 30 minuteseach time users accessed the system.

Steve Littlewood and Rick Murrayfrom the QUENSH department,developed a method of quicklyidentifying drain outputs, where blueindicates surface water and redindicates a foul sewer. Their slot drainmarking tool enabled the task to becarried out at a cost of £60 for paintand 1.5 days work for two men. A

contractor’s estimate for the job at£4.5k shows the savings made!

Presenting the awards, DaveEdmunds, DSG St Athan’s Head ofLarge Aircraft said, “These were simpleideas which produced relatively smallsavings, but in the commercial worldwhere we need to reduce our pricesto the customer, any savings arewelcome. All employees and managersshould support the GEMS scheme andencourage people to put ideas forward,as these will in time, bring even biggersavings into the business. The guyshave put in a tremendous effort andhave been rewarded today for theirhard work and innovation.”

DSG will also be recognised for itswork on a BOWMAN training aid,which is on track to yield substantialsavings for the MoD. Representativesfrom DSG Warminster attended theMoD awards ceremony recently, whichwas held at the Imperial War Museumand hosted by the Permanent UnderSecretary for Defence, Sir Bill Jeffrey. Afeature on this will follow in the nextedition of Digest.

Rewarding ideas

My philosophy is...life is

for living, so make the

most of it

”

“

L-R, Steve Littlewood, Rick Murray, Dave Edmunds, David Brine and Dave Carrington (Award group Chair)


news

SealandprovidessolutionsAs a result of the relationship developedwith Thales in the air environmentthrough our Total Support Services (TSS)partnership, Thales and DSG recentlyworked together on an opportunity tomigrate Maritime Electronic SurveillanceMeasure (ESM) repairs to the Sealand site.

Following an initial engineering visitthat delivered confidence in the task, twoSealand technicians were deployed toCrawley to carry out awareness andtechnical training. Upon completion of thetraining, the technicians remained attheThales facility, completing productionactivity to ensure the Naval customer wassupported during the transition.

On completion of contractnegotiation, the capability was relocatedto the Test Solutions line at Sealand andproduction commenced. This has been avery successful project that has

demonstrated the flexibility of ourbusiness, our people and our capability toprovide cost effective solutions to ourindustry partners.

Chris Borrill, Services Business UnitDirector at Thales commented, “I'mdelighted with DSG's responsiveness,flexibility and professionalism.

The transfer of a key repair capabilitywas achieved against tight timescales withno loss of output. The programmebroadens our already very successfulworking relationship with DSG and I amnow looking forward to our twoorganisations working closely together todeliver further synergies."

Chris Bolt and the ESM equipment

Spotlight on Stafford

PAAG en-route to Fairford

Stafford has played its own part in the preparations for this year’s Royal International Air Tattoo, held at Fairford. In early May, two sets of PortableAircraft Arrestor Gear (PAAG), recently refurbished at Stafford, were loaded on to RAF transport for deployment and installation at Fairford. ThePAAG is designed for use on short operational runways to arrest fast jets. There are 14 sets in the equipment fleet and Stafford carry out a five-yearfull depth refurbishment programme on the fleet. Stafford is also responsible for preparation for deployment of two sets of PAAG that are held on 24-hour operational readiness, and for post deployment inspection and damage survey.On a disappointing note, this year’s Tattoo was cancelled on the Saturday and Sunday. Traditionally the busiest two days, the bad weather leading up to the Tattoo left the organisers with no alternative but to cancel this year’s event.


news

BATUS is located on the flat plains inthe province of Alberta about twohours from Calgary and forty-fiveminutes from Medicine Hat. Due tothe wide-open space available it makesan ideal training area, which is so big itcan fit all the other British Armytraining areas into it.

The BATUS training season has five“Med Man” exercises starting in Mayall the way through to October. Duringwhich time the vehicles and troopsoperate in a harsh and as real to warenvironment as you can get. Battlegroups deploy onto the area fortwenty-four days and the training issplit into two sections. The firstsection is live firing at either hardtargets or mock wooden targets andthe second section uses a TacticalEngagement System (TES) which isbest described as laser quest on a verylarge scale, allowing troops to fightagainst an opposing force.

During past training seasons,

vehicles would have minimum repairscarried out by the workshops betweenexercises so that they could bereissued to the next battle group. Thisleft the vehicles in a poor condition atthe end of the training season with alot of outstanding work to completeduring the Winter Repair Programme(WRP). WRP starts in January andrequires a battalion to deploy overthree hundred people working twelvehour days, twelve days on, two days offuntil the middle of April. During whichtime in excess of one thousandvehicles and eight thousandmiscellaneous items are repairedequating to one hundred and sixtythousand hours of work.

The concept of RFM is to repairthe training vehicles throughout theyear instead of only during WRP. RFMsees a constant number of vehiclesrepaired each month, which are thenrotated with the battle groupsthroughout the training season. As an

example, four challengers are repairedeach month and at the end of a MedMan exercise, four vehicles held by thereturning battle group are replacedwith vehicles that have undergoneRFM, ready for issue to the new battlegroup.

Since July 2007, DSG employeeshave been deployed to Canada toassist the BATUS workshops, asoperational deployments placed uponREME tradesmen left the maintenanceprogramme difficult to meet. Theoriginal team deployed consisted often former ABRO personnel from fivedifferent sites. The team had toovercome a number of issues and thefirst was to build up good workingrelationships with the Canadian civilservants as well as the militarypersonnel.

Over the past twelve months DSGhas managed to convince thecustomer it is capable of undertakingthe work to the highest standard, andas a result, the contract has beenextended for a further twelve months.

Commenting on the serviceprovided by DSG, BATUS OperationsManager, Robert Rose had this to say,“It has amazed me how well everyonehas worked together. I would like totake this opportunity to thankeveryone who has helped makeBATUS a success. I would also like tothank all the people back in the officesin Britain, who have givenadministrative and financial support. I am looking forward to seeing somenew faces in the future, as well assome familiar ones, and hope to see DSG in BATUS for many years to come.”The original team deployed to BATUS

Challenger 2 at BATUS

Support toBATUSAs part of a new initiative introduced across the REME (RoyalElectrical and Mechanical Engineers), lean principles have beenadopted by the British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS) anda pilot programme called Rotational Fleet Maintenance (RFM)introduced. DSG technicians are now being deployed to BATUSto work on Challenger 2 and DAF drops (flat-bed lorries to theuninitiated).


news

On 1 September 2008, DSGwill have a new addition tothe portfolio in the form ofDSG Land Supply, based atSapphire House in Telford.Support to currentoperations is the highestpriority for the MoD,including the provision ofmateriel, but there isconstant pressure to reducecosts.

DE&S Land Equipment staff inTelford currently provideprocurement and provisioningservices to a significant proportion ofLand operations, providing around£150m of equipment and spares eachyear. These staff were originally due tobe transferred to the Acquisition Hubin Bristol or Bath as part of the DE&SCollocation Project. However, DSG, inline with its new terms of referencewithin the overall Defence IndustrialStrategy (DIS), proposed to transferSapphire House provisioningoperations within the neworganisation and therefore continueto provide these services from theTelford area. Project Demeter was setup in October 2007 to effect thetransfer and the Minister approvedthe DSG proposal in January 2008,following a period of formal TUconsultation.

This new service will complementDSG’s existing services, as we alreadybuy many similar items. It is alsoexpected that it will enhance ourposition to provide such services tothe MoD in the future under the newContractor Logistic Servicesarrangements, which are expected tobecome more common.

In total, around 230 staff willtransfer to DSG on 1 September.Some 50 or 60 further staff will

continue to work with DSG beyondthat date to ensure businesscontinuity and effective transition ofoperations by 31 March 2009. As wellas transferring the operational staff toDSG, we are setting up a newmanagement structure, as theprevious line management route wasthrough the various Land Equipment,IStar and Weapons IPTs. Recruitmentcommenced with the appointment ofBronwen Hopkins, as Head of LandSupply, on 1 April of this year.Bronwen’s senior management teamconsists of Head of A Vehicles Cluster- Tony Plumb, Head of Land and BVehicles Cluster - John Marr, Head ofSES Cluster - Paula Draycott andHead of Procurement Strategy andBusiness Services - Jim Ayres. TheCluster Heads took up their newroles on 14 July, while Head ofProcurement Strategy and BusinessServices will take up his post inAugust. Recruitment for the othermanagement positions has now beencompleted and all appointees areexpected to be in place in early

September.DSG Land Supply will continue to

deliver the same range of services, toexisting service levels and keyperformance indicators, but through aformal contract with DE&S. DSGsubmitted its bid (price) for thecontract on 1 July, and it is plannedthat the contract will be agreed, andthe business case updated andsubmitted for formal authority toproceed with the contract, by thisAugust.

All other focus is onimplementation and gettingeverything in place for 1 September.An implementation team has beenestablished and mobilised withinSapphire House, involving the peoplein the building. The team have ralliedto the cause and confidence is highthat everything will run smoothlyleading up to and through the plannedSeptember Vesting date. A specialevent for the staff is being planned for1 September to mark the transferinto DSG.

A new addition to the portfolio


across the country

On yer bikeAfter months of organising, DSG Warminster’sTony Smith has finally risen to the challenge,and cycled the road from Lands End to JohnO’Groats. At the end of April, Tony set off fromLands End with a friend and everything theyneeded for the next two weeks, stuffed in fourpanniers on two bikes.

Ahead they faced 16 days of rain, wind, sun, hills, hotels,B+Bs and Youth Hostels, too many lorries, spectacularscenery and the occasional not so spectacular industrialestate.

Two tyres, four inner tubes and a new back wheel later,they arrived at a grey, and empty John O’Groats, whereit seemed the seagulls were the only welcoming party.

The ride was initially planned as just a holiday, but somany people asked if they were doing it for charity, theytook advantage of the apparent generosity, and withdonations from colleagues and friends, raised over £700in a very short time. They decided to donate the moneyto ActionAid, a charity funding the provision ofsustainable water, sanitation, education and health carein the Third World.

Tony told Digest, “On a personal level, it was a perfect,away from it all holiday, where the only decision waswhether to have tea or coffee with breakfast. Being able to donate a substantial amount of money to adeserving charity was the icing on the cake.”

Across the cScouting for funds

A glorious sunny day in June seemed like a fineday for a cycle ride for the Warminster Scouts,but where could they ride safely and enjoythemselves to the full?

The vehicle test circuit at DSG Warminster was anideal location for the Scouts to enjoy their ride, so anoffer to use the circuit was one not to be refused. TheWarminster management team kindly agreed to allowthe 1st and 6th Warminster Beavers (6 - 8 years), Cubs(8 - 10 ½ years) and Scouts (10 ½ - 14 years) to planand run a sponsored cycle ride on the site’s trafficcircuit, to help raise funds for the groups activitiesthroughout 2008 and 2009.

With the planning stage completed and volunteersengaged, the event took place on 8 June and was verywell supported by both the staff and parents. The 30youngsters cycled for an hour around the traffic circuit,completing a staggering 321 laps in total, each one justunder a mile in length. Only two minor accidents weretreated and expertly remedied by Warminster’sresident first aid instructor Dave Newell.

The estimated total sponsorship was £600.00, and forsuch an enjoyable and worthwhile event, the youngsterswere to be congratulated for their efforts. TheWarminster Scouts would like to thank DSG forhelping to make the event such a success, and forproviding marshals for the course. They would also liketo thank the Warminster Carillion team for theirsupport and kind donation.

Commenting after the event, Russ Cane, DSG’s KeyAccount Manager Land and also speaking on behalf ofthe 1st Warminster Cub Scouts said, “Not only werewe able to put on a great event for the Scouts and raisemuch needed funds, we also demonstrated one ofDSG’s core values and made a positive contribution toour local community and the environment.”Tony at the John O’Groats finish line

Ready, steady, go!


across the country

Pedal powerDid you know that Bike Week is an annualopportunity, which promotes cycling as a sourceof fitness and fun? For 2008, Bike Week teamedup with Nokia and Sport Relief to challengeeveryone to get out of their cars, step away fromthe TV and get on their bikes!

Employees at DSG Colchester did just that, and onFriday 20 June, decided to get as many members of staffas possible to leave their cars at home and cycle towork. Duncan Potter and Neil Allen were instrumentalin planning the event and were keen to promote thisyear’s green transport initiative.

The day was a success with around 20% of staffchoosing to cycle, and the bike sheds were full for thefirst time! All those choosing to come by car wereasked for a voluntary contribution of £1 to be donatedto the charity Re-Cycle. The charity refurbishes bikesand ships them over to Africa where they are used formuch needed transport.

The event raised just over £26, perhaps not thegreatest amount, but every little helps.

ountry On the wingsof love

Standing on the wing of a VC10, Marc Daley andfiancée Danielle Todd recently posed for someunique photographs for their wedding album,following a somewhat unusual request to theHead of Large Aircraft. The couple met throughworking together on the VC10s, so they felt itwould be fitting for them to feature the aircraftin their wedding photographs.

Marc and Danielle first met in the Apprentice TrainingSchool at St Athan in 1999, where they were part ofthe 28-entry apprentice group. In 2001, they startedworking together in the VC10 Maintenance Facility, andfinally got together as a couple in November 2003.Marc and Danielle got engaged at the St AthanSergeants’ mess at an Oktoberfest party in 2006.

Marc is currently a technician working on the VC10wing system flaps, while Danielle is a deputy TeamLeader on the tail plane (major).

After their July wedding, the couple spent theirhoneymoon in the Maldives and Dubai, before returningto work at the place where their romance first began.

Based at DSG St Athan, Andy Pearce is celebrating after becoming the Welsh Veteran’s champion in therecent Olympic distance triathlon held at Bryn Bach Park, Tredegar.

After a 1500m lake swim, a 40km bike leg on the closed roads inside the park and not to mention a10km run, Andy crossed the finish line as overall 3rd veteran and 1st Welsh veteran. Not something for the faint-hearted!

Andy is now preparing for this year’s Ironman UK triathlon, which takes place in September. Digest will report on how he performs in the October edition.

News in brief

DSG employees take to pedal power

Marc and Danielle pose with the VC10 as a fittingbackdrop (photograph by Jacqueline Swift)

Welsh Veteran, Andy Pearce


competition

Please send all your entries in to the Editor by Friday 5 September 2008E-mail: [email protected]

Intranet: Click on the link on the dsg.net homepageFax: 96500 5746/01446 755746

Post: DSG Corporate Communications Office, PP2, St Athan, Barry, Vale ofGlamorgan, CF62 4AD

ENTRY FORM

Name:

Business Unit/Department:

Telephone Number:

RULES OF ENTRYThe competition is restricted to

DSG employees only.Only one entry per person will be accepted.

This month’s competition is kindly beingsponsored by Cobalt Media, and gives entrantsthe opportunity to win a very smart recordableDAB radio worth £150. If you would like to takehome this great prize, all you have to do is workout the answers to the following questions, whichall include the word “summer”.

The closing date for the competition is Friday 5 September 2008.

1. A popular romantic comedy, written by Shakespeare

2. A hit in 1983 for the all girl group Bananarama

3. A traditional dessert made from soft fruits and berries

4. A film released in 1997 and directed by Jim Gillespie

5. A hit for John Travolta and Olivia Newton John from the film Grease

6. A long-running television comedy starring Bill Owen and Peter Sallis

CO

MP

ET

ITIO

N

Cobalt Media is aninternational publicrelations and marketingagency specialising in the sectors of Energy,Technology andEngineering.

Cobalt’s expertise and in-depth knowledge ofspecialist sectors,guarantees a professionalcommunications teamcommitted to providing greatresults. They work to identifycommunications needs andthen provide an effectiveprogramme to deliver these.Cobalt Media is a plain-talking agency that is bothflexible and fast to respond.

From ongoing mediacampaigns, placing anddesigning advertsinternationally, to acting as a'European' press centre,Cobalt has the insight, ideasand attitude to help youachieve your business goals.

Cobalt Media has beenworking closely with DSG toprovide marketing supportfor rebranding, providingdesign and productionservices for our newexhibition stands.

For more information aboutwhat Cobalt Media could dofor you, please take a look at the website:

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The winner of the June/July competition prize of a digital camera was Chris Stewart from DSG St Athan.

The correct answers to the castle competition were:Arundel, Carrickfergus, Stirling and Harlech

digest - dsg.mod.uk · pdf file2008 digest. 2 digest august ... post: dsg corporate...

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