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But that seems easier said than done. Sailors said they are increasingly mired in the mess that routine maintenance has become. Even things that should be a quick hit — something as simple as laying non-skid surface on a frigate’s tiny O3 level weather deck — is burdened by paperwork, conflicting requirements and the lack of contract flexibility. Similarly, civilians said they have insufficient visibility of what is happening on ships to better assess maintenance issues.

via Ship crews face litany of maintenance problems | Navy Times | navytimes.com.

Paperwork is a huge part of any maintenance program. It simply has to be. If it wasn’t written down, it didn’t happen. Especially when you’re talking about a billion dollar asset that you expect to use for 30 years.

But with so many things, sometimes, the process becomes the product. There’s a very strong pull in some maintenance programs to focus so much on ensuring the paperwork looks right, that actually making sure the physical plant is in good shape falls to the wayside.

Couple that with the sclerotic contracting system that generates inefficiency, a virtual monopsony in ship repair, and a lack of skilled civilian workforce, and the Navy’s in deep trouble.

Guess it’s time to roll out some more NKO training on SHARP and trafficking in persons. You know, the important stuff.