The U.S. Coast Guard 87’ Patrol Boat Maintenance Program: An Analysis of a Scheduling and Resource Leveling Problem

Abstract

Planning and managing military ship repair projects require a delicate balance between software-based scheduling, resource loading, and risk mitigation strategies. The U.S. Coast Guard Industrial Yard, through use of Oracle’s Primavera software, has historically used the Critical Path Method (CPM) of scheduling for their maintenance projects. With the introduction of an assembly line program to repair all East Coast 87-foot Patrol Boats named the Bow to Stern Program, the Yard resorted to manually sequencing work items using a Work Breakdown Structure. In this paper, spreadsheet modeling is used as an inexpensive and available tool to study concurrent project loading and the benefits of level loading job shops. The results show imminent program challenges with a compressed project timeline and shared resources throughout the shipyard. A decision tree for schedule risk mitigation strategies and a prioritized list of efficiency improvements are created, highlighting the need for labor fatigue studies and an Integrated Master Plan for overall organizational success.