digest - Defence Electronics and Components Agency

DIGEST
Fe b r u a r y / M a r c h 2 0 1 1
The magazine of the Defence Support Group
contents
Contents
Editor’s
intro
Welcome to the
February edition of
Digest, where we look at
what’s been happening across
the business over the winter
months.
The Secretary of State for
Defence recently opened the
ESS regeneration workshop in
Camp Bastion and we bring you
the story on page 4. On page 6,
you can read about our winning
apprentices who recently
attended the MOD Apprentice
of the Year awards. On page 13,
you can read all about the
progress made in Enterprise
Resource Planning in our
Transformation update.
Rounding off, we give you the
chance to win a Dell Laptop in
our latest competition. As
always, thank you for all your
contributions to this edition and
keep the stories coming in.
03
04
Talking point / MOD signs partnering charter with Heckler & Koch
05
06
08
09
10
12
Freedom of Information update
13
14
15
16
17
18
20
Transformation update - Enterprise Resource Planning
Secretary of State for Defence opens Equipment Sustainability
System Regeneration Workshop
Former soldier battles to win gold
Corporate Briefings
Our boys in Bastion – moving forward
Poster
MP pays his first visit to DSG Bovington / DSG helps to bring local
history to life
5 minutes with…
Challenge Bovington / What is Purchase 2 Payment?
Daniel does the double / Silver award for going green
Outstanding Bovington apprentices celebrate success
Across the country
Competition time
DIGEST points of contact
Editor:
Phone:
Email:
Post:
Secretary of State for Defence, Dr Liam
Fox MP receiving a tour of the Equipment
Sustainability System Regeneration
Capability in Camp Bastion.
Photo taken by Sergeant Corrine
Buxton RAF. © Copyright MOD
2
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Alicia Puddick
95421 4005/01446 784005
Alicia.puddick@dsg.mod.uk
DSG Corporate Communications, Building 282, MOD St Athan,
Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, CF62 4WA
Editorial Board
Roz Cronin
Teresa Evans
Arlene Hamilton
Tracey Humphreys
Lynda Holloway
Lorna Morris
Rosemary Murphy-Paul
Julie Perrins
Geraint Roberts
Angela Staff
Venus Tingzon
Kathy Tuck
Brian Griffiths
Bovington
Stafford
Stirling
LSBU
Sealand
Catterick
Kinnegar
Donnington/Bicester
St Athan
Colchester/Aldershot
Andover
Warminster/Sennybridge
Abbeywood
94374 3909
95551 5173
94741 8373
94480 3702
95541 7745
94731 2062
94914 3768
94480 2578
96500 5761
94660 6944
94391 3217
94381 3233
93523 0159
Designed by: Isabel Butcher - email: designis@designis.co.uk
February/March 2011
www.dsg.mod.uk
business
Talking
point
“
DSG’s year started
with an important visit by
the Secretary for State for
Defence, Dr Liam Fox, who
travelled to Camp Bastion in
Afghanistan to formally open
the new regeneration facility on
3 January. This purpose built
workspace is where DSG employees are
delivering on the spot repair and service expertise for
vehicles employed on front line duties.
Praising DSG’s employees as the unsung heroes, Dr Fox
spent much of his time speaking with the teams and learning
more about the role DSG plays in supporting the troops in
these battle zone conditions. This edition of Digest covers
the visit in greater detail and showcases the capabilities and
clear commitment of DSG’s employees who are standing
shoulder to shoulder with their Armed Forces colleagues.
There are clear challenges ahead for everyone in DSG in the
year ahead. We already know our customers will have less
money to spend and the difficulties they face will be in
prioritising where they will achieve maximum value for
money with less funding. Helping reduce the UK’s deficit is
the responsibility of everyone and we are not immune from
playing our part in cutting costs and making our customers
money go that bit further.
We have still no clear idea about the likely impact the
Strategic Defence and Security Review will have on DSG. We
are unlikely to see increased funding so must expect to
witness further reductions in workloads over the coming
months and years. This inevitably has a detrimental effect on
our mid-term planning forecasts as we are unable to gauge
with any degree of confidence or certainty future work
volumes or financial projections.
However, for the majority of DSG’s employees it must
remain business as usual, continuing to deliver a high quality,
top class service to our customers who all readily
acknowledge the important role played by the DSG
employees at every level.
Best wishes
”
Archie Hughes
Chief Executive
www.dsg.mod.uk
MOD signs
partnering
charter with
Heckler &
Koch
Pictured at the charter signing at Oberndorf, Germany,
L-R, Mike Thornton (H&K), Wolfgang Bantle (H&K),
Brig Carew Wilks (ICG), Martin Newton (H&K), Tim Castagne
(H&K), Col Peter Warden (ICG), Col Bill Pointing (ICG),
Ken Tait (ICG) and Margarete Darrall (DSG)
The signing of a partnering charter by the
Individual Capability Group and Heckler & Koch
(H&K) is welcome news for DSG.
H&K provides a range of small arms for the MOD, which
play key roles on operations, such as the SA80A2, the
General Purpose Machine Gun, Grenade Machine Gun
and Underslung Grenade Launcherall.
Under contract from the Light Weapons, Photographic
and Batteries (LWPB) Project Team, DSG is working with
the Project Team to ensure high levels of support and
availability of spares. Particularly for the new Grenade
machine gun and weapons in current operations through
a combination of Urgent Operational Requirements,
increased fleet sizes and spares support. Keen to ensure
a high level of service at all times, DSG is also adopting
lean techniques in its small arms workshop to improve
turn round times.
Brigadier Carew Wilks, Head of Individual Capability
Group said, “This partnering Charter recognises our
shared vision to support our front line troops on
operations with the best light weapon capability, and
cements the values and principles developed between
LWPB, DSG and H&K in ensuring strong performance
for the future. In working together, MOD and H&K
provided first rate equipment and support throughout
the campaign.”
February/March 2011
DIGEST
3
news
Secretary
of State
for Defence
opens
Equipment
Sustainability
System
Regeneration
Workshop
On Monday 3 January the Secretary
of State for Defence, Dr Liam Fox
MP, officially opened the Equipment
Sustainability System (ESS)
Regeneration Capability (RC)
operated by the Defence Support
Group (DSG) at Camp Bastion, in
Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Her
Majesty’s Ambassador to
Afghanistan, Sir William Patey
KCMG; the Attorney General,
Dominic Grieve QC MP; and
Commander Joint Operations, Air
Marshal Sir Stuart Peach
accompanied Dr Fox. After opening
the facility Dr Fox and his party
toured the DSG workshop and
spoke with the team members.
This was the first visit by a Minister to the
completed ESS RC facility and the party
all commented positively on the success
of the programme to date and the
benefits to operations. In an interview for
the British Forces Broadcasting Service
the Secretary of State explained how
good it is to celebrate something new
that is both innovative and a centre of
excellence. He went on to say:
“It shows that we can get
something right when we put
our minds to it. This is going
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Photo taken by Sergeant Corrine Buxton RAF. © Copyright MOD
Secretary of State for Defence, Dr Liam Fox MP meeting the DSG team in Camp Bastion
to provide us with cutting
edge facilities and ultimately
save us money. Excellence and
savings are words we are going
to use quite a lot in 2011 and
this is a perfect example of it.
Congratulations to everybody
in making the project work so
successfully, within budget and
on time.That is something
that the rest of the MOD
needs to learn well from, and
to congratulate you on what is
a great achievement, and say
thank you very much on
behalf of all our Armed Forces
for you in support, sometimes
the un-sung heroes. We need
to do some more singing
sometimes!”
During the tour of the workshop Dr Fox
reviewed the work undertaken by the
DSG repair teams. He was extremely
impressed by the sheer size of the facility
and the numbers of platforms undergoing
repair. In discussions with the DSG team
the technicians explained how they bring
February/March 2011
their unique skills and knowledge to bear
on the task in hand. Dr Fox was
interested to learn that DSG is growing
the capability in Camp Bastion from the
initial concept of platform regeneration
through to intimate support to the REME
Battalion and repair of electronic and
mechanical sub-systems. All this hard
work has begun as the troops are
continuing their mission in Helmand
Province.
Commenting about this important visit
DSG’s Chief Executive, Archie Hughes,
said:
“DSG is doing something
which no other deployed,
Public Service, civilian
workforce has done in the
past; this is the biggest
deployed UK workshop built
since the Korean war. The
Secretary of State and his
party were certainly
impressed and the team out in
BASTION are excellent
ambassadors for our business
and deserve our wholehearted
thanks for a job well done.”
www.dsg.mod.uk
news
Freedom of Information
update FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
– SITE FOCAL POINTS
It has been over six years since
the implementation of the
Freedom of Information (FOI)
Act and the Environmental
Information Regulations (EIR).
Despite the changes to our
organisation during this time,
the responsibilities of every DSG
employee under the legislations
remains the same.
This article aims to refresh your
memory about these responsibilities
including what you must do if you
receive an FOI or EIR request, and
who you need to contact if you
should receive such a request.
The FOI Act and EIR Regulations,
form a statutory right of access to
information held by public authorities,
including DSG. This entitles any
person to submit a request for
information (RFI) under this
legislation and places a requirement
on the authority to provide the
information requested, subject to a
number of exemptions or exceptions,
within twenty working days.
FOI may apply to any subject,
although the provision of personal
data is still controlled by the Data
Protection Act, whereas EIR is more
specific and concerns environmental
issues. This can include any
information about substances, policies
and legislation that may affect the
environment, including human health
and safety.
Every DSG employee has a legal duty
to comply with the requirements of
FOI and EIR, and any DSG employee
may receive a request for information
in the form of a letter or e-mail and
EIR requests can be a verbal request.
If you do receive such a request for
information, it is essential that you
contact your local FOI focal point
immediately and pass the request.
NAME
ROLE
TEL NO
Gary Orr
FOI Lead Officer
95541 7051
Gwen Picco
Deputy Lead Officer
94391 3970
Kathy Barr
DSG Data Protection Act Focal Point
95541 7205
Graham Miller
Environmental Focal Point
94741 3839
Diane Gigg
Bovington Focal Point
94374 3943
Katy Harris
Bovington Deputy
94374 3424
Lorna Morris
Catterick Focal Point
94731 2062
Nicky Johnson
Colchester Focal Point
94660 6908
Pauline Scott
Colchester Deputy
94660 6897
Julie Perrins
Donnington Focal Point
94480 2578
Liz Hunt
Donnington Deputy
94480 2332
Rosemary Murphy-Paul
Kinnegar Focal Point
94914 3768
Graeme Keough
Kinnegar Deputy
94914 3766
Lynda Thomas
Land Supply Focal Point
94480 3945
Brian Gardner
IS Requests
94480 3706
Trudy Kelsall
Sealand Focal Point
95541 7126
Lynda Holloway
Sealand Deputy
95541 7745
Andy Johnson
St Athan
95421 4040
John Evans
Stafford Focal Point
95551 7458
Alastair Laird
Stirling Focal Point
94741 8288
Arlene Hamilton
Stirling Deputy
94741 8370
Val Mooney
Warminster Focal Point
94381 3144
Kathy Tuck
Warminster Deputy
94381 3233
Although, twenty working days may seem like a long time limit to provide a response, there
is a considerable amount of work carried out before the response is sent and can include:
•
searching for, and gathering the requested information,
•
thoroughly checking all information to ensure it is correct,
•
consultation with any individuals or third parties the information is concerned with,
•
reviewing the information under exemptions/ exceptions to determine if the information
may be released.
In July 2010, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) announced a tougher approach to
enforce the FOI Act and EIR and as such we continually find ourselves under scrutiny.
Remember, if you do receive such a request for information or are in any doubt about your
responsibilities, it is essential that you contact your local FOI focal point immediately.
www.dsg.mod.uk
February/March 2011
DIGEST
5
news
Former soldier
battles to win gold
A former soldier turned apprentice
is now winner of the prestigious
MOD Apprentice of the Year title.
Daniel Wright’s gold medal
achievement also makes it a
consecutive year success for DSG.
Originally from North Devon, Daniel, 35,
who lives in the village of Barton with his
young family, served in Iraq as a
Bombardier with the Royal Artillery and
left after 14 years service.
In 2007, as DSG Catterick opened up its
apprenticeship scheme to new recruits,
Daniel’s interest in engineering meant he
could fulfil another of his ambitions. With
his partner Leanne and his young son
Dylan to support, Daniel knew that the
three years of structured on-the-job
training whilst earning a relatively small
basic salary would be
tough. However,
Daniel felt that
he could
continue
with the
practical
hands on
element he
enjoyed, gain a qualification and provide a
better future for his young family. Daniel
also liked the fact that the work carried
out by DSG ultimately supports his
mates at the front line. After much
deliberation, Daniel signed up and against
stiff opposition, he was lucky to secure a
place.
During the start of his apprenticeship, his
partner Leanne was in the Army and
went out on deployment to Afghanistan.
Fully supporting her decision, Daniel
coped well with six months of juggling his
apprenticeship, attending college and
looking after Dylan. In his first year
Daniel completed the NVQ Level III
Mechanical Engineering course and in his
second and third year he succeeded in
completing an HNC in Mechanical
Engineering.
For the Apprentice of the
Year title, Daniel
submitted a report
on the work he
carried out on the
transformation of the
Catterick workshop
in line with DSG’s
commitment to
Operational Excellence
(OE). The OE team wanted to
implement a pulse line for the repair
work on Landrover vehicles. Daniel
suggested using Automatic Computer
Aided Design to map out the concept.
The simulation created visible plans
enabling production time to continue
instead of physically moving vehicles or
workers. The virtual mapping also
allowed everyone to analyse, provide
feedback, identify the feasibility and the
benefits and only implement when it had
total buy in from all stakeholders. After
the report submission, Daniel went
before interview panels questioning him
on technical and mechanical principles
and also about DSG and the wider MOD.
At the awards ceremony in London,
Minister for International Security
Strategy, Gerald Howarth presented
Daniel with his gold medal.
Speaking of his award Daniel says, "It was
a tough three years but all of it is
worthwhile and winning the title makes
it even more special. It is such a
fantastic accolade and I am hoping that
it will open up many opportunities for
me so I can make life better for my
family.”
MOD Apprentice
of the Year, Daniel
Wright pictured
with Gerald
Howarth, Minister
for International
Security Strategy
Photos taken by Sgt Andy Malthouse.
© Copyright MOD
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February/March 2011
www.dsg.mod.uk
news
MOD Apprentice award winners
“
Our apprenticeship
scheme is an enviable one
and with the dedication and
commitment of our
Apprentice Masters,
we are turning out high
calibre ambassadors
for the organisation.
”
Daniel reaped further success, coming runner up in
the Team Challenge of the Tom Nevard Memorial
Competition. Working with Catterick fellow
apprentices Kev Foster, Bruce Thomson and
Richard Marsh, the team designed and produced a
golf trolley in 27 hours from the various equipment
and components supplied.
Away from the apprenticeship and competitions,
Daniel likes to keep busy supporting his local
community. He is a governor at Carnagill school,
coaches the local village under 10 football team as
well as being a member of the Leeks club.
Having successfully completed his apprenticeship,
Daniel has recently deployed to the frontline to
repair the vehicles in use by our Armed Forces.
His aspiration for the future is to move up the
ladder in to management roles.
DSG’s Chief Executive, Archie Hughes, witnessed
Daniel receiving his award and adds, “Drive and
determination sets Daniel apart. He worked
tremendously hard and all credit to him for going
through the scheme whilst supporting his young
family. I am so proud that DSG has exemplary
employees like Daniel who are willing to go that
little bit extra. Our apprenticeship scheme is an
enviable one and with the dedication and
commitment of our Apprentice Masters, we are
turning out high calibre ambassadors for the
organisation.”
DSG had very good representation at the MOD Apprentice Awards
ceremony. Here are some comments from Daniel’s fellow award
winners:
“I was hugely proud to achieve an award at a prestigious event. My parents
were looking forward to attending but disappointingly, snow prevented them
from reaching the ceremony.”
Ben Camfield from Bovington,Tom Nevard Competition Machining Phase 1 Winner
“I did not dream when I joined the apprenticeship scheme that the excellent
training will lead me to succeed at competitions and have my family proudly
watch as I receive an award.”
James Braithwaite from Bovington,Tom Nevard Competition Machining Phase 1
Runner Up
“The awards ceremony was a very enjoyable experience and whilst the team
was pleased to have come runner up, if the opportunity arises next year we
want to win.”
Richard Marsh from Catterick,Tom Nevard Competition Team Challenge Runner Up
“I am extremely happy to have won an award and receiving my award at the
ceremony was a very enjoyable and proud moment.”
Matthew Powell from Donnington,Tom Nevard Competition Machining Phase 2
Winner
“I am so happy to have won. The awards ceremony was brilliant and I enjoyed
meeting people from other MOD sites.”
Ben Dovey from Donnington,Tom Nevard Competition Hand Skills Phase 2 Winner
“Coming runner up in the Tom Nevard Competition and being presented with
an award at such a prestigious event will always be memorable to me.”
Kevin Lewis from Donnington,Tom Nevard Competition Machining Phase 2 Runner
Up
“I am pleased to have won an award. I enjoyed representing the site at the
ceremony and networking with like-minded people. I hope I have the same
opportunity next year.
Steve Wilson from Donnington,Tom Nevard Competition Hand Skills Phase 2 Runner
Up
“I thoroughly enjoyed the awards ceremony and I was pleased that I won the
Elvy and Coast award.”
Andrew Murray from Donnington, Elvy and Coast Winner.
www.dsg.mod.uk
February/March 2011
DIGEST
7
news
Corporate Briefings
Archie Hughes, DSG Chief Executive,
kicked off the corporate briefings at
Stirling on 29 November.
With
support from John Reilly, Chief
Operating Officer and the site-based
Business
Heads,
the
briefings
concluded at St Athan on 16
December.
The agenda covered DSG’s mid-year
business performance, implication of the
recent Strategic Defence and Security
Review (SDSR), manpower reductions and
the DSDA to DSG (D2D) transfer.
Despite the recent announcements
surrounding the future of DSG, Archie
highlighted that the workforce remain
focussed and the high standards of output
across the sites has resulted in better than
planned performance overall at the mid-year
point with a forecast for a good full year and
on track to meet key targets.
Archie explained that the need to right size
the business is to align our capacity to
customer demands not only in the Land
environment, with the reduction of the
Armoured Fighting Vehicle Fleet but also
with the reductions in the air environment
including the imminent out of service date
for the Harrier and reductions in Tornado.
He said that MOD is currently consulting on
the manpower reduction proposals and
DSG TU consultation implementation is
likely to begin in January. Whilst the aim is to
achieve reductions by voluntary means, the
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staff reductions required may necessitate
release under compulsory terms.
He was clear that DSG could not expect to
fully understand the full impact of SDSR until
March 2011 at the earliest and there will be
further pressures on manpower numbers if
workloads continue to fall. He explained
that he understands everyone’s concern and
how it might affect them personally but he
will ensure that as much detailed information
as possible is issued when available. He also
reiterated that sale is subject to
demonstration of value for money and
security of supply.
The uplifting news detailed the opportunities
we are exploring including AIT and MRO of
FRES Scout, SV and UV. The selection of
Force Protection Europe/Team Ocelot as the
Preferred Bidder for the Light Protected
Patrol Vehicle is also welcome news. As the
nominated sub-contractor for pod
integration, we hope to secure work for the
future.
D2D is progressing well with DSG managers
now in post at Ashchurch and the target for
the project to move to Full Operating
Capability planned for completion before
October 2012 but he is hoping we can
achieve this sooner.
Updates on other functional areas included
the award of the facilities maintenance
contract for land sites to Babcock, which is
improving control over services and costs. IS
is pilot testing alternative IT solutions and
February/March 2011
making improvements to video-conferencing
and sharepoint, whilst rationalisation of
hardware and equipment are reducing IT
costs.
Commenting at the end of the briefings,
Archie said, “Being a Chief Executive is
difficult at the best of times, but trying to
maintain morale and keep a workforce
focussed on driving through improvements
and changes when job losses are a real threat
just make it even more difficult. We have the
support of our customers at all levels but
they face similar pressures and with no one
immune in this difficult time, we will feel the
affect. We need to maintain the quality
output during this period of uncertainty and
keep doing what we do best, which is to
support the front line and achieve best value
to defence.”
“
We need to
maintain the quality
output during this
period of uncertainty
and keep doing what
we do best, which is to
support the front line
and achieve best
value to defence.
www.dsg.mod.uk
”
news
Our boys in Bastion
- moving forward
Old and New. The smaller domed tent in the middle left is the old IRC facility and the largest building is the new ESS RC facility operated by DSG
Over the past few months, the
number of DSG personnel deployed
to the Equipment Sustainability
System Regeneration Capability
(ESS RC) Bastion in Afghanistan
has swelled, and is due to continue
to rise in accordance with the
regeneration programme to a peak
in June 2011. Daz Dalzell, General
Manager, ESS RC brings us up to
date with the progress made by the
DSG team so far.
The first tranche of the workforce
arrived in theatre in late September to
begin the move of the old Interim
Regeneration Capability (IRC) facility to
the new ESS RC workshop. Daz told
Digest, “The outgoing DSG team
provided an excellent handover to the
incoming team, which meant that the
team kept disruption to production to a
minimum and the regeneration of
platforms continued inline with set
milestones. I am extremely grateful for all
the hard work and effort put in by the
outgoing IRC Team, some of whom stayed
on until late December. Thank you for
your invaluable support during this
period.”
The Full Regeneration Capability contract
started in earnest on 1 October 2010
with DSG taking the helm supported by
sub-contractors KBR and General
Dynamics (UK).The DSG team has a very
good understanding of the nature of the
regeneration task and the production
control and planning team are focusing
much more on our technical intelligence
gathering effort to ensure that the Bills of
Materiel are fit for purpose.
The facilities in Camp Bastion are basic
and fit for purpose, as would be expected
during an operational deployment.
Employees deploy under Support to
Operations (S2O) regulations and are
mobilised through Reserve Training and
Mobilisation Centre (RTMC) Chilwell.
The DSG team manages and controls the
contractors’ village, where the team
resides. All members of staff have a small
single room with access to communal
washrooms and toilets.There are welfare
rooms for relaxation and socialising and
a number of functions have been
organised recently including Christmas
lunch and a Boxing Day and New Year’s
Eve BBQ. The operational welfare
package is excellent and means each of
the three welfare rooms contain TV’s,
games consoles and DVD players.
www.dsg.mod.uk
Employees also receive free telephone
cards to use on satellite phones.
Commenting on the deployment of
personnel, Daz said, “The process has not
been without its hiccups and what people
must realise is that the ESS RC is not a
gold plated workshop. It is a workshop, in
the middle of the desert in Afghanistan,
which is providing real time benefit and
value for money in support of the MOD’s
priority mission. Staff must be prepared
to accept this and will be rewarded with
a challenge and experience not realised
by many in their lifetime. This is a team
effort and I am absolutely delighted and
honoured, to be the team captain.
However, I will not pretend that it will not
be difficult as we take forward this
initiative considering the uncertainty over
DSG’s future.”
Daz ends by saying, “The ESS RC
operated by DSG is now firmly on the
operational map. We welcome the
challenge of providing real-time support
to our troops in an operational
environment and I would encourage all
other DSG staff across the UK to
consider volunteering for a tour in
Afghanistan, it will most definitely be an
experience of a lifetime.”
February/March 2011
DIGEST
9
Secretary of State for Defence, Dr Liam Fox MP
pictured with the DSG team in Camp Bastion
© Copyright MOD
news
MP pays his first visit
to DSG Bovington
to their business. They give excellent value
for money, are flexible and have a sound base
of experience which we can ill-afford to
lose.”
Richard Drax MP (centre) touring the DSG Bovington site with Archie Hughes,
Chief Executive (right) and Paul England, Head of Operations
The newly elected MP for South
Dorset, Richard Drax, paid his first visit
to DSG’s Bovington site to see for
himself the work undertaken there by
the employees and learn more about
the challenges and opportunities facing
the business in the future.
Hosting Mr Drax’s visit was DSG’s Chief
Executive, Archie Hughes, who briefed the
MP on the potential consequences of the
MOD’s Strategic Defence and Security
Review, which recommends sale of the DSG
business. Mr Hughes then explained about
the earlier Ministerial announcement
regarding the manpower reductions required
to meet the declining workloads across the
land and air environments.
Mr Drax was taken on a tour of the
workshops, under the guidance of DSG
Bovington’s Paul England, where he had the
opportunity to speak with employees on
various vehicle platforms. Speaking after his
visit Mr Drax said, “DSG clearly has a
dedicated workforce who show great loyalty
Adding his own comments at the end of the
visit, Archie Hughes said, “I am always
amazed, when taking influential visitors
around our workshops, to witness the great
professionalism and commitment of the DSG
employees and the enormous pride they
take in knowing the jobs they do matter. As
the Secretary of State said on his recent visit
to Camp Bastion, the DSG employees are
the great unsung heroes. Showcasing our
capabilities to those with influence does us
no harm at all and underlines the important
role we play in supporting our Armed
Forces.”
“
DSG clearly has a
dedicated workforce who
show great loyalty to
their business.They give
excellent value for money,
are flexible and have
a sound base of
experience which we
can ill-afford to lose.
DSG helps to
bring local
history to life
DSG’s marketing department recently loaned display
equipment to Enham to allow them to produce a
professional and engaging exhibition at Andover Museum
for their Enham Alamein Community Heritage (EACH)
Project.
Established in 1918, Enham is a leading regional disability services
organisation dedicated to empowering disabled people to reach
their potential and enable greater personal independence and
control in every aspect of their lives.
The EACH project is a community collaboration to explore local
heritage and raise awareness of the fascinating history of the
Hampshire-based disability charity Enham and the surrounding
village of Enham Alamein.
The official launch of the exhibition was a success with over 60
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February/March 2011
”
Their Worships the Mayor and Mayoress of Test Valley,
Chris and Frances Lynn, with Enham’s Chief Executive,
Peta Wilkinson, at the EACH exhibition in Andover Museum
local dignitaries including Their Worships the Mayor and Mayoress
of Test Valley, Chris and Frances Lynn present for the event.
DSG’s Marketing Communications manager, Venus Tingzon told
Digest, “DSG’s small contribution to this project demonstrates our
commitment to delivering our corporate responsibility in building
relationships with our local communities.”
www.dsg.mod.uk
news
Transformation update
- Enterprise Resource
Planning
With the successful
implementation of Business
Stream 1 (BS1), Corporate and
Donnington ECBU and business
stabilisation improving week on
week, the ERP Core team is now
fully focused on the cutover from
TBS and implementation of BaaN
for Business Stream 2 (BS2).
In preparation for “Go Live” at the
beginning of April, Jason Spicer, BS2
Change Implementation manager and
ERP lead, and his team have been
educating and raising awareness of ERP
across the business for many months in
preparation for role training.
Each ERP role has associated training,
which is mandatory prior to accessing
BaaN. Training began in the middle of
January and will continue into early
March. Paula Cullen, ERP Change
Implementation manager told Digest,
“The organisation of BS1 and Corporate
role training was relatively simple but
planning the training for BS2 has posed a
significant challenge due primarily to the
geographical spread. Maximising the
number of people we train and
minimising travel and time away from the
work place is always a priority. Thanks to
the fantastic support from the IS teams
across DSG, the BS2 Transformation
leads and the dedication and flexibility of
the Core Team trainers we’re getting
there.”
The core ERP and BS2 teams are now
working together on the integrated plan
for the delivery of Business User Pilots,
trial cutovers and the actual cutover
activity required for “Go Live” at the
beginning of April.
In simple terms, a pilot is a structured
week long activity which gives individuals
experience in using the system in a
controlled environment. Users see a
product go through the system and
become familiar with the different
transactions that are required at each
stage, many carried out in parallel, in
order to complete the activity.
of this hard work will ensure we are
ready and have a successful
implementation.”
Cutover prepares the business for the
transition to the BaaN ERP system. As
well as training, activities include
cleansing data prior to loading it on
BaaN, ensuring stock records are
accurate, reducing work in progress and
putting support processes in place to
help BS2 adopt the new system as
quickly as possible.
Digest asked
Brendan
Burrows,
Head of BS2
for his
thoughts,
“This is a
critical and
exciting
time for BS2.
Brendan Burrows,
We have
Head of BS2
been busy
preparing for cutover and it has been
great to see the diligence that teams have
demonstrated. I have witnessed many
examples of great teamwork and
impressive levels of determination to
ensure this new tool supports BS2
moving forwards. I am confident that all
“
I have witnessed
many examples of
great teamwork
and impressive
levels of
determination to
ensure this new
tool supports BS2
moving forwards.
”
Information on ERP is available by
following the ERP link on the front
page of the DSG Intranet.
Alternatively, if you have any queries,
please contact the following who will
be happy to deal with any questions
you may have:
Jason Spicer
BS2 Change Implementation Manager
01929 403970 / 07824 538007
Paula Cullen
ERP Change Implementation Lead
01929 403325 / 07760 163469
News in brief
DSG Land Supply Business Unit's successful bid for the Tri-service Test Equipment
provider role has moved on a pace with the joint DSG and DE&S formation of
ten clearly defined workstreams. Planning for the transfer of responsibilities on 1
April 2011 is almost complete. The next phase will see the completion of detailed
process maps and a staged handover of responsibilities. This additional work
brings 34 new posts and annual revenue of £1.6M over 5 years to DSG LSBU.
www.dsg.mod.uk
February/March 2011
DIGEST
13
news
5 minutes with…
Gill Cherry, HR Manager, Donnington
Gill transferred to DSG in 2008 from another
Government department. She manages a team of six
providing the HR service to all staff at Donnington.
If I weren't talking to you... I would
be either back in the office dealing
with whatever happens to be on my
desk or going home to walk my dog.
A phrase I use far too often is... You
can never have too many pairs of
shoes!
in the end I did not have a clue what I
wanted to be.
My biggest regret is… I don’t really
have any. I tend not to dwell on the
past preferring to focus on what I can
change for the future.
My proudest moment is…
If I can, I always try to avoid…
Filling the car up with petrol. There
are some things that fall under the
category of “man’s job” and this chore
is one of them.
In a nutshell, my philosophy is...
Enjoy life to the max because you only
live once.
The best thing my parents taught
me is… Always treat people the way
you would expect to be treated
yourself.
When I was a child I wanted to
be… A ballerina, then a bus driver but
Graduating from university at the ripe
age of 39, after four very long years of
studying.
I am not a politician but if I were...
I would ensure that pensioners, who
have paid all their lives receive good
health care at no personal cost to
themselves.
The thing I value the most is…
Spending quality time with my friends
and family.
My “happy place” is… Anywhere on
a beach, sun beating down, book in
one hand and a drink in the other.
“
Enjoy life to the
max because you
only live once.
”
If I had to appear in a reality TV
show, I would appear in Strictly
Come Dancing because… I love the
dancing and the costumes and the
contestants say it’s great for the figure
– what’s better than having fun with
the added benefit of a free workout.
News in brief
Archie Hughes, Chief
Executive presented three
graduating Catterick
apprentices with their
Deeds of Apprenticeship
certificates at the recent
corporate briefings.
Kevin Foster, Alex
Thompson and Daniel
Wright have now
completed the three year
apprenticeship at the site along with their
valuable on the job training.
All three have secured positions at the
site and both Daniel and Kevin recently
deployed to Camp Bastion to use their
expertise in repairing vehicles in theatre.
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Archie Hughes presenting Kevin Foster (left), Alex Thompson (middle)
and Daniel Wright (right) with their Deeds of Apprenticeship
Archie Hughes said, “Our apprenticeship
scheme is turning out staff of the very
highest calibre and it is always fitting to
celebrate their success. The commitment
by everyone at DSG be it in the way they
conduct their studies to representing
DSG at the frontline demonstrates that
February/March 2011
we have a high regard for the work we do
in supporting our Armed Forces.”
The recent icy and wintry conditions
prevented John Reilly, Chief Operating
Officer being present at the ceremony but
he extended his own congratulations to
the apprentices.
www.dsg.mod.uk
news
Challenge Bovington
Challenged with preparing a
Challenger Armoured
Repair and Recovery Vehicle
(CRARRV) for deployment
to Afghanistan, a team from
DSG Bovington proved that
no task is too great.
Having already located a
CRARRV suitable for use,
Combat Tracks Group Project
Team (CTG PT) assigned DSG
with preparing it to theatre
entry standard.
The work involved various
elements from manufacturing to
fitting, modification to uparmouring and re-paint. Thanks
to the effort of the CRARRV
team, the vehicle was ready for
deployment in only two weeks.
DSG Production Manager John
Sawyer was impressed with the
CRARRV team’s work,
particularly as they still managed
to complete their Economic
Base Repair work quota
alongside the task. He told
Digest, “The team has done
really well. The vehicle was
urgently required for combat
operations so they pulled out all
the stops to meet the deadline.”
Impressed by the quick turn
around, a member of the CTG
PT, Robert Haggart , CRARRV
Capability Manager commented,
“DSG Bovington has performed
well above expectations in
getting this vehicle prepared in
such a short timeframe. It was a
fantastic effort and they are to
be congratulated on a job
extremely well done.”
The finished CRARRV, ready to leave Bovington, with members of the CRARRV EBR team,
L-R, Wayne Munn, Alan Lawton, team leader, Clinton Maslen, Alan Illott, Stuart Polley,
Clayton Moss, Mike Wilson, Guy Elliott, Nathan Simmonds and Mike Coward
What is Purchase
2 Payment?
Purchase 2 Payment (P2P) is the MOD electronic purchasing system.
Hosted by Defence E-Commerce Service (DECS) it allows MOD users to
purchase from DSG and other registered suppliers without the need to
send paper based purchase orders and allows the supplier to receive
payment without having to send a paper invoice.
The MOD is keen to promote P2P as the preferred trading method for all new
contracts. Steve Hall, DSG Finance Director said, “P2P speeds up DSG transactions
with MOD and improves payment processes so where possible we are very happy to
support the initiative to use electronic trading. There are considerable benefits
including; faster processing of purchase orders; ease of receipting and invoicing and
speedier receipt of payment. Additionally the problem of lost or delayed orders and
invoices in the post goes away. This truly is a paperless process.”
DSG is a registered supplier on P2P and has a number of contracts with MOD on this
basis. Presently, Head Office Andover manages the system but there are plans to roll
it out across the other business streams from April 2011.
www.dsg.mod.uk
February/March 2011
DIGEST
15
news
Silver
award for
going green
Bill Spencer,Vehicle Mechanics Tutor presents Daniel (left) with his trophy
Daniel does
the double
Daniel Poole, an apprentice from DSG Bovington,
was amongst more than 400 special guests and
apprentices of Paragon Skills for Industry at a
‘celebration of achievement’ event recently held at
the Carrington Hotel in Bournemouth.
The ceremony, attended by apprentices, their guests and
many local employers, was the culmination, for many
learners, of all the hard work they had put into their
apprenticeships over the last one to four years.
Paragon has been providing training and NVQ assessment
to DSG Bovington apprentices since 2004 when the site
reinstated its apprenticeship scheme.
At the event, Daniel received an engraved trophy as a
special recognition by Paragon for Motor Vehicle Apprentice
of The Year. Daniel triumphed against 40 other Phase Three
apprentices from across South Dorset. Bill Spencer who
tutored Daniel said, “I have come across many students
during my 30 years of teaching and Daniel is one of the best
students I have taught.”
An elated Daniel told Digest, “I thought winning the DSG
Bovington Apprentice of the Year title finished my studies off
on a high but to get special recognition as Motor Vehicle
Apprentice of the Year by Paragon is brilliant.”
Phil Avant, Bovington Apprentice Manager added, “Daniel has
been an excellent student who can always be relied upon to
produce a high standard of work. I am so proud of his
achievements.”
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February/March 2011
Pictured L-R, Andy Hursey, Head of Operating Unit, Angela Staff,
LIO, Robbie Watson-Levey, Essex County Council, Roy Williams, Trade
Union representative, Darren Powell receiving the award from Harvey
Panrucker, Essex County Council, Stuart Packard, Compliance manager,
Mark Dean, Acting Lights team leader, Mark Adkins, Operational
Excellence team leader and Paul Lawrence, Production manager.
DSG Colchester recently received a prestigious
Business Travel Plan Silver award from Essex County
Council.
The award to DSG is one of only 16 awarded across the county
this year and is the culmination of a lot of hard work by DSG to
improve facilities for staff at the site.
Harvey Panrucker, Sustainable Travel Manager for Essex County
Council said, “DSG has invested significantly in new shower,
locker and drying facilities to encourage its staff to be more
active whether on the journey to work or during lunch breaks.
To promote sustainable travel, the site has participated in the
Colchester cycle challenge, installed video conference facilities
to reduce the need for travel and its mobile support capability
helps to reduce CO2 emissions as its engineers go to the heavy
army vehicles requiring repair rather than the vehicles travelling
to its site.”
Andy Hursey, Head of Colchester Business Unit added, “The site
has been working with Essex County Council’s Sustainable
Business Travel team to develop a plan to encourage our staff to
use sustainable travel modes such as using public transport, carsharing, cycling and walking. We strive to make positive
improvements not only for our staff’s welfare but also to help
and protect the environment and I am so proud that our site
has been recognised with this award.”
www.dsg.mod.uk
news
Outstanding
Bovington apprentices
celebrate success
Archie Hughes pictured with all the Bovington apprentices and prize winners
Amongst family and friends, ten
DSG Bovington apprentices recently
celebrated their apprentice
graduation at the Tank Museum.
DSG follows a long established tradition
in the MOD of turning out apprentices of
the very highest calibre and despite the
financial constraints, DSG remains
committed to its apprenticeship scheme.
The graduating apprentices completed a
three-year training package as mechanical
and vehicle electrical apprentices during
which they worked on the Army's fleet of
armoured vehicles.
Colonel David Swann, Commander of the
Armour Centre in Bovington attended
the event and talked of the importance of
DSG in supporting the Armour Centre
training fleet and the integral and efficient
support by DSG staff. He added that this
included recently graduating apprentices
from across DSG who are all supporting
critical equipment alongside the troops in
combat operations in Afghanistan.
Daniel Poole was the popular choice for
the coveted Apprentice of the Year title.
On receiving his award Daniel said “I was
fortunate to secure an apprenticeship.
Three years on the scheme has flown by
and I have enjoyed the mix of classroom
learning and on the job training. With
Apprentice Masters like Trevor, mentoring
and guiding me, not only have I made it
through to graduation but I have
completed the scheme on such a high by
winning the Apprentice of the Year title.”
The ceremony also paid tribute to the
pivotal role of the Apprentice Masters,
with Trevor Fancy receiving an award for
Apprentice Master of the Year, an award
nominated by the apprentices.
Also at the event, Paul England, Head of
Operations presented Higher Level
Qualification, Level Four Certificate in
Advanced Automotive Diagnostics to a
group of nine recently graduating and
former apprentices. The group achieved
their certification by studying in their own
time, a fine example of the dedication and
commitment, for which DSG employees
are renowned.
The evening also included a presentation
from Phase Three Apprentices; Calum
Roberton and Ian Puncher. They spoke of
the valuable lessons they learnt from their
team’s Nordic Walking Expedition in West
Wales in which they covered 63
www.dsg.mod.uk
kilometres over four days. The
experience highlighted the importance of
working together and how an individual’s
approach to tasks contributed overall to
the team’s effort.
Praising the graduating apprentices and
apprentice masters for their commitment
and hard work, Archie Hughes, DSG’s
Chief Executive concluded, “We have
shown we can excel in providing students
of every age and background with an
apprenticeship that is the envy of industry.
Our engineers and technicians are highly
regarded and a DSG apprenticeship is one
to be prized.”
“
We have shown
we can excel in
providing students
of every age and
background with an
apprenticeship that
is the envy of
industry.
February/March 2011
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17
across the country
Across the c
Cakes for cash
Enjoying the golf day, L-R, Barry Young, Production
Support manager, Paul Lawrence, Production manager
and Lance Corporal John Jones REME.
Golf day in
support of Help
for Heroes.
Two golf enthusiasts from DSG Colchester
recently took part in a fun golf day event at
Lexden Wood Golf Club in Colchester to raise
much needed charity funds for the Help for
Heroes campaign.
Being a Garrison town, Paul Lawrence, Production
manager and Barry Young, Production Support manager
keenly signed up to tee off at the event, realising that
their participation and any money raised contributes to
providing direct support for wounded servicemen and
women.
The weather stayed fine whilst the men competed in the
18-hole professional course of the 130-acre golf centre
under Stableford rules. Although they failed to top the
leader board, they both returned with respectable scores
despite one or two balls being lost in the famous lake on
the 8th hole.
Following the event Paul said, “Barry and I cannot even
begin to understand what life is like for the soldiers who
return from the frontline wounded but we are both
dedicated in supporting our UK Armed Forces in any
way we can. Be it by doing the work we do everyday at
DSG Colchester, repairing the equipment in use in
theatre or by spending an enjoyable day of golf whilst
raising money towards such a worthy cause.”
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February/March 2011
Pictured L-R, Angie Jefferies, Lynda Thomas,
Alison Corbett, Julie Blocksidge,Tracey Humphreys
and Lindsey Grice
The BBC Children in Need 2010 fundraising
campaign marked its 30th anniversary with
plenty of activities taking place nationally
helping raise money to improve the lives of
disadvantaged children and young people
across the UK.
Staff in DSG’s Land Supply Business Unit (LSBU)
lent their support to the charity by holding a cake
stall and also a name the pet/character
competition. Staff indulging in the scrumptious
cakes raised a total of £270.
Tracey Humphreys who organised the fundraising
day told Digest, “Children in Need is a worthy
cause and every year we hold an event to raise
money for it. The LSBU staff are very generous
and are always willing to help out. Thank you to
all who kindly donated.”
www.dsg.mod.uk
across the country
ountry
Jackie Baker, Colin, Colin’s wife
Sabine and daughter Elisabeth
Jan Thomson, Sabine,
Colin and Elisabeth
Ellen Drake,
Natasha Richards, Ruth
s son Luka,
Rachel Corlett, Natasha'
th.
Colin, Sabine and Elisabe
A big ride for little
lives – final update
Digest has been featuring and tracking the progress of Colin Down’s campaign to
raise money for Wrexham Special Care Baby Unit,The Alder Hey Imagine Appeal,
Cherish Wrecsam, which is the Parents Support Group based at Wrexham hospital
and The Ronald McDonald House at Liverpool.
In this final update, Colin from DSG Sealand along with his friends Russell Baker, Gareth Mather
and Connor McIlwrath are pleased to announce that they have raised the staggering sum of
£5484.42, which was split evenly and presented to the various charities.
Helen Hughes, Sabine,
Colin told Digest, “It was great to finally meet those for whom we have been raising money.
Colin and Elisabeth
After talking to them, it has hit home how appreciated and valuable the donations are and that
they will go a long way in helping people. I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who has donated to this event and helped
me reach such a fantastic total. Not only have you touched my family’s heart with your generosity but you have also made a big
difference to other families who have to endure difficulties at the start of their children's lives.”
Paintballing fun helps charity
campaign
Over 30 DSG Colchester staff recently took part
in a paintballing day organised by Fitter, Gary
Solomon. The event follows on from several other
events organised at Colchester by various
members of staff and collectively known as the
Glee Club.
On the day there was no hierarchy with staff from all
levels participating. From apprentices to senior managers,
all were reduced to camouflage clad school kids with a
ng team
The Colchester paintballi
paintball marker.
An old paintballing tradition involves an individual
celebrating a birthday to stand in front of the other participants, unarmed and totally defenceless and face a firing squad. Stuart
Packard, Compliance Manager did not have a birthday to celebrate but none the less was volunteered as the lucky or more precisely
unlucky individual to face the firing. Wanting to get his own back on a certain individual who had been using his gluteus maximus as
target practice on a previous game, Stuart accosted Phil Puxley, Programme Team member to join him.
Phil courageously agreed on the proviso that the team all put money in for Help for Heroes. As the marshall counted down three,
two, one, Stuart dropped to the ground and hid behind safety barrels while Phil bravely took nearly 100 hits and in the process raised
£100 for Help for Heroes.
All combatants not only left battered and bruised physically but also financially, but for all the right reasons. The day was a resounding
success and all those who participated feel honoured to have had a fun experience whilst raising money for the charity.
If you get the time on your next visit to DSG Colchester, please stop and enjoy the Glee Club photo board.
www.dsg.mod.uk
February/March 2011
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19
competition
COMPETITION
This month you have the opportunity to win a Dell Laptop,
courtesy of Dell Computers.To be in with a chance of winning
this prize, simply answer the following IT themed questions.
1. Who invented internet based e-mail in the 70s?
2. In what year did Time Magazine name the personal computer the
machine of the year?
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Deals at Dell
3. Which film is about the founding of Facebook?
4. What is RAM short for?
5. Who co-founded Microsoft with Bill Gates?
6. What is another name for a motherboard?
The closing date for the competition is Tuesday 1 March 2011.
The winner of last month’s competition and winning an Apple iPod Touch
32GB, is Rob Hutchinson from DSG Catterick.
The correct answers were:
1.
Home Alone
2.
Mariah Carey
3.
A ski lodge in Vermont
4.
Bill Murray
5.
It’s A Wonderful Life
6.
Susan
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EMPLOYEE PURCHASE
PROGRAM
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Please send all your entries in to the Editor by Tuesday 1 March 2011.
E-mail: Alicia.puddick@dsg.mod.uk
Intranet: Click on the link on the dsg.net homepage
Fax: 95421 4205 / 01446 784205
Post: DSG Corporate Communications, Building 282, MOD St Athan,
Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, CF62 4WA
ENTRY FORM
• Tiered discount remains
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The competition is restricted to
DSG employees only.
Only one entry per person will be accepted.
Click: dell.co.uk/epp
Call: 0844 444 5683
Monday – Friday 08:00 - 18:00
20
DIGEST
February/March 2011
www.dsg.mod.uk