CHAPTER 11
MAINTENANCE AND MATERIAL MANAGEMENT
SYSTEMS
The Standard Navy Maintenance and Material
electric motor or a circulating pump are relatively few
Management Systems (3-M) was developed to meet
and simple. This is because of simplicity of design, a
the need for a more effective means of recording,
small number of moving parts, and the fact that several
reporting, and evaluating the maintenance require-
persons may be qualified to perform the maintenance
ments of the fleet. In the past, most maintenance work
work. This is not the case for automatic engineering
was recorded only in the shipboard logs. Although
controls or the computers used for the control or
some reports were required for failures of specified
missile guidance systems. To perform properly, these
electronic equipment systems and components,
control systems must react immediately and accurately
material commands had no way of knowing if
to changing conditions. The 3-M systems endeavor to
maintenance was being performed on equipment under
substitute preventive maintenance for corrective
their cognizance. There was also a lack of financial
maintenance, thus reducing equipment malfunction
i n f o r m a t i o n . T h e r e wa s n o e ff e c t ive wa y o f
and downtime.
determining what part of the ship's operating target
Proper evaluation of equipment cannot be based
(OPTAR) was being spent for repair parts and how
only on planned exercises when all possible
much for consumable material.
preparations are made ahead of time. The 3-M systems
These needs were partially met by using different
provide a means of continuously reporting
fund codes for the different classifications of material.
maintenance actions, equipment downtime, repair
For example: Equipage, Repair parts, and
parts used, and the maintenance personnel required to
Consumables. Commands were then able to evaluate
perform the work, (Equipment downtime is the amount
OPTAR usage. It was not until the advent of the
of time an equipment is inoperable due to performance
Maintenance Data System (MDS) that cognizant
of maintenance, lack of repair parts to fix it, or repair is
commands could determine where maintenance
beyond the capability of ship's personnel.) The 3-M
man-hours and materials were being used and thereby
system is not limited to complex systems. It is equally
evaluate the performance of equipment.
applicable to, and effective for all types of shipboard
equipment.
While 3-M and MDS are primarily the
responsibility of other departments, supply does have a
The ship's 3-M systems consist of the following
definite part in making MDS work. This chapter
systems designed for maintenance management:
discusses the general concept of the shipboard 3-M
PMS (Planned Maintenance System)
Systems and your responsibility in the overall
effectiveness of the program.
--Inactive Equipment Maintenance (IEM)
MDS (Maintenance Data System)
THE 3-M SYSTEMS
--AMS (Alteration Management System)
Learning Objective: Interpret how the
--IMMS (Intermediate Maintenance Activity
Maintenance and Material Management
Maintenance Management System)
Systems (3-M) addresses effective means of
The scope of these systems of most importance to
Organizational (O-Level) and Intermediate
the SK is described in the following subparagraphs.
(I-Level) maintenance and material
PLANNED MAINTENANCE SYSTEM
requirements of the fleet.
Each year, newly developed equipments requiring
The Planned Maintenance System (PMS) was
highly specialized maintenance are installed aboard
developed after extensive research on various types of
the Navy's ships. The maintenance requirements for an
equipment to determine all maintenance actions
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