JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- U.S. Air Force Gen. Maryanne Miller, Air Mobility Command commander, recently said “Although our mission doesn’t change, the ways and means of executing it will. We must adapt to overcome these challenges – and quickly. We must innovate.”
Streamlined Inventory Management System (SIMS), a new innovation created by Air Force Master Sgt. Nicole Haun, 87th Mission Support Group commander’s action group, is attempting to streamline work production and save the Air Force time and money in the Logistics Readiness Squadron.
Haun, who originally came from the 87th LRS, realized there was a need for a system that would improve work-flow and save time for her fellow Airmen.
“SIMS is the streamlined inventory management system. In logistics, we have multiple platforms and SIMS will bring all of the platforms in to one that the Airmen can utilize,” said Haun. “An application will be available for Airmen to use in the warehouse where they can have their smart phone. They can use this to reduce time and redundancy, as well as money, by the amount of paperwork that needs to be done.”
With the Air Force’s call for innovation, Air Force Col. Dalian Washington, 87th MSG commander, was ecstatic to hear of Haun’s innovation and how it can improve the Air Force.
“I think it is awesome that Master Sgt. Haun was inspired by the Secretary of the Air Force and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force’s charge for Airmen to think innovatively and start pushing their ideas to improve the Air Force,” said Washington. “Master Sgt. Haun has put a tremendous amount of thought and effort into her SIMS application. The intent of SIMS is to merge seven different logistics databases into one AF logistics ecosystem similar to the way industry leader’s handle inventory and distribution management.”
After originally leaving Joint Base MDL in 2013 for an assignment at the Air Force Academy, Haun returned here and realized that the processes were still the same, if not worse, which sparked the idea of her SIMS innovation.
“From there, I sat down with Airmen and discussed how to streamline some of the processes in LRS,” Haun said. “It took about a month to gather the data and from there, I spoke with a small business development team in Colorado.”
“Previously, we would have to take the products that we would pull to our desks to fill out paperwork,” said Haun. “With the application, they can take their smart phones into the warehouse and can scan the product and can take the product directly to the customer without going back and forth.”
With the Air Force’s call for innovation, Haun submitted her idea through the SPARK initiative that would potentially get her program implemented throughout the service.
“I originally submitted my idea through the SPARK challenge, but it wasn’t picked up at AMC,” said Haun. “I’m a hard-headed individual and believed in the product so I didn’t want to give up. Then I submitted through the MSG Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center (AFIMSC) challenge and that’s the one I was selected for.”
After being selected for the AFIMSC challenge, where hopefully she will receive funding that will improve her product and prepare it for implementation throughout the Air Force.
“I’m still working on the program to this day, trying to make it communicate more with the public. The technology that we have in the Air Force is very archaic where the outside world is modernized,” said Haun. “We should be up to speed with the outside world with delivering and receiving assets. So that’s where SIMS comes in. I’m positive this will benefit the Airmen of LRS.”