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Douglas Equipment Ltd RAM - Handler

Douglas Equipment Limited (DEL) which is located in Cheltenham, UK, was founded in 1947 and has become one of the world's leading suppliers of aviation towing tractors, ground support vehicles, port tractors and distribution yard shunting tractors.

Their Special Products Division (SPD) designs and manufactures equipment that provides solutions to problems experienced by aircraft handlers and Ground Support Equipment operations, in the military and private sectors. The Special Products Division also manufacture the market leading Mu Meter runway friction measuring system.

DEL won the contract to supply the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) with an Aircraft Mechanical Handler, which is capable of operating in the Naval environment. DEL proposed a Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) solution, the Remote Aircraft Mover - Multi-Aircraft Matrix Acquisition System (the RAM - Handler). The RAM - Handler is controlled using a remote controlled chest pack, connected by an umbilical cable to the RAM Handler.

As part of the contract with the MoD, DEL were required to provide various logistic support deliverables, which included the Operator and Maintainer manual, a training manual, a risk management plan and a Reliability, Maintainability and Testability (RM&T) case report.

The problem; Due to the requirements of the programme, DEL staff had little time to devote to managing and producing the logistic support deliverables.

The solution; DEL engaged Allan Webb to manage and produce the logistic support deliverables under a fixed price contract. AW liaised with DEL, their suppliers and the MoD to produce the deliverables on time and to the complete satisfaction of the MoD.

The key to AW's successful support of DEL, was the ability to manage the logistics programme to reduce the impact on DELs engineering staff allowing DEL to focus on core activities.