Assessment of the U.S. Army Natick Research, Development and Engineering Center -- Copyright -- Preface -- Contents -- Acronyms -- Executive Summary -- BACKGROUND -- APPROACH -- MAJOR FINDINGS -- MAJOR CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS -- Commodity Directorates and the Pillars -- Support Directorates -- Budget Shortfalls -- Research and Technology Programs -- Opportunities for Reengineering -- ORGANIZATION OF THE REPORT -- 1 Introduction -- BACKGROUND -- STATEMENT OF TASK -- Pillars and Characteristics -- Ten Key Issues -- STUDY APPROACH -- OVERVIEW OF THE NATICK RDEC -- Internal Organizational Structure, Visions, and Missions -- Mobility Directorate -- Survivability Directorate -- Sustainability Directorate -- Support Directorates -- Summary -- 2 Assessment of the Commodity Directorates -- ASSESSMENT PROCESS -- Mobility Directorate -- Survivability Directorate -- Sustainability Directorate -- RESOURCES AND CAPABILITIES PILLAR -- Personnel Quality -- Mobility Directorate -- Survivability Directorate -- Sustainability Directorate -- Commodity Directorates -- Budget -- Mobility Directorate -- Survivability Directorate -- Sustainability Directorate -- Commodity Directorates -- RD&E Capabilities, Skills, and Talents -- Mobility Directorate -- Survivability Directorate -- Sustainability Directorate -- Commodity Directorates -- Use of External Resources -- Mobility Directorate -- Survivability Directorate -- Sustainability Directorate -- Commodity Directorates -- Important Technologies -- Mobility Directorate -- Survivability Directorate -- Sustainability Directorate -- Commodity Directorates -- Organizational Climate -- Mobility Directorate -- Survivability Directorate -- Sustainability Directorate -- Commodity Directorates -- Information Technology -- Mobility Directorate -- Survivability Directorate -- Sustainability Directorate.

Commodity Directorates -- Facilities and Infrastructure -- Mobility Directorate -- Survivability Directorate -- Sustainability Directorate -- Commodity Directorates -- Overall Assessment of the Resources And Capabilities Pillar -- STRATEGIC VISION PILLAR -- Alignment of Vision and Mission3 -- Mobility Directorate -- Survivability Directorate -- Sustainability Directorate -- Commodity Directorates -- Strategic Planning4 -- Mobility Directorate -- Survivability Directorate -- Sustainability Directorate -- Commodity Directorates -- Stakeholder Buy-In -- Mobility Directorate -- Survivability Directorate -- Sustainability Directorate -- Commodity Directorates -- Leadership -- Mobility Directorate -- Survivability Directorate -- Sustainability Directorate -- Commodity Directorates -- Site Visit In 1997 -- Overall Assessment of the Strategic Vision Pillar -- QUALITY FOCUS PILLAR -- Capacity for Breakthroughs -- Mobility Directorate -- Survivability Directorate -- Sustainability Directorate -- Commodity Directorates -- Continuous Improvement -- Mobility Directorate -- Survivability Directorate -- Sustainability Directorate -- Commodity Directorates -- Commitment to Quality -- Mobility Directorate -- Survivability Directorate -- Sustainability Directorate -- Commodity Directorates -- Structured Processes -- Mobility Directorate -- Survivability Directorate -- Sustainability Directorate -- Commodity Directorates -- Learning Environment -- Mobility Directorate -- Survivability Directorate -- Sustainability Directorate -- Commodity Directorates -- Quality of Research -- Mobility Directorate -- Survivability Directorate -- Sustainability Directorate -- Commodity Directorates -- Overall Assessment of the Quality Focus Pillar -- CUSTOMER FOCUS PILLAR -- Customer Satisfaction -- Mobility Directorate -- Survivability Directorate -- Sustainability Directorate.

Commodity Directorates -- Customer Involvement -- Mobility Directorate -- Survivability Directorate -- Sustainability Directorate -- Commodity Directorates -- Market Diversification -- Mobility Directorate -- Survivability Directorate -- Sustainability Directorate -- Commodity Directorates -- Overall Assessment of the Customer Focus Pillar -- VALUE CREATION PILLAR -- Proper Portfolio -- Mobility Directorate -- Survivability Directorate -- Sustainability Directorate -- Commodity Directorates -- Product Performance -- Mobility Directorate -- Survivability Directorate -- Sustainability Directorate -- Commodity Directorates -- Cycle Time and Responsiveness -- Mobility Directorate -- Survivability Directorate -- Sustainability Directorate -- Commodity Directorates -- Value of Work in Progress -- Mobility Directorate -- Survivability Directorate -- Sustainability Directorate -- Commodity Directorates -- Overall Assessment of the Value Creation Pillar -- SUMMARY -- 3 Assessment of the Support Directorates -- ASSESSMENT PROCESS -- SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DIRECTORATE -- Resources and Capabilities Pillar -- Personnel Quality -- Budget -- RD&E Capabilities, Skills, Talents -- Use of External Resources -- Important Technologies -- Organizational Climate -- Information Technology -- Facilities and Infrastructure -- Overall Assessment -- Strategic Vision Pillar -- Alignment of Vision and Mission -- Strategic Planning -- Stakeholder Buy-In -- Leadership -- Overall Assessment -- Quality Focus Pillar -- Capacity for Breakthroughs -- Continuous Improvement -- Commitment to Quality -- Structured Processes -- Learning Environment -- Quality of Research -- Overall Assessment -- Customer Focus Pillar -- Customer Satisfaction -- Customer Involvement -- Market Diversification -- Overall Assessment -- Value Creation Pillar -- Proper Portfolio -- Product Performance.

Cycle Time and Responsiveness -- Value of Work in Progress -- Overall Assessment -- Summary -- ADVANCED SYSTEMS CONCEPTS DIRECTORATE -- Resources and Capabilities Pillar -- Personnel Quality -- Budget -- RD&E Capabilities, Skills, Talents -- Use of External Resources -- Important Technologies -- Organizational Climate -- Information Technology -- Facilities and Infrastructure -- Overall Assessment -- Strategic Vision Pillar -- Alignment of Vision and Mission -- Strategic Planning -- Stakeholder Buy-In -- Leadership -- Overall Assessment -- Quality Focus Pillar -- Capacity for Breakthroughs -- Continuous Improvement -- Commitment to Quality -- Structured Processes -- Learning Environment -- Quality of Research -- Overall Assessment -- Customer Focus Pillar -- Customer Satisfaction -- Customer Involvement -- Market Diversification -- Overall Assessment -- Value Creation Pillar -- Proper Portfolio -- Product Performance -- Cycle Time and Responsiveness -- Value of Work in Progress -- Overall Assessment -- Summary -- 4 The Ten Key Issues -- ORGANIZATION AND RESOURCES -- Issue 1. -- Commodity Directorates -- Support Directorates -- Issue 2. -- Commodity Directorates -- Support Directorates -- Issue 3. -- Commodity Directorates -- Support Directorates -- Issue 4. -- QUALITY AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION -- Issue 5. -- Commodity Directorates -- Support Directorates -- Issue 6 (i). -- Commodity Directorates -- Support Directorates -- Issue 6 (ii). -- Commodity Directorates -- Support Directorates -- Commodity Directorates -- Support Directorates -- Issue 7. -- Commodity Directorates -- Support Directorates -- RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY -- Issue 8. -- Commodity Directorates -- Support Directorates -- Issue 9. -- Commodity Directorates -- Support Directorates -- Issue 10. -- Commodity Directorates -- Support Directorates -- 5 Conclusions and Recommendations.

COMMODITY DIRECTORATES AND THE PILLARS -- Strategic Vision Pillar -- Resources and Capabilities Pillar -- Quality Focus Pillar -- SUPPORT DIRECTORATES -- BUDGET SHORTFALLS -- RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS -- OPPORTUNITIES FOR REENGINEERING -- References -- Appendices -- Appendix A Precursory Documents for the Statement of Task -- Plan of Action -- Statement of Task -- Section C -- Appendix B Meetings and Visits -- Appendix C Excerpts from the Phase-One Report -- Executive Summary -- Background and Approach -- World-Class Research and Development -- World-Class Army Research, Development, and Engineering -- Characteristics and Metrics -- Customer Focus Pillar -- Resources and Capabilities Pillar -- Strategic Vision Pillar -- Value Creation Pillar -- Quality Focus Pillar -- Measuring the Characteristics -- Conclusions and Recommendations.