Small NM businesses get support
Sandia exceeded all socioeconomic procurement goals for FY18, awarding 60.28 percent of subcontract dollars, valued at more than $700 million, to small businesses. Additionally, Sandia reached out to New Mexico small businesses in big ways. Sandia implemented a 5 percent pricing preference for New Mexico small businesses that bid on qualifying competitive subcontract awards. Sandia also opened its doors with the first supplier technical open house focused on manufacturing and machining, drawing 22 suppliers from 17 companies. (10000)
Electronic checkout encourages reuse
Implementing an electronic self-checkout kiosk at Reapplication improved the customer experience by simplifying and speeding up the former time-consuming, paper-based manual process. The solution live updates the shopping cart database, mitigating the risk of someone requesting an item online while someone is requesting it in person. The change will encourage the workforce to shop Reapp’s free, preowned items first before buying new items, and ensures compliance with DOE “first source” guidance to reuse property and supplies before spending federal resources to acquire new ones. (10000)
Targeted curriculum offered for project management
The corporate project management office released a training program designed for those with roles in project management and/or project controls. The targeted curriculum provides a consistent foundation of competency and knowledge for project teams at Sandia and is the beginning of a larger learning development program focusing on developing skills and knowledge for the entire project management job family. Sandia managers and employees can use the curriculum to choose courses that help meet mission needs. (10000)
Phone upgrades improve security
Key upgrades made to 3,700 Labs phone systems helped ensure future reliability for the entire Sandia phone network by moving the underlying Voice Over Internet Protocol system onto a new hosting platform and upgrading to the latest version of the supporting software and firmware. Also completed was a security upgrade for more than 3,500 VOIP telephones in limited areas at the New Mexico and California campuses. The efforts bring Sandia into compliance with revised DOE and NNSA security requirements. (10000)
Weapons support processes take hold
Sandia and the Kansas City Nuclear Security Campus launched a Tier 6 and Tier 7 process with NNSA and National Security Enterprise executives to support first production unit realization for the B61-12 LEP and W88 ALT. Sandia and Kansas City established the basis for implementing the new product introduction process for the W80-4 to create sufficient schedule contingency and ensure schedule execution through improved integration and shared process and tools. (10000)
Procurement quality effort goes live
A new quality level program for purchasing went live in October. The consolidated strategy implements a graded approach informed by supply chain risk management for procurement across the Labs. It uses 76 data elements that roll up into eight risk sub-categories to provide an appropriate level of rigor in analysis, verification, documentation, activities, procedures and controls on all purchases and subcontractors used by the Labs. (10000)
App cuts badge processing by 41%
The new START application greatly simplified the clearance application process for Sandia by streamlining several separate manual interactions into a single system — clearance, contractor badge request on the restricted network, contractor badge request on the external collaboration network, companies, grant, reinvestigation and SF86 questionnaire review tool. The app eliminated paper forms and reduced manual badge processing by 41 percent. (10000)
Labs collaborate on indirect R&D costs
Sandia, Lawrence Livermore and Los Alamos national labs together developed principles and examples of technical activities essential to maintaining science, technology and engineering capabilities. The resulting agreement supports the development of a consistent and repeatable process for the management of indirect costs associated with research and development. Sandia’s process features two key internal controls for the early identification, responsibility and accountability of research and development costs funded from an indirect cost pool other than Labpratory Directed Research and Development. (10000)
LOS amplifies innovation
Sandia’s capacity to learn, innovate and respond in rapidly changing environments was amplified with the launch of the Laboratory Operating System. Honeywell provided expertise, processes and tools and NTESS developed and executed its FY18-20 LOS roadmap. The tiered accountability process was deployed Labswide to more than 1,000 organizations; user-centered design methodologies enhanced key processes, products and services; and the Labs built a stronger foundation for developing and implementing new products, evaluating external best practices, identifying key stakeholders and establishing a framework of LOS tools and practices. (10000)
UNM, Sandia ink agreement
The University of New Mexico and Sandia in January signed a memorandum of understanding that included the development of an internship course for undergraduate and graduate students with a focus on project controls and program and project management, an undergraduate concentration in project management and project controls and a master’s of science program in the field. The agreement will provide a broader pipeline for hiring personnel for the project management job family at Sandia, and more career development opportunities for established Labs personnel in the field. (10000)
Skype rooms added Labs-wide
An additional 108 rooms were added to the list of Skype-enabled rooms at Sandia. The rooms have the advantage of a one-click join, built-in screen sharing, small equipment footprint and built-in video streaming integration. All rooms are designed for meetings with multiple participants from a variety of locations and user devices. This increased Sandia’s ability to connect multiple participants across various locations and user devices. More than 300,000 Skype conferences were held this year. (10000)
Hiring process improved
To address Sandia’s needs in hiring project managers and project controllers, the talent acquisition team held an improvement event in April. The improved process cut the overall external hiring cycle time of experienced project managers and controllers in half. Sandia’s needs list was reduced from an average of 15 to seven, indicating quality candidates were available in the pools. The improved process should provide candidates and hiring managers with a clearer and more enjoyable user experience. (10000)
Finance model garners high marks
The NNSA board has ranked Sandia’s financial simplification model as the third highest-ranked best practice in a review of best practices across the enterprise. Based on FY18 results, the model provides less transactional activity, more transparency into functional costs and less effort to manage cost pools. It also sets the stage for identifying opportunities for efficiencies to be realized this year and in the future. (10000)