| Q1: |
What
does the acronym SSB stand for? |
| |
SSB
stands for "Sunset Supply Base". Originally when
a company needs to discontinue a COTS product/item the idea
was to "Sunset" that item through existing supply
base.
TOP |
| Q2: |
What
is SSB? |
| |
SSB
is an organization in the DoD used by the Navy to help address
the common issues that Program Mangers and Manufacturers face
when dealing with obsolescence issues for product sustainment
and long-term support.
TOP
|
| Q3: |
Is
the Sunset Supply Base a government or private service?
|
| |
SSB
is a service provided by the US Navy for US government programs.
TOP |
| Q4: |
Why
Do I need SSB? |
| |
Because
in these days where money is tight and the ever increasing
costs to support existing systems lowering total ownership
costs becomes very important.
For Program Mangers it is imperative to efficiently allocate
the limited resource to get the "most bang for your buck".
For Manufacturers (OEM) it helps you to get insight on how
your products are integrated into existing and future systems.
TOP |
| Q5: |
How
can SSB help me? |
| |
If
you have existing systems with COTS assemblies and are facing
obsolescence issues SSB can efficiently help reduce these
risks.
TOP |
| Q6: |
How much does it cost to become a member of SSB? |
| |
It's
easy and Free to get started you just need to have the desire
as an OEM to support government systems long-term.
TOP
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| Q7: |
Is
Sunset Supply Base a database? |
| |
The
Sunset Supply Base is not a database. We
do use information and data to help your program and OEM for
long-term support needs.
TOP |
| Q8: |
Who
has ownership of the information we share? |
| |
SSB
does not own your information, it is yours. Part of the information
we recieve is analyzed and shared with the support team and
the OEM.
TOP
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| Q9: |
Are
there any proprietary concerns I should be aware of? |
| |
SSB
will sign Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) prior to recieving
your information and before we use it. This way we assure
your information is protected.
TOP |
| Q10: |
Does
SSB own the vendor’s Bill of Material (BOM)? |
| |
No.
We do not own the BOM. The vendor owns the BOM.
TOP |
| Q11: |
How
does SSB receive the OEM's BOM(s)? |
| |
OEM
send SSB their requested BOM(s). An NDA is signed prior to
receipt of BOM(s) to assure OEM is protected.
TOP |
| Q12: |
Are
BOMs shared? |
| |
No,
BOMs are not shared outside the Sunset Supply Base team. A
Non Disclosure Agreement prevents us from sharing all but
a predefined subset of the BOM.
TOP |
| Q13: |
Who
is involved (government and private) with SSB? |
| |
We
with many programs in the government and new OEMs become new
supporters of the SSB process.
TOP |
|
Q14:
|
Does
SSB work with international OEMs? |
| |
Yes.
SSB only supports US government systems and has realtionships
established with OEMs around the world.
TOP |
| Q15: |
Who
can I contact to get more information? |
| |
We'd
like to hear from you, please contact our SSB POC.
TOP |
| Q16: |
Will
you come on-site to give us a presentation
about SSB? |
| |
SSB
will be happy to present the entire SSB process at your convenience.
Just contact us to make arrangements.
TOP
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| Q17: |
Are
Prime Contractors welcomed to participate? |
| |
Absolutely!
We welcome Prime Contractor participation since they provide
a key role in long-term support of the program.
TOP |
| Q18: |
I'm
a Government Program and want to get started with SSB? |
| |
We'll
be happy to evaluate your system for long-term support. Just
contact us
so we can arrange a visit to start the process.
TOP
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| Q19: |
What
is the difference between a Life-Time Buy and the SSB Approach? |
| |
A
Life-Time Buy (LTB) at the COTS LRU (Line Replaceable Unit)
level is often times the common approach for addressing obsolescence
and can prove to be costly.
Example:
A system uses a particular circuit card that costs $5,000 with a projected need of 100
cards to maintain the system. The cost to support and maintain the system with a LTB approach is estimated to be $500,000.
With the SSB Approach a thorough analysis is conducted to find the most cost effective
solution to support a system and tehrefore a program's needs. By looking at the piece-part component of the LRU this imoproves the chances of cost-savings.
In the example above the approach ised to support the LRU was to not purchase more boards. The solution was to purchase only the component (piece-part) that were in danger of obsolescence.
The
end result was a savings with a Return-On-Investment
(ROI) of 10:1! See success stories
for more...
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