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FISC San Diego Provides Distance Support to Hawaii-Based Ship

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS080422-04
Release Date: 4/22/2008 12:32:00 PM

By Heather Paynter, Fleet and Industrial Supply Center San Diego Public Affairs

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Fleet and Industrial Supply Center (FISC) San Diego is piloting a distance support initiative, which began Feb. 1, that streamlines ordering, reconciling and documenting a ship's food supply. The process enables an individual located at Naval Base San Diego to generate menus and coordinate food ordering for a ship located thousands of miles away.

The pilot program entitled eFSM (Enhanced Food Service Management) is currently being used with USS Lake Erie (CG-70) homeported in Pearl Harbor.

While at a computer terminal in San Diego, Chief Culinary Specialist (SW) Emmanuel Genavia can view requirements; plan; communicate with shipboard food service personnel; and decide vendor orders through the assistance of the Web-based program. Though not physically located on Lake Erie, Genavia can make arrangements for the crew's food service needs by ensuring that the contracted vendor is prepared to deliver items such as apples, vegetables and pastries pier side and on time.

"I try to think like the Sailor and what they would like to eat," he said. The 21-day menu cycle developed by the Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) is his guideline and provides a menu that is flexible enough to be modified to accommodate special needs or occasions.

As an added benefit, the records closeout period is reduced, allowing culinary specialists the opportunity to manage operations in other areas. "eFSM is a great tool for food service records keepers," said Lake Erie records keeper Culinary Specialist 3rd Class Keith Fitch. "It is very user-friendly and multiple users are able to log on simultaneously."

Lt.j.g. Matthew Duncan, Lake Erie's food service officer, has seen the positive results first-hand. "We have had great success with eFSM and I feel it is the future of how we will do business," he said.

"The eFSM program has reduced the workload of shipboard records keeping to about one hour a day, allowing more time for those involved with records to focus on training and performing other duties."

FISC San Diego is the first FISC to actively support an operational ship through distance support food management. FISC San Diego logistics support team officer Lt. Cmdr. Ferdinand Herrera said new programs are not without their challenges but this transition was relatively seamless. "This type of support is the way of the future," he said.

For more news from Fleet and Industrial Supply Center San Diego, www.navy.mil/local/fiscsd/.