Whereas even our TEST Sgt has had to get shouty and Sergeanty at the local stn stores because our order is now months overdue.
I agree, supply through some form of RAFAC QM is the way forward. I’ve seen the ACF system and it works.
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Our local base covers a huge area, as well as supporting satellite stations and their supply needs. The base itself is large, with constant operational deployments, so struggles to supply their own units.
I have resigned myself to never receiving all my initial kitting due to parent station issues
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This happens in my Wing.
It’s sound in theory until some little empire builder rocks up in post and won’t issue you your kit because it’s “not your turn”.
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Speaking of MTP did some googling…
RAF MTP is provided by Cooneen Watts & Stone they offer a full end to end service so all it would take would be raising a contract with them to sell it electronically (which they can facilitate) at cost plus admin free… I appreciate that it sounds simpler and cheaper than it truly is but it wouldn’t mean creating anything from scratch in that regards
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I think they supply some of the Blues too - though the supply contracts are fixed quantities IIRC.
I’m not sure I’m doing this right as on phone but here is link to previous post here: Demise of Dark-Blue Working Shirts: RAFAC options?
There was a deal though a 3rd party to supply licensed MTP in small/Cadet sizes but it seems to have stopped, I think it was Cadet Kit Shop and the maker Helikon-Tex from Poland.
It needs to be an employed person not a crap FS looking to be a WO.
This doesn’t need to be a Wing job, just order online direct from a central warehouse, this is a modern working practice and I can’t see that the RAF/Army or RN don’t use it. Could you imagine them filling out paper forms? There is a bit of me which could.
Years of having to measure up cadets, wait for forms to come back, wait months for the demand to be actioned, then finally get the uniform, for it to be the wrong size, as Cdt Bloggs has had a growth spurt.
Or…
New cadet/parent given an access code by squadron.
Add sizes and demand onto an online demands website.
Verified by a sqn staff member, who approves it.
Order comes in a named box/bag to squadron.
Cadet briefed on how to wear and maintain uniform…
Uniform issued and checked for correct size.
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Just a thought, but I bet if every Sqn turned in all their huge hidden stocks of blue uniform… to this new central warehouse, we would have enough to kit 100,000 cadets.
Problem is, every Sqn keeps everything and over orders to try and maintain a reasonable inventory of sizes.
If we had a central store, with an SLA of 5 days from order to delivery. We just wouldnt need to hold any stock on Sqn.
I for one would love to be able to effectively get a whole room back on Sqn.
I honestly,.just dont know why in the age of ecommerce this hasnt happened yet!
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waves hand in the air
Yep! Me. I used to do that.
Place a few extra cadets on the sheet, because you’d have issues with sizes, and need a replacement jumper for Cdt Smith, because he didn’t tell you before the order sent off…
or you get two new recruits in…
or you had to wait for months anyway, so you might as well order now, so you could kit out the recruits join in in 6months time anyway.
I’d love an Esystem for clothing. I’m sure someone will add the generic cadet faffism into the system, and will make the order time longer…
I’m also sure some squadrons will find a way to over order anyway.
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If the lead time was short enough and confidence high enough, people wouldnt.
Just like how we order our coffee pods for home from amazon… I dont keep loads in stock, as I know with prime, if I order the morning i use the last one, by next day I have more.
What do we want…e-system for uniform. When do we want it. NOW.
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Additional side benefit… even less for the perms at WHQ to do.
Bye bye permies.
I do not. I have no blues in my stores. We don’t have the space to keep it.
If the parent station can’t issue it, for whatever reason, then that’s what I tell the l cadets and parents.
Besides, there are always Number 3’s…
The reason the system is as it is at the moment is because of cost (or at least perceived cost). Because we use RAF stations for uniform it doesn’t factor into any RAFAC budget and we are essentially getting it for free as far as the RAFAC is concerned. The cost is absorbed by the RAF in their budgets.
I was told some time ago that if we were to move to a more centralised system the cost would fall to the RAFAC and it’s something we don’t have the money for. There was talk of letting RFCA’s be the provider of uniform in some areas that aren’t served by a nearby RAF station but this didn’t end up happening because of the cost of uniform to the RAFAC.
This is all rubbish of-course as the money comes from the same pot when it comes down to it. All it would take is the right person to explain the situation to somebody who is willing to listen AND get it sorted.
Yeah well we have zero number 3s…
Unless a Sqn has ‘a source’ or some other nonsense, cadets have to private purchase.
Frankly. Bin blues. Give number 3s.
They can at least be used for everything, unlike blues.
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This is also true of the ‘Scale of Equipment for ATC Squadrons’ that was last updated in 1999. Did you know you can technically demand 1 slide rule per 3 cadets? You can also request a single broom.
The RAFAC are afraid that if they updated this document the RAF budget holder for it would notice that it still exists (really!) and say that they shouldn’t be getting this funding anymore.
Got a form ref?
I fancy myself a new broom.
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Supply Proforma B 
Gonna take a look.
I guess that gets sent to WHQ or parent station stores?