How ready is your armouring program? · TRACE

Inventory

Whether one authoritative list exists, and how fast it answers.

Where does the authoritative list of weapons and equipment live?

A paper log or binderSpreadsheets, kept by different peopleA shared system, but not everything is in itOne system, and it is the record of truth

Someone asks where a specific serial number is right now. How long to answer?

Somebody goes and checks in personUnder an hour, by asking the right peopleMinutes, from a systemImmediately, and nobody double checks it

When was the inventory last reconciled against what is physically on the racks?

We could not sayMore than a year agoWithin the last yearIt reconciles continuously

Which items are on that record?

Firearms onlyFirearms and body armourMost issued equipmentAll issued kit, including uniforms, badges and markings

Maintenance

Whether service intervals are scheduled forward or remembered.

How does an armourer know a service interval is coming up?

Experience and memoryA calendar someone maintains by handThe system flags it in advanceThe system flags it, and blocks issue if overdue

When an asset moves between units, does its service history move with it?

No, the history stays with the unitPartly, if somebody copies it acrossYes, in most casesAlways. The history belongs to the asset

Custody

Whether a handover can be proved after the fact.

How is issuance recorded?

A signed paper logWritten up afterwards from notesEntered into a system the same dayCaptured at the rack, as it happens

Can you prove who held a given asset on a given date two years ago?

NoProbably, with a lot of diggingYes, from our recordsYes, and the trail is tamper-evident

What happens when a signature is missing on a return?

It is noticed later, or not at allSomebody spots it at the next auditThe record shows it as incompleteThe return cannot be closed without it

Reporting

How an audit pack gets produced, and how much notice it needs.

How is an audit or compliance pack produced?

Rebuilt by hand each timeExported, then cleaned upGenerated, with some manual checksProduced from the live record, on demand

How much notice does your team need to produce one?

WeeksDaysHoursNone. It is ready when asked

Disposal

What happens at the end of an item's life, and whether it is recorded.

When an item is taken out of service, how is it rendered unserviceable?

No set process. It is stored or set asideSomebody deals with it, but nothing is written downThere is a procedure, followed case by caseA standard procedure, applied and recorded every time

Can you show what happened to an item after it left your inventory?

NoSometimes, depending on the itemYes, for most itemsYes. Disposal is on the record like every other stage