PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-702
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 702
MAY 2011
54
PS 702
MAY 11
Complete step by step MEL process
1. Determine the MEL.
•
Obtain the Army unit price from
FED LOG.
•
Multiply the Army unit price and the
MEL percentage specified by TACOM. (For
below depot repairs, the MEL percentage
can be found in the appropriate technical
bulletin).
5. Prepare MEL waiver.
•
If the item isn’t available through excess
inventory or through new procurement,
justify rationale for exceeding the MEL on
MEL waiver form.
6. Approve MEL waiver.
•
Submit MEL waiver for approval based on
the total dollar value of repair program (for
programmed depot repairs) or on the total
value of the repair (for below programmed
depot repairs).
7. Report MEL waiver.
•
Report MEL waivers, or information
contained therein, quarterly to DCS G-4 and
DCS G-8.
2. Determine if repair costs exceed the MEL.
•
If the unit funded cost (for programmed
depot repairs) or estimated repair cost (for
below depot repairs) is less than the MEL, no
waiver is needed. Proceed with repairs.
•
If the unit funded cost or repair cost is
greater than the MEL, prepare disposition
instructions or process with MEL waiver.
3. Determine if a replacement item is
available.
•
If yes, prepare disposition instructions.
•
If no, proceed with MEL waiver.
4. Determine if a new item is available.
•
Is the item (or replacement item) available
through new procurement? Consider the cost
to repair vs. the cost to buy new.
Dear Editor,
I feel that I have a fairly thorough knowledge of maintenance expenditure
limits (MELs). In the MEL article in PS 695 (Oct 2010) issue, I found one
of the explanations on Page 60 misleading.
The question was asked, “What price do I use in MEL calculations?” The
answering paragraph tells us, “The forecasted MEL dollar value is the price
you use for the MEL.” This is questionable, because I know that the MEL
is actually a percentage (found in the TB) of the forecasted MEL planning
price (from the Standard Study Number System or SSNS).
During my years as a surface maintenance mechanic inspector, I was
taught to use the percentage (shown in the TB) of the forecasted price-for
example, 65 percent (shown in the TB) of $10,000 (the forecasted price
taken from the MEL planning report in SSNS). So, in this example, that
equals a MEL of $6,500.
But this article implied that the forecasted MEL price is the actual MEL.
If this was the case, there would be no need for the TB 43-0002 series
of publications. My concern is that Soldiers will use the forecasted prices
from the SSNS as actual MELs, and spend way too much on equipment that
should be turned in for replacement.
MSG Eric Fink
Army National Guard Tennessee
Editor’s note:
Thanks for writing, Master Sergeant Fink. You’re correct, and the explanation
and example you gave us here will surely help out the feld.
Readers, most of the MEL article was straightforward, but we need to clarify
that sentence. The forecasted MEL price is used in
calculating
the MEL, but it is
not the
actual
MEL.
To determine the actual MEL on an item, you need two fgures:
First, get the ±orecasted MEL price ±or that specifc item ±rom the most current
SSNS Report.
Second, fnd the percentage to use in your calculation. You will fnd that
percentage in the item’s TB.
Multiply the forecasted MEL price for the item by the percentage listed in the
TB, and you’ll get your MEL.
Finally, compare that MEL against the estimated cost of repair. For example,
i± your MEL is $6,500, but the cost to fx the equipment is $8,000, repair is not
authorized unless a waiver is requested and approved.
MEL calculation
a. Estimated Repair Costs (per vehicle):
$____________
b. Army Unit Price on FED LOG:
$____________
c. MEL Percentage:
____________%
d. MEL [Army Unit Price (b) x MEL Percentage (c)]:
$____________
e. Do estimated repair costs (a) exceed the MEL (d)?
Yes [
]
No [
]
MEL Mysteries
Revisited
we served up a
hefty portion on
mels in ps 695, but
here’s some
gravy
from msg fink!
Maintenance Management…
702.54-55.indd
1-2
3/28/11
10:28 AM
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