EDFP: The Nuts and Bolts of Acquisition

In the aerospace and defense industry, you will hear the term “EDFP” when working the acquisition phase of long life cycle programs. EDFP stands for “Engineering Data for Provisioning” and is the engineering data contained within a technical data package (TDP) used in the initial provisioning of support resources.  The TDP provides definitive identification of dimensional, material, mechanical, electrical, or other characteristic data adequate for provisioning the support items of the end item.

EDFP consists of data needed to indicate the physical characteristics, location, fit, form, and function of the item.  EDFP may also include industry specifications or standards, engineering drawings, production or commercial drawings, commercial catalogs and associated lists, and photographs containing descriptive characteristics. EDFP has a subtle, yet integral role in Product Support within the aerospace and defense acquisition cycle.

Why is EDFP Important?

EDFP is a crucial element of lifecycle support in the relationship between end users and prime contractors.  When a contract for a long-life asset has been awarded, it is usually required for each 1^st appearance of a non-stock listed support item to be provisioned to establish a new/additional national stock number (NSN).  This will allow the end users to efficiently procure the support items and materials necessary to operate and maintain their long-life cycle assets.

EDFP also provides the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) with the design configuration, performance requirements, and any special procedures required to ensure the item’s functional performance. It also describes each item in sufficient detail to ensure the Federal Logistic Information System (FLIS) catalog remains free of duplicate item entries.  Additionally, it is important from the customer’s perspective to have this information cataloged and retained if an issue with the original source of supply arises.

For prime contractors, EDFP ensures that proprietary system components and piece parts are entered into the DLA’s FLIS catalog with their respective cage code and reference number.  This ensures that the technical authority remains the primary source of supply for their manufactured peculiar items and that the OEM retains the ability to provide reoccurring, long term, aftermarket support.

What does EDFP look like and how do you format it?

EDFP format is ultimately governed by the contract statement of work (SOW).  However, there are a couple of standards that are commonly referred to when developing EDFP.  Reference documents include:

• SAE/TA-STD-0017 Activity 12.8, 12.10, and 12.11 (Is usually the overarching requirement)
• DI-SESS-81874 (Provides the general format for a submittal)
• MIL-STD-31000B, Section 3.1.40 (Details requirements for individual TDP elements)

Considerations to make when developing an EDFP Submittal (as described in DI-SESS-81874) include:

1. Technical identification of items for maintenance support consideration
2. Preparation of item identification for the purpose of assigning NSNs
3. Review for item entry control
4. Standardization
5. Review of potential interchangeability and sustainability
6. Item management coding
7. Preparation of allowance/issue lists
8. Source, Maintenance, and Recoverability (SMR) coding

When are you required to provide EDFP?

When a contract for a long-life cycle asset has been issued, EDFP is usually required for each 1^st appearance of a non-stock listed support item identified on the bill of materials (or sometimes referred to as provisioning technical documentation) that has a P-coded Source, Maintenance, and Recoverability (SMR) code.

When is EDFP not required?

Not every single piece part making up an end item or long-life cycle asset is unique or proprietary. Therefore, there are occurrences when EDFP is not required, such as when:

• An item is identified by a government specification or standard which completely describes the item including its material, dimensional, mechanical, and electrical characteristics. An example of this would be nut, self-locking, plate with an “MS” part number, MS21076L3N.
• An item is already identified and has an NSN in the DLA FLIS catalog.
• There are subsequent/duplicate appearances of an item on a bill of materials. TDPs are only developed for the 1st occurrence of a unique item that does not already have an NSN assigned to it or is described by a government standard/specification.

Conclusion

Having a logistics department or logistics analysis partner well-versed in analyzing, developing, and submitting EDFP Technical Data Packages is crucial in supporting the logistic and support relationship between end users and prime contractors.  Prime contractors are incentivized to submit accurate EDFP, ensuring a pathway to aftermarket sales for their proprietary parts.  Accurate EDFP submittals ensure the DLA’s ability to efficiently catalog support items and materials.  Efficient cataloging of support resources by the DLA leads to the efficient acquisition of needed parts and materials by the end user to support their mission. Developing EDFP or TDPs may seem like a small requirement in the overall acquisition program, but it can have a big impact on the procurement cycle and the mission of our national defense.

Article Authored by Doug Parish and Zach Pusnik