ET  rating;  your  shop  will  normally  have  several  of these  NEC  requirements.  At  the  present  time,  almost all ETs are assigned, by the Bureau of Naval Personnel (BUPERS),  according  to  the  requirements  of  the NECs. Shop personnel are the key to your success as a shop supervisor. Without their continuing loyalty to you and their willingness to follow in the direction that you lead, you will be unable to effectively achieve the required results.  You  may  be  a  good  technician;  but  remember, you cannot do everything yourself. MATERIAL ASSETS Basically,  your  material  assets  are  every  material thing, such as parts, tools, test equipment, and work space,  that  you  need  to  perform  the  shop’s  maintenance role. A deficiency in any one area makes it difficult for you to perform your job in the most efficient manner. By carefully surveying your shop and identifying its shortcomings,  you  can  take  corrective  action  and improve  the  conditions  under  which  your  shop personnel  will  be  working. ADEQUACY OF SPACES Sometimes  it  seems  as  if  electronics  spaces  are designed by people who will never have to use them for maintenance.   Ashore,   the   facilities   are   normally adequate  to  provide  proper  maintenance.  However, aboard ship there is little space that is not dedicated to some other vital function. As a shop supervisor you may feel there is little you can do about the inadequacies of your shop spaces. Sometimes this may be true; but, in most cases, if you analyze  carefully  and  do  some  brainstorming,  you  can devise  better  methods  of  arranging  the  workspace.  This, in   turn,   should   result   in   more   efficient   working conditions. Consider each shop on a case-by-case basis. Brackets, stowage bins, book shelves, and collapsible workbenches can be installed in an amazing number of places  that  previously  may  have  been  overlooked.  Get all of your people in on the planning. They will be more likely to excel when they play a vital part in fixing up the shop. If you are fortunate enough to be in on the planning stages of a maintenance shop, there are a number of things that you should consider: .  Is  adequate  lighting  available? l l l l Are  adequate  60-Hz  and  400-Hz  (if  applicable) power  receptacles  available? Is the layout of the shop the most effective use of the space? Are  special  safety  devices  or  safety  precautions needed in the shop area? If  parts  storage  is  included,  is  it  centrally located  to  all  work  stations  as  practically  as possible? These  are  just  a  few  of  the  questions  that  you will  be  asking.  The  only  limits  to  how  well  a  shop can  meet  your  needs  are  the  space  available  and your   ingenuity   and   imagination.   If   space   is available,  you  should  be  able  to  develop  the  plans for  an  efficient  work  area. MATERIAL  AVAILABILITY Material availability determines how long it takes to complete a maintenance action. A spare part for a particular  piece  of  equipment  could  require  from  6 months to over a year to acquire from a vendor who has to produce it on a special order. There is little the shop supervisor can do about this situation. There are many  other  situations,  however,  in  which  the  shop supervisor  can  play  a  controlling  role.  Consider  a  few of  the  materials  that  are  under  the  control  of  the supervisor: Tools Test equipment Consumables Safety  equipment Other materials specific to your shop Respect  your  personnel  by  having  the  correct material  available  so  they  can  perform  their  preventive and  corrective  maintenance  without  delays  caused  by lack of material. CONTROL OF MATERIAL ASSETS The most effective way to control material assets is  to  maintain  some  form  of  accountability.  Mass issuing  of  tools  to  all  shop  personnel  represents  a major  expense,  and  it  usually  means  the  tools  will not   be   available   when   needed.   Loaning   test equipment items to every work center that wants to borrow  them  may  mean  the  equipment  will  not  be 3-13