MSBM101: The Business Model That Positions the Coast Guard Future-Ready

Welcome to the first article in a six-part series about the Coast Guard Mission Support Business Model (MSBM). If you’ve heard the term but aren’t quite sure what it means or how it impacts your day-to-day work, you’re not alone. Simply put: the MSBM is a framework for how we work together as one synchronous unit to deliver our missions; it is designed to help the Coast Guard run more effectively and efficiently. While the terms “framework” and “business model” may be unfamiliar, many groups within the Mission Support community are already implementing MSBM principles, to some degree, in their day-to-day operations. This article series will help clarify MSBM concepts and illustrate how the MSBM benefits logistics and how all Coast Guard employees can utilize MSBM principles to improve workflow and collaboration.  

So, what exactly is the MSBM? Mr. Lewis Winston, Chief, Business Model Integration (DCMS-54) explains, “The MSBM is a framework that leverages logistics principles across operations. It aligns our efforts, from acquisition, through sustainment, to disposal, so we can work seamlessly together; ultimately making us more effective. It is one of our most valuable tools for innovating the way we do business in the Coast Guard.” 

At the heart of the MSBM are four key cornerstones: Product & Service Line Management, Configuration Management, Bi-level Support, and Total Asset Visibility.  

• Product & Service Line Management: Provides a single point of responsibility, improving accountability. 

• Configuration Management: Establishes standards and baselines, helping us predict outcomes and work optimally. 

• Bi-level Support: Organizes work more efficiently by dividing tasks between field-level and depot-level support. 

• Total Asset Visibility: Ensures transparency across the organization, enabling timely and informed decisions. 

These cornerstones work together to help us create accountability, maintain predictability, maximize resources, and enable informed decision-making. 

Mr. Edward Gibbons, Executive Director of the Aviation Logistics Center (ALC), who works with the MSBM every day, highlights the power of the model: “Product Line Management, when properly implemented, creates the best-informed decisionmakers in Government.” 

In the coming months, we’ll take a closer look at each of the four cornerstones, and how they work together to strengthen mission support and operational preparedness today and anticipate future needs. Stay tuned for subsequent articles in this MSBM101 series. 

Want to learn more now? Visit the MSBM Collaboration site for more details and resources.