New way of thinking can improve success

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Cristos Vasilas
  • 571st Global Mobility Readiness Squadron commander
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  I remember the day I became a convert. I was stationed at Dover Air Force Base, Del., and the 436th Maintenance Group Commander, Col. Robert Hamm, had invited several troops from around the base to a one-day Lean training event. I had seen many attempts at process improvements during my Air Force career, the most significant one being 
Total Quality Management, the much maligned and often misapplied business technique of the mid-nineties and I wasn't convinced this was going to be any different. I was to be proven wrong. 

Lean is one of several tools in a new Air Force effort called Air Force Smart Operations 21 focused on identifying opportunities for improvement. AFSO21 is not so much a program but a way of thinking and operating. There is no single tool or technique that applies to every situation, so AFSO21 borrows from several proven business techniques such as Lean, 6 Sigma, and Theory of Constraints but within a unique Air Force framework. The Dover maintenance commander was focused on Lean and trumpeting the benefits to whoever would listen. 

Of course, I didn't have time for the efficiency stuff and I was reluctant to attend, but Colonel Hamm was a Lean zealot and his enthusiasm was contagious. During a wing staff meeting he discussed how the maintenance group had reduced the amount of time a C-5 spends in isochronal inspections using the Lean techniques and the results were impressive. What made me a convert however, was the briefing a maintenance lieutenant gave at the training event. It involved a minor process, the servicing of liquid oxygen carts and their use on the flight line. By using Lean analysis, the lieutenant's team removed six steps and 1.5 miles of travel time per cart transforming a three-day process to a 30 minute job! Servicing the LOX carts was not a complicated process and I'm sure they had been doing it successfully the same way for years. And then someone asked "is there a better way?" The maintenance group shined a spotlight on several processes and made many changes that resulted in real savings. I walked away convinced and converted to the philosophy. 

I returned to my squadron that day excited about what I had learned but unsure how Lean, a technique focused primarily on manufacturing process, could be applied within my unit. But my world view had changed and I was suddenly looking at every process around me with an eye towards eliminating waste. In trying to work through several administrative processes in our squadron, however I learned some valuable lessons. 

First, a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing: Lean and 6 Sigma require some expertise to apply properly, and a one day event is only the first step. There are some great books on the subject and one can find free on-line courses through the Air Force Portal. Second: not every process needs to be analyzed and dissected; even with process improvement, you have to set priorities on those tasks that will help realize the greatest gains. Finally, if you don't think you have the time for this efficiency stuff you are obviously the perfect candidate for it. 

AFSO21 will help foster a new culture of constant improvement because in the end it's not about the methods or techniques but about building on our core value of excellence. When the AFSO21 bus comes around get on board!