Air Force Smart Operations 21; A cultural change

  • Published
  • By Maj. Bryan Cessna
  • 436th Airlift Wing Plans and Programs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  As each of you go about your daily routines around Dover Air Force Base, you have probably noticed signs or posters highlighting the Air Force Smart Operations 21 program.

You might ask yourself: is it a new fitness program or maybe a way to quit smoking? What is AFSO 21?

Actually, it is an innovative way of doing the business of defending our Nation.

In the Air Force, Lean tools and processes enable us to meet our leaders' AFSO 21 vision, reduce costs, increase velocity and increase aircraft availability.

Lean concepts and tools have been used throughout private industry for years to increase profits, provide a safer workplace and deliver better products to the consumer.

These concepts are designed to streamline processes and save time and money. They are called by various names (to include Lean, Six Sigma and Theory of Constraints), and are being adopted throughout the Department of Defense to meet current and future mission requirements.

Why is AFSO 21 necessary?
The Air Force is not getting bigger, richer or less busy. The July edition of the Air Force Key Themes circular sums it up perfectly, "The Air Force budget must balance our resources supporting a lean, ready force, and meet current and future joint warfighting requirements."

The bottom line is personnel and budgetary cuts are becoming the norm now and are projected to continue over the next few years. However, the important work we do in supporting the Global War on Terror, various humanitarian missions and Presidential support will continue. We will continue to be called upon by our Nation to perform the same tasks with fewer people and a tighter annual budget. How can we accomplish this seemingly impossible task? One tool that has been employed successfully in this wing is the Lean concept.

Lean defined
Lean is simply a series of tools designed to eliminate or reduce waste. Many of the processes and programs we use each day have been in place for years and work well overall. However, when the process is looked at through "Lean eyes," a percentage of each process can be identified as unnecessary and wasteful. By streamlining some of these tried and true practices, each of us can reduce the time, manpower and money it takes to perform a particular task.

AFSO 21 successes using Lean methods
Team Dover has already been recognized across the command for success with AFSO 21 initiatives implemented with Lean concepts. The 436th Maintenance Group has made great strides and reaped huge rewards with Lean concepts. When maintainers identified the liquid oxygen carts went through an eight-step process to travel one and a half miles more than needed to and from the flightline, they worked together with several groups and units to remove six steps from the process. They transformed what was a three-day process into a 30-minute job.

Additionally, the 436th Medical Group also used Lean concepts on their Officer and Enlisted Performance Reports procedures and cut the internal suspense time from 21 to 14 days.

Currently, the entire wing is transitioning to the AFSO 21 mindset, as organizations are beginning to realize the positive impact utilizing Lean tools can make in their organizations.

TQM is dead and gone: AFSO 21 is a mindset
I know there are skeptics among us. There are many on our Dover Team who still have unpleasant memories of Total Quality Management (implemented in the ‘90s) and think this is round two of the same thing. I know; I was one of those skeptics.

However, after attending some of the training and, more importantly, experiencing some Lean successes, I am now convinced of how these concepts work. I have watched different organizations find and eliminate waste from a process that has been in place for years.

Under the AFSO 21 umbrella, Lean tools present a common sense, simple approach to solving problems. It is, by design, straightforward and easy to adopt. However, when applied with precision, Lean can become a powerful tool to ensure Dover remains "America's Preeminent Expeditionary Airlift Wing."

AFSO 21 and Lean tools are more than some fancy ideas and concepts put together in a classroom. It is a significant cultural change that needs to happen at every level of our base to be successful.

Throwing money and manpower at problems are a thing of the past. We must use our expertise to find better ways to complete Dover AFB's mission to: "Safely fix and fly aircraft, prepare and deploy people, move cargo, and return America's fallen heroes with dignity, honor and respect." Lean is a definitive tool, under the AFSO 21 framework, that allows us to do our jobs smarter, faster and cheaper in the future.

If you would like to schedule a training session or have questions about AFSO 21 or how to apply Lean processes, contact Maj. Bryan Cessna at 677-2282 or Capt. Carl Heinrich at 677-6418.