Champion: Facilitator: Observers:

Maj. Mark C. Gray 48 CMS/CCMSgt Forrest McCracken, Director AFSO21, 48 FW MSgt Randall Mullins 48 MXG, SrA Nicholas Teel 48 MDG, MSgt Ellen Driggers 48 MDG

USAF Problem-Solving Process 48 CMS Egress 36 Month Ejection Seat Inspection

Date Conducted: 27-30 May 2014 Team Members: MSgt Kenneth Kelly, TSgt Matthew Pernie, SSgt Cody Faulk, SSgt Joseph Samples, SrA Eric Moseley MSgt Jason Pranzo, A1C Kenneth Rambo 48 CMS

4. Determine Root CauseThe team utilized the fishbone chart to organize and select biggest factors, then they used the 5-Whys to identify Root Causes.

1. Clarify & Validate the ProblemProblem Statement: From 24 June 2013 to 16 May 2014, 22 of 55 or 40% of 48 FW Egress shop 36-month inspections greatly exceeded the contracted time of 5 days for completion (120 hours); average time was 7.6 days (183hours). In addition, the variation (completion times ranging from 73 hours to 489 hours with a StDev of 138 hours) negates the ability to predict seat return time, thereby affecting maintenance scheduling effectiveness and combat flexibility/capability across three AMUs.

2. Break down Problem/Identify Performance Gaps

3. Set Improvement TargetReduce seat inspection times to "less than or equal to 120 hours and decrease StDev to less than 24 hours by 1 Sept 2014.

6. See Countermeasures Through

5. Develop Countermeasures

7. Confirm Results & Process

8. Standardize Successful Processes

RC2

RC3

RC1

RC2

RC3

RC4

T.O. does not specify order of tasks

Shop unaware of lean concepts/cell designInspection criteria not standardized

Prerequesite tasks coord'd late in process resulting in delays

RC1 & RC4

Countermeasures

Develop standard task sequence checklist/ redesign process flow Create work cell/pulse system

Standardize inspection criterias

The team brainstormed countermeasures and a PICK chart was used to prioritize them.

Performance Gap

All seat inspection times well below 120 hrs and StDev decreased to 5.2 hrs

- Developed and instituted use of new checklists to standardize maintenance and eliminate documentation errors, eliminating old process completely- Checklists enlarged and posted on walls as visual process guide- Developed and posted story boards in work center - Project Loaded into CPI-MT- Inspection lead times and station cycle times now documented and used as process performance measure for workers and management- AFN Story on Lean and Egress Shop Processes in work- PA Story on Improvements and Lean in the 48th FW in work- USAFE A4, General Spacey Visit shared at USAFE, 48FW Sq. CC's Visit, National Health Service (NHS) England, Lean Team site visit

RC2