AFSO21 efforts ongoing; producing results at MacDill

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  • By Nick Stubbs
  • Thunderbolt editor
MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Air Force Smart Operations 21 (21st century) is alive and thriving at MacDill.

The program designed to net efficiencies, improve quality and save money across virtually any process or service in the Air Force, got under way at MacDill in 2006, when consultants operating under a three-year contract came to the base to help streamline operations across operations to cut time and costs, while improving quality. To do it, the AFSO21 team applied "lean" business principles, developed for private manufacturers to deliver more value to customers, while doing it with less work and expense.

The program produced many gains at MacDill, such as substantially reducing "quick-turn" times for KC-135 Stratotankers, getting them ready for their next flight in less time. The program also helped various units and agencies on base improve customer service levels, while saving those units time and money delivering those services.

The AFSO21 efforts could have faded away once the consulting contract expired, but MacDill picked up the ball and continues advancing it today, with dozens of AFSO21 efficiency projects under way or on the list for implementation in the future.

The AFSO21 office at MacDill is staffed by two military members, said Master Sgt. Steve Martin, AFSO21 superintendent, who currently is running the office on his own due the deployment of the other half of the staff.

That doesn't mean the project is hampered by lack of manpower, however, as Martin has trained others on base to be AFSO21 experts, and trainers themselves who spread lean principles to others.

"It's about changing the culture," said Martin of AFSO21. "You want them (Air Force members) not to think of it just as lean principles, but think of it as 'just how things are done here' and have it ingrained in them."

Thinking logically and methodically to identify problems and then solve them in the most efficient way isn't easy without the tools AFSO21 provides, said Martin.

Adapting is not natural, at first, he said, but after learning how to isolate problems and deal with them through proper analysis and the application of efficient solutions, the result is a shift in the way Airmen think.

"It's about getting to the root cause of the problem and solving that," said Martin. "It's about getting at it where the rubber meets the road."

The approach works, said 1st Lt. Timothy Gaydosh, operations officer with the 6th Maintenance Squadron. As the AFSO21 lead for his unit, he's worked closely with Martin to learn how to apply lean manufacturing principles and to train others in the ways of "lean thinking."

"We have 30 projects in our group that are using the lean operating model," said Gaydosh. All are "aligned with the goals of AFSO21, the group and wing," for increasing production, increasing access or availability of assets, and increasing reliability and agility.

The positive side effects of accomplishing those goals are eliminating wasted time and cutting spending. A shining example has been gains seen through efforts to streamline the squadron's hazmat unit. Some $12,000 in annual savings have already been realized, and the purchase, storing and disposal of the chemicals and lubricants the unit manages has been vastly simplified, said Gaydosh.

Gained efficiencies benefit the entire unit, said Gaydosh, noting that the savings in hazmat has allowed the squadron to maintain a larger inventory of essential spare parts, making for quicker repairs and faster turn-around times in the maintenance of aircraft.

Other AFSO21 successes in the unit are a substantial reduction in what are called delayed discrepancies, or trouble items on planes that go on a list of maintenance problems for aircraft. A dozen to 15 items were typical before lean tactics were applied. Now, the average delayed discrepancies for a plane average six or less, said Gaydosh.

Another process that has seen major gains is the periodic (every two years) major inspections of KC-135 Stratotankers. The time for the inspections has dropped from 30 to 45 days to just 14 days on average, said Gaydosh.

Another AFSO21 benefit is that members are more enthusiastic about their jobs, opined Gaydosh.

"It's self management," he said. "The goal is to allow people to achieve their own success rather than just reporting a problem to superiors and waiting for a solution to be found for them."