Engagement Result
Organization: U.S. Air Force
Major Command: Air Materiel Command
Numbered Force: Ogden Air Logistics Center
Unit: 309th Commodities Maintenance Group
Project: F-15 Central Gearbox
Size: Over 23,500 civilian, miltary, and contractors
Location: Hill Air Force Base – Ogden, UT
Expertise: Cultural Assessment, Leadership Training, Operations Improvement, & Project Delivery Management
Assignment: The Ogden Air Logistics Center (OO-ALC) is the major organization at Hill Air Force Base (AFB) and aims to be America's best warfighter sustainment organization. The OO-ALC provides MRO support of Multiple Weapons Systems and their Commodity Items. Due to Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) the F-15 Central Gearbox (CGB) workload was transferred to OO/ALC from Kelly AFB. In order to transition the workload, a Bridge Contract was let to the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to perform 70% of the workload repairs with OO/ALC to perform 30% until the new product lines could be established at OO-ALC to support the full requirement. Three years into the transition the OEM was still performing 70% of the workload repairs and OO/ALC was failing to meet their delivery requirements on the other 30%.
MainStream GS engaged by the OO-ALC’s 309th Commodities Maintenance Group (CMXG) to conduct a cultural assessment and provide leadership training, operations improvement, and project delivery management services to reduce lead times and establish new product lines to allow for bringing in the entire required workload as well as meet delivery requirements. Current lead times for the F-15 CGB MRO being conducted at OO-ALC were being reported as 90 days for full overhaul and maintenance, but were actually running 120 days due to parts constraints. The OEM was producing repairs (not full overhauls) in 26 days.
Actions: MainStream GS conducted a cultural assessment of CMXG’s willingness to change and their team effectiveness. The assessment laid the foundation for Steering Team training during which MainStream GS trained leadership, functional support personnel, and the workforce in Lean principles and tools.
After the Steering Team training was conducted a project was chartered and a cross functional team of personnel was assembled to support the transformation process and project delivery. Our team of CPI experts facilitated the implementation team in a DMAIC process of defining the problem, measuring the current state, analyzing the opportunities for improved flow and waste elimination, implementing the new MRO process, and creating Standard Work to control the new process.
MainStream GS used Current and Future State Value Stream Maps to identify the project opportunities and desired end state that drove the project. This project was a holistic transformation that implemented 5S, Visual Controls, Plan to Actuals, QCDS Management, Focused Product Teams, Rapid Response Teams, Line Side Markets, and One Piece Flow Cellular Operations. While the project charter was to transform CGBs it was noted in the course of the project that the work content and flow of AMAD (Airframe Mounted Accessory Drive) and ADG (Air Driven Generator) Gear Boxes were similar in nature so those workloads were also transformed at no additional cost to the client.
Results: As a result of the project, flow days were reduced by 89% from the reported 90 days to 10 days. The time to conduct full MRO of the F-15 CGB was completed in 38% of the time that the OEM required to only conduct repairs. Work-in-process inventory was reduced by 54%, floor space by 24%, and travel time by 99%. The cellular flow produced estimated cost savings of $17 million per year as calculated by OO-ALC’s internal financial managers. The F-15 CGB MRO workload was brought in-house to a level of 90%, allowing for 10% outsourcing to the OEM for national security reasons.