Management system Leans to success

By Ms. Mary Ostroski (CECOM)October 31, 2014

TOBYHANNA ARMY DEPOT, Pa. -- There's an old saying: "Quitting smoking is easy; I've done it hundreds of times!"

In many ways, that sentiment applies to the sustainment of Lean improvements. Employees make an improvement only to see the process slip back to its old version and another sustainment effort is undertaken. Too often, that cycle repeats itself over and over.

If only there was a way to keep Lean improvements in place. Actually, there is such a tool and it's called the Lean Management System. The leading proponent for such a system is David Mann who wrote, Creating a Lean Culture: Tools to Sustain Lean Conversions. Mann's insightful and down-to-earth book, which outlines a realistic Lean Management System, won the Shingo Prize for Research in 2006 and has been adopted by top corporations throughout the world.

In 2012, Tobyhanna Army Depot hosted Mann for a day, and a group of managers and employees learned first-hand how to sustain Lean improvements through his Lean Management System. There are three main concepts to Mann's system: visual controls, visual accountability and manager standard work. The Lean Management System can be modified to fit a particular situation.

"We are able to change the visual tools to meet the individual needs of each cost center, while standardizing the accountability portion," said Keith Weinschenk, chief of the Continuous Process Improvement Directorate's Process Improvement Division.

When the Lean Management System was taught to supervisors in their organizations Lorraine Henry-Hunt and George Salitsky, deputy directors of the Command, Control, Communication, Computer, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) Directorate saw the benefits of the system right away and made the decision to implement it.

"Lean is something that has been at the depot for some time, but everyone wasn't at the same level. The Lean Management System allows us to level the playing field and put expectations out there so everyone understands where we want them to be," Salitsky said.

The first step in the implementation was to purchase copies of Creating a Lean Culture: Tools to Sustain Lean Conversions for all the supervisors. This has allowed the supervisors who did not participate in the training to become familiar with Mann's philosophy and tools. As Jim Kessell, chief of the Airborne Indicators Section is quick to point out, "We can either suffer the pain of discipline or the pain of regret, meaning that if we make the hard choices now we can save having the regret of the bad choices in the future. Mann's book is the best way to put us on the path of a sustainable enterprise for years to come."

Weinschenk has worked with individual cost centers to deploy the Lean Management System; starting with Gean Bechthold, chief of the Night Vision and Guidance Control Branch. Many tools and processes have been implemented to improve daily functions and resolve issues before they escalate to a work stoppage.

"The visual management process of the Lean Management System is great. It provides the shop's status to visitors and employees no longer need to be stopped during the course of their work to answer questions," Bechthold said.

Master production control boards have been established to track assets as they are worked on by the technicians. Also, production control boards have been implemented for individual assets. The data allows supervisors and employees to determine the status of any asset in the shop.

"This has proven to be a great asset," Bechthold said. "I am able to walk into the shops and see exactly where they are compared to the schedule." Each production control board has been tailored for the work area. This has resulted in early identification and resolution of problems, which enables the shops to meet schedule.

Tier meetings are another essential part of the Lean Management System. Every morning, supervisors conduct a Tier I meeting to discuss daily requirements and to bring to light any problems in their areas. According to Bechthold, the entire team participates in the Tier meeting and brings issues forward, such as identifying missing parts and supplies. Twice a week Bechthold conducts a Tier II meeting with his section chiefs. During these meetings, the supervisors escalate any issues that could not be resolved at their level. If Bechthold is not able to resolve the issue, they are annotated on a spreadsheet for tracking purposes.

A spreadsheet is maintained for issues identified at all Tier II meetings. The spreadsheet is located in a common area where employees are able to access it to see the status of issues. Currently, the Continuous Process Improvement Directorate is coordinating with the C4ISR Directorate to identify issues then assign them to the correct area for resolution. This has turned into a win-win situation for both directorates. Issues are identified and fixed before they impact production.

"We were encountering problems with hazardous materials (HAZMAT) not being available for active workload," said Sam Capizzi, chief of the Airborne Identification and Countermeasures Section. He explained that prior to the July scheduling the shop went down to the pharmacy to secure needed HAZMAT for production orders. "We inquired why items used on a regular basis were not available only to be told to put in a want slip," he said, noting that scenario happened couple times so the shop initiated a Tier II task. Points of contact were established, management personnel in responsible areas were made aware of the issue and target dates were set for correction.

"Within one week the shop had solid delivery dates, which enabled us to accurately reschedule workload and automatic reorder points were put into place thus avoiding repeat scenarios," Capizzi said.

Standard work documents have been tailored to meet the individual needs of each supervisor. All supervisors agree the documents are a great way to keep track of daily tasks.

"I was scheduled to be on vacation and had to prioritize my time before departing. I referred to my supervisor's standard work to make sure I was able to complete my monthly tasks, since there were only four days left in the month when I returned," said John Stochla, chief of the Avionics Branch. "I realized that I had to complete several appraisals and qualification task list reviews, so I made sure they were done prior to my time off. Otherwise, I would be pressed for time when I returned from vacation." The standard work also holds the supervisors accountable to their employees.

Personnel in the C4ISR Directorate have improved the health of their organization by learning how to sustain their Lean gains. The Lean Management System has proven to be just what the doctor ordered.

Tobyhanna Army Depot is a recognized leader in providing world-class logistics support for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) Systems across the Department of Defense. Tobyhanna's Corporate Philosophy, dedicated work force and electronics expertise ensure the depot is the Joint C4ISR provider of choice for all branches of the Armed Forces and industry partners.

Tobyhanna's unparalleled capabilities include full-spectrum support for sustainment, overhaul and repair, fabrication and manufacturing, engineering design and development, systems integration, technology insertion, modification, and global field support to warfighters.

About 3,200 personnel are employed at Tobyhanna, which is located in the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania. Tobyhanna Army Depot is part of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command. Headquartered at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., the command's mission is to research, develop, acquire, field and sustain communications, command, control computer, intelligence, electronic warfare and sensors capabilities for the Armed Forces.