CRANE, Ind. -- Crane Army Ammunition Activity's most recent Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, Lara Zilafro, understands that to survive as a business, CAAA must adapt to its ever changing environment
"We simply can't continue operating a certain way simply because 'It's the way we've always done it,'" she explained. "If we are stagnate, we will not survive. Changing culture is a challenging thing, but CAAA is successfully doing it. It is a slow and arduous process, but it is necessary for our survival."
Zilafro explained that one reason to utilize LSS to build upon a culture of change are possible budget constraints impacting CAAA in the near future, but that is not the only reason. She said, "Budget constraints or not, CAAA's mission is to provide only the best for the world's best. The need to support the Warfighter will still persist. LSS methodology helps us accomplish our mission by discovering and implementing improvements that allow us to provide the same quality of service more efficiently."
Examples of CAAA embracing a culture of change are all of the improvement feedback from all levels of the organization. People share their ideas with their peers, supervisors, divisions, directorates and the Continuous Improvement office. Army Suggestion Program submissions also steadily flow into the evaluation process.
As a Master Black Belt, Zilafro has become a key person in CAAA's constant adjustment to changing environments and its quest to work smarter. The process has been a journey for her to reach.
"I began by being selected as one of the first four CAAA LSS Black Belts in 2006," she said. "To become certified, I had to successfully pass five weeks of training and complete a Black Belt project. I became an Army certified black belt in 2007. In fall of 2007, I was fortunate enough to be allowed to attend master black belt training. The training consisted of advanced statistical analysis, mentoring skills, and teaching skills. That was an intense training and was concluded by one of the hardest tests I've ever taken. To become a certified Master Black Belt, I had to pass the training, complete another Black Belt project of my own, mentor two Black Belt projects to completion, and teach all of the Black Belt training modules to real Army Black Belt students. I became the 19th certified Master Black Belt in the Dept. of the Army in October 2009."
During her pursuit of her Master Black Belt certification, she was given the opportunity to assume the duties of the CAAA Continuous Improvement Deployment Director. The position allows Zilafro to be in the Command's focal point to the CI skill set. She is also looking to build her own skills and education beyond her current certification through a U.S. Army or DoD-level Master Black Belt certification or by pursuing a Masters degree in manufacturing and/or quality.
Ultimately Zilafro enjoys working with CAAA employees as they pursue process improvement and thinks CAAA is on the right track toward improved productivity through continuous improvement.
CAAA was established in Oct. 1977 and is a located on Naval Support Activity Crane. The Army activity maintains ordnance professionals and infrastructure to receive, store, ship, produce, renovate and demilitarize conventional ammunition, missiles and related components.
Social Sharing