TOBYHANNA ARMY DEPOT, Pa. -- Employees here have an effective weapon in the Defense Department's war on waste; it's the private sector's proven operations strategy known as Lean Six Sigma. Depot employees wield that weapon so well that they have earned their first Shingo Silver Medallion for improved support of a weapons system used to train aircrews to avoid threats.
Increased efficiency and decreased cost for the AN/MST-T1 (V) Mini-MUTES (Miniature - Multiple Threat Emitter System) overhaul mission earned the prize.
The Mini-MUTES is an Identify Friend or Foe tracking and training simulator that provides realistic threat signals for pilots and aircrews. The systems can replicate threats such as surface-to-air missiles, early warning radar systems, anti-aircraft artillery and airborne intercept systems.
Shingo examiners evaluated the depot's Mini-MUTES overhaul mission Oct. 25-26. This marks the sixth visit by the international-level organization. The five-person evaluation team members were from public and private organizations. Tobyhanna participated in the Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence.
The prize recognizes world-class organizations for creating a culture of continuous improvement through employee-empowerment and effective leadership.
"I feel the single most important improvement that helped Tobyhanna earn the silver Shingo award is employee involvement and dedication toward Lean, Six Sigma and Value Stream Analysis," said Mike DeAngelo, a work leader in the Tactical Vehicle Branch. "Without the employees wanting to improve their work areas and the quality of work, I don't think we would have even been nominated for a Shingo award. It takes everyone to do their best, not just one individual."
The branch is part of the Integration Support Division, Systems Integration and Support Directorate. Lean, Six Sigma and Value Stream Analysis are basically techniques to reduce waste in a process by eliminating unnecessary steps.
Beginning in 2008, The Shingo Prize began a systematic process of 'raising the bar' for what qualifies as a Shingo Prize recipient. Evaluators began to shift the emphasis of the assessment away from a tool and programmatic orientation toward a complete assessment of the organization's culture. Examiners focus on determining the degree to which the principles of operational excellence are evident in the behavior of every employee.
"The team members throughout the entire value stream were well versed, not rehearsed, in Lean," said Joseph Lynott, chief of the Range Threat Division. "The Shingo Examiners are experts at identifying the difference. Every area [throughout the depot] displayed so much excitement at implementing improvements that the examiners would join in and suggest their own ideas.
"It was clear the examiners were very comfortable with this event and that is a testimony to all involved," he added. "It is also indicative of the state of the transformation Tobyhanna has undergone. Lean is working. I congratulate all participants; it is an event they will always remember."
Technicians overhaul and test the Mini-MUTES in the Mini-MUTES Branch. Other organizations involved include the Range Threat Division's Transmitter Branch, the System Integration and Support Directorate's Industrial Operations Facility Division, C4ISR Finishing Division, parts of the Integration Support Division, Manufacturing and Assembly Division, and System Reset and Overhaul Division.
The Production Management, Production Engineering, Business Management and Productivity Improvement and Innovation (PII) directorates also support the mission.
"We are very pleased with Tobyhanna's support of the Mini-MUTES system," said Lt. Col. Jesse F. Warren, chief, Combat and Mission Support Branch, Hill Air Force Base, Utah. "Tobyhanna's process improvements have reduced repair cycle times, which translates to greater availability of systems for warfighter training! More reliable forecasting also makes our job of budgeting much easier. Providing high quality threat systems for aircrew training is a team effort, and Tobyhanna's efforts are critical to the team's success."
"The examiners didn't just interview key employees associated with the mission; there was a walking tour of mission and support areas," says Jenn Condrad, industrial engineering technician, Process Engineering Division, PII. "They also placed a greater emphasis on management support processes and employee morale programs, including [Morale, Welfare and Recreation] activities."
Lean Six Sigma principles began to be applied to the Mini-MUTES production line in 2005.
Savings achieved from implementing Lean Six Sigma methods in the Mini-MUTES mission was $2.8 million in fiscal year 2011 and a cost avoidance of $1.53 million since fiscal 2005.
This significant savings, coupled with a decreased repair cycle time (RCT) by 50 percent since fiscal 2004, directly results in warfighters receiving critical C4ISR systems quicker at reduced cost.
Average direct labor hours per system have been reduced by 30 percent since fiscal 2004.
"The depot maintenance overhaul reduction by 50 percent has been key to both system availability and threat density; most significant elements in meeting effective aircrew electronic combat tactics and threat training requirements," said Steve Cote, range threat systems manager for the Air Combat Command headquarters at Langley Air Force Base, Va. Cote was here during the evaluation.
"The Mini-MUTES Team has worked very hard for several years to improve all aspects of their support for our Air Force customers," said Robert Katulka, director, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance. "The Shingo Prize recognition is well deserved and indicative of the culture of continuous improvement we need to foster and continue to grow.
"The entire depot team should be very proud of their accomplishments; I know I am."
Improvements were made across the depot, not just in the Mini-MUTES Branch.
Mike McCain, chief of the Component Preparation Branch of the Industrial Operations Facility Division (IOF), is particularly proud of improvements to the refinishing process.
"Team IOF relocated the masking process to establish an inspection area of its own," he said. "This allows us to pull completed work straight in for painting operations. We also utilize what we call 'mobile maskers' to unmask the completed assets right after painting operations. This allows us to reduce non-value added movement by unmasking assets while still in the paint shop instead of moving the assets back to the masking cell. This improvement reduces our repair cycle time in the IOF and returns items to the prime shops much quicker."
"This is great team effort for an already outstanding work force," he said about the entire depot effort. "All the credit goes to the workers on the floor doing this every day."
"I represented DLA Distribution Tobyhanna on the special Transportation equipment needed to transport this system and I explained [the process] from the time the system is completed and comes to DLA to it arrival at final destination," said Penny Graff, DLA Distribution Tobyhanna customer service representative.
"I know how delicate and important the system is and the transportation part, the loading and unloading of the system, is very sensitive. I also know how DLA has a part in the movement of the system. I think Tobyhanna Army Depot deserved to win this award. They do an outstanding job with this system."
Tobyhanna Army Depot is the Defense Department's largest center for the repair, overhaul and fabrication of a wide variety of electronics systems and components, from tactical field radios to the ground terminals for the defense satellite communications network. Tobyhanna's missions support all branches of the Armed Forces.
About 5,600 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 CECOM Life Cycle Management 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.
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