PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. -- The Lean Six Sigma Competency Office held its second Lean Six Sigma (LSS) networking event and certification ceremony at Bucky's at Picatinny Arsenal. The event featured a networking exercise for newly certified belt recipients to engage with the current LSS community of practice.
The event was held for employees of the Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center and the Program Executive Office for Ammunition. The event took place on Dec. 16, 2015.
Five Black Belts and 23 Green Belts were certified from March to September 2015, resulting in a cost avoidance or savings of more than $73 million.
December's ceremony was hosted by Michael Berry, chief of the LSS office. The keynote speaker was by. Karen Heiser, Chief of Quality Systems & Continuous Improvement at Watervliet Arsenal.
LSS projects are intended to develop potential cost avoidance and savings, improve quality and customer satisfaction and reduce risk to the warfighter. The recipients worked in project teams on a wide range of technical and transactional projects that include developing new products and processes as well as improving or "leaning" existing products and processes.
"The best way for us to collectively help ourselves forward as individuals and together is to change the culture so everyone thinks about improvement and high performance," Heiser told attendees at the event.
"Our job is to share what we've learned. If we all speak the same language -- waste, efficiency, effectiveness, variability, analyze, and control then everybody will know what to do and how to do it. Have the patience and discipline to stick to the process. Teach others how to do that. Once the door to insight and possibilities is open it's open. It's impossible to un-see a vision of change for the better."
In his closing remarks, John Finno, director of the Quality Engineering and System Assurance Directorate, said, "I challenge all of you to stay on this never-ending journey of continuous improvement and become leaders for your organizations and competency areas."
The next LSS event/ceremony is scheduled for some time in April 2016 timeframe. For additional information or questions, contact the LSSCO at usarmy.pica.ardec.mbx.lss-helpdesk@mail.mil.
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The U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center is part of the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, which has the mission to ensure decisive overmatch for unified land operations to empower the Army, the joint warfighter and our nation. RDECOM is a major subordinate command of the U.S. Army Materiel Command.
Related Links:
U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center
Army.mil: Science and Technology News
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