WHEELER ARMY AIRFIELD, Hawaii - The 599th Transportation Brigade hosted two Lean Six Sigma courses this quarter, part of its ongoing effort to streamline logistics support for U.S. troops.
The initiative aligns with the Army's goal of building a ready and modern force by optimizing logistics operations.
"Any time we can focus efforts on improving processes, eliminating non-value added work, or reducing duplication of efforts is a win for the command," said Aviana Gutierrez, brigade deputy to the commander. "We have plenty of areas within the 599th Transportation Brigade that would benefit from Lean Six Sigma applications."
The brigade conducted two distinct courses last quarter. In January, brigade and battalion command teams joined senior brigade staff for the Executive Leadership Course during the Brigade Senior Leader Forum.
In February, seven staff members completed training toward their Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certifications.
"This cohort of leaders leaves with more than just a certification," said Kyle Buono, continuous process improvement specialist and course co-instructor. "They leave with a refined ability to analyze and improve processes."
The new graduates are already putting their training to work. Ron Barrer, Transportation Corps Guam Detachment director, is developing a project to improve the Guam Defense Biometric Identification System submission process. Harry Hill, budget analyst at brigade headquarters, is working to streamline the Defense Travel System voucher process.
Earlier Success
Two completed projects demonstrate early success. Danielle Boyer at the 836th Transportation Battalion reduced monthly overtime hours for stevedoring contract requests from 5.42 to 2.75 hours - a 51% decrease.
Jack Schade's project improved delivery times for supplies to port management teams in remote locations.
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