FORT HOOD, Texas - Putting the brakes on an outdated system earned a 407th Army Field Support Brigade man top honors.
James Luedecke was among 11 Lean/Six Sigma Excellence Award recipients recognized during a Nov. 29 Pentagon ceremony hosted by Dr. Joseph Westphal, under secretary of the Army.
Luedecke's team won the Non-Enterprise Level Project Team Award by identifying shortcomings in the Directorate of Logistics automated brake test process here, reducing the cost per test by an estimated 83 percent. With annual cost avoidance estimated at over $500,000, the project is expected add up to $3.2 million over the next six years.
In his remarks, Westphal said he and other senior Army leaders had spent the morning discussing budget issues, concluding the more the Army can employ business-process improvements to gain efficiencies, the easier it will be to meet upcoming challenges with shrinking budgets.
Luedecke led his project on behalf of the DOL, operating under the control of the 407th AFSB - one of Army Sustainment Command's seven brigades spanning the globe. He is the first Fort Hood DOL employee to receive the prestigious award.
Efficiency was Luedecke's goal; Lean and Six Sigma are the methods he used to improve a suspect business process
In the early 1990s, Fort Hood experienced a high incidence of breakdowns due to brake failure. Looking to improve vehicle readiness, the DOL partnered in 1996 with a company to adapt a computerized brake-test machine for military wheeled vehicles. The test facility was awarded the 1998 Vice President's Hammer Award for innovation and significantly reducing vehicle breakdowns due to brake failure.
But a 20th-century boon was becoming a 21st-century obstruction. As the Army began introducing new vehicles in early 2000, the brake test facility began recording increasing failure rates. Not, it turns out, due to faulty brakes, but false readings from a testing machine incompatible with the new fleet.
"It became a customer service nightmare. It wasn't uncommon for tests to fail over half of a unit's fleet of vehicles. You can imagine how frustrating that would be for a unit," said Bud Wills, DOL quality assurance supervisor.
In response, Luedecke and his team began an LSS project, with the assistance of Dave Slaughter, the DOL director of maintenance, and Army Sustainment Command LSS Master Black Belt Tom Ferguson.
Luedecke said the team "knew the automated brake system was out of specification, but it wasn't until we executed this project that we understood how bad the problem was. There was a time when this system was a value to the installation; however, as new equipment was fielded, the system became outdated."
Col. Danny F. Tilzey, 407th AFSB commander, attended the ceremony with Luedecke, describing him as a very humble man with a "can-do" attitude.
"The entire chain of command, including Lt. Gen. Donald Campbell, III Corps commander, and Maj. Gen. Patricia McQuistion, ASC commander, expressed how very proud they are of what James and his team achieved," Tilzey said.
"I think we all need to embrace the Lean/Six Sigma objectives of doing the best possible job of saving funds and reducing waste for our government. Choosing the simplest solution, at the best cost, in the quickest time -- while staying consistent with Army Values - promotes operational excellence," Tilzey said. "James' project is a superb example of how the Lean/Six Sigma methodology can be used to good effect."
A team of Army and civilian LSS experts selected this year's recipients. Winners received plaques and certificates signed by the Secretary of the Army and the Chief of Staff of the Army. They were presented by Westphal and Lt. Gen. William T. Grisoli, director of the Army's Office of Business Transformation.
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