SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. -- A team of Airmen from the 20th Maintenance Group here recently conducted a value stream analysis to standardize and improve the maintenance scheduling process as part of Air Force Smart Operations of the 21st Century initiatives.
The objective of the VSA is to increase aircraft availability and improve F-16 fleet "health" as well as reduce aircraft downtime by maximizing maintenance opportunities.
The team of Shaw-Airmen, comprised of different career fields throughout the maintenance community, each had a goal of providing inputs to make the maintenance scheduling process more efficient and produce a beneficial outcome.
The team analyzed the current process by breaking it down into individual steps. As a result, they discovered wasted time and effort and developed an action plan to eliminate the inefficiencies.
"It was easier for everyone to see the amount of time and manpower involved in the maintenance schedule process once it was broken down step by step," said Master Sgt. Lena English, NCOIC Engine Management 20th Maintenance Operations Squadron. "By the end of the week, the Airmen had operations running smarter, faster and cheaper," she said.
This future process would increase accuracy during initial schedule development, decrease the amount of touch time that occurs during the review process of the maintenance schedule, and maximize the long-range schedule forecast. The anticipated results would reduce rework of the maintenance schedule and improve bundled maintenance opportunities. This would produce an annual man-hour savings of approximately $18,000 and as much as $736,000 a year would be saved by eliminating excess paper.
"The AFSO 21 event on the Maintenance Scheduling Process was not only an excellent opportunity to improve a major process for the Maintenance Group, it was also a chance to witness how that process affects the entire base," said Capt. Christopher Todaro, flight commander 20th Operations Support Squadron.
"We were able to gain a better understanding of the strings that bind us and how to cut those strings through communication between ops and maintenance." the captain explained."- After a week of working together, we produced an excellent product which, I think, will assist us in becoming a more efficient fighting force and take at least a little bit off our already heavy work load."