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Posted Monday, December 11, 2006
Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century (AFSO21): is it a “bumper sticker” without substance or, worse yet, a fad which, if ignored, will go by the way of Total Quality Management, Zero Defects, the empowerment movement, or Management By Objectives? Over the years, the Air Force has looked for ways to improve, often borrowing from the latest private sector craze. Unfortunately, these initiatives frequently failed to meet expectations due to the difficulty in directly translating them to military operations. So what’s so different about AFSO21? First, AFSO21 is not a single tool, but rather a suite of tools under a single umbrella. Recognizing one size does not fit all, the user has the opportunity to pick and choose what best works for the process under examination. Secondly, AFSO21 is more about a mindset and willingness to look at things differently. For example, it focuses on waste, not on how to beat more out of those that are already producing what the mission demands. And most importantly, actions undertaken under the AFSO21 umbrella must be linked to clearly defined strategic aims, and, therefore, its resultant efforts have the full backing of leadership. Unlike the various crazes of the past which brought more work than they saved, AFSO21 will get rid of more work than it brings and, in the words of Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne, will do so by marching “unnecessary work out the door—forever.”
The intent of AFSO21 is to clearly identify customers, the products and services required, and the process required to deliver these products and services. Once the process is understood, AFSO21 tools are used to improve this process, largely through the elimination of waste. When elimination of waste is the key focus of a particular improvement effort, AFSO21 uses LEAN tools with the goal of eliminating those work processes or steps that do not add value. In this context, “value” is defined when viewed through the eyes of the customer.
Keep in mind that AFSO21 is much more than a single tool—it is a family of various tools and approaches all targeted to improve what we deliver to our customers while simultaneously reducing the resources required to produce these outcomes. To be successful, AFSO21 demands the creation of an environment where everyone is constantly looking at ways to improve and is supported by leadership who oversee an infrastructure that enables success. Its impetus is the need for the Air Force to drive continuous improvement and innovation beyond our technology advances and into our day-to-day processes. It’s about providing Airmen with the tools to improve their daily lives. Secretary Wynne recently said that Air Force leaders hold the key to success for the initiative:
“For AFSO21 to work, it is important that a good idea does not get stuck at the lower echelons. Every Airman should feel comfortable brining an improvement idea to the command section as long as there is a rationale on whether it is a good thing to change, keep or get rid of. AFSO21 is not something that comes and goes. It will be with the Air Force for a long time … Technology changes, conditions change, requirements change, our people’s skill set changes. So it only makes sense that the work we do and how we do it must also change with the times... With AFSO21, we will march unnecessary work out the door—forever.”
One of the critical products produced by the Air Force Center for Systems Engineering (AF CSE) located at the Air Force Institute of Technology are case studies which examine various areas of successful and unsuccessful/incomplete applications of systems engineering. Completed case studies are incorporated into the AFIT graduate curriculum to teach systems engineering principles and are used by various leaders in the acquisition community for lessons learned. The current process to identify the case study requirement through delivery of a completed study is approximately 2.5 years. Additionally, case studies produced can not be readily used by both the education and acquisition communities without significant additional analysis/alteration.
Using the AFSO21 approach, an effort was undertaken to improve this process. Beginning the first week of October, and under the guidance of an experienced facilitator, formal process improvement efforts began with the development of a formal charter which included a clear definition of the problem. This was followed by data gathering and selection of team members. The preparation phase fed into the “event,” which was a week-long Rapid Improvement Event (RIE) 13-17 November 06. During this week, the team documented the current process which highlighted a staggering observation - 83% of the time was consumed doing non-value added activities.
The team then worked on the desired future state with the goal of reducing non-value added steps and, in-turn, waste. The result was an improved process readily capable of reducing the overall time to produce a case study by 36% or approximately 11 months! Additionally, the team discovered a way to satisfy both major customers (educators & practitioners) at the reduced cycle time through reformatting of the final product during production.
Finally, during the RIE week, the team developed a clear strategy to take the CSE to the future state with the development of required detailed follow-on efforts and an associated project schedule. With many recommended improvements being immediately implemented, the CSE is well on its way to significantly improving the products being produced while simultaneously reducing the time it takes to deliver them—all at no additional cost!
Bottom line: AFSO21 works and although some team members were initially skeptical, they now see first hand the power of this approach. For AFIT to succeed in its mission, everyone—students, faculty, and staff—all have a proactive role to play. Ask your supervisor or professor how you can get into the game.