Otis Spunktrouser, allow me.
Logistics Transformation Success Story - The Lyneham White Van Men!
Trying to fix something that wasn't broken.
At RAF Lyneham, the Hercules C130 repair and maintenance teams are speeding up the turnaround times for their aircraft.
No they are not.
When an aircraft is returning from a mission, it radios ahead its unserviceabilities and snags.
They always did do that.
To speed up Hercules repairs, the Mobile Issue Centre (MIC) truck, formerly known as the Fast Action Response Team (FART) wagon, was procured from MT, saving it from the scrap yard, and kitted out by the Hercules K 'Lean' Team.
The MIC wagon was rarely used and long term unserviceable itself. It was 'white fleet' (hired) so no-one saved it from the scrap yard, it wasn't ours.
The Lean Team is dedicated to reducing waste, cutting bureaucracy and adding value to everyday practices.
Removing some of the bureaucratic tool checks has already resulted in a torch spending a couple of weeks leant up against an elevator control rod.
Because the squadron is forewarned of the aircraft's faults, when the aircraft lands, the MIC truck is waiting at the flight line with the right technicians, spares and equipment on board to repair the aircraft.[/I]
The Lean Team is a nice place to put all the sicknotes who aren't allowed to work on aircraft. They have endless meetings before deciding to paint squares on the hangar floor to store your drip trays. Then they have an out-brief before a self congratulatory press release. Then they invite an Air Vice Marshall to look at the squares.
The maintenance team arrives on the flight line and commences a hot-debrief with the aircrew before the aircraft is shut down.
No they don't
This eliminates the time that was spent de-briefing and collecting all the relevant equipment and spares before any repairs could take place.
No, sorry. The MIC trailers are stationary and don't contain the necessary tools to either change a wheel, pump up a tyre or charge an accumulator! Some turn round!
As OC 24 Sqn *** ****** said, "It's a welcome sight to have the team ready and waiting to fix the aircraft as we taxi in. Working hand in hand with the rectification team on the flight line is something we do on deployment and it's a welcome move at home too". Lyneham have plans to develop the MIC van idea and put a fleet of MIC trailers on the flight-lines.
No comment
Another Lean Team has also looked at the process of re-roleing C130 aircraft between missions. C130 fuselage load-bays are designed to be reconfigured for each sortie to be able to carry different cargo, for instance, troops, freight or tanks. When an aircraft lands, the load-bay often needs to be reconfigured for the next flight at very short notice. A multi-disciplinary team of airframe and movements personnel has been put together and provided with a van equipped with the correct tools and common re-role equipment to make the process more efficient. The Re-role Team works with the Air Load Master to ensure that re-roleing is done efficiently and correctly.
Rubbish. No disrespect to Movers & Loadies but nothing has changed here. And we used to have a dedicated role team but a previous SEngO disbanded them.
SAC *** ***** of the C130J Lean Team put the process in perspective. "It might sound simple, but by applying lean to the re-role process we hope to avoid having over £1M worth of re-role equipment unaccounted for, whilst at the same time improving aircraft availability and operational effectiveness". "Re-role spanner time won't be reduced, but the chaff around it will".
Re-inventing the wheel.
Have you got a Lean Team down there monkeybumhead?