Originally Posted by
Rigga
I must agree with above statements that this Thread must be far too difficult for our feathered friends to join in. (Well, Vecvec... excepted, of course)
The added bit..
What would "WAR" stocks be like if they were LEANed?
Well speaking as a very old bird that has lost most of its feathers, my reaction to LEAN, QA, HF and every other cryptic set of initials is that they will never substitute for common sense. How driving an ENG WG, under your command, into the ground can be anything other than Gross Dereliction of Duty I fail to see. The fact that it is then honoured and rewarded is a damning statement on the higher command of the RAF. Mr Toyota, I imagine, would have had a very different fate in mind for an executive who did that to his company!
The forces have always been open to new ways of doing things, often driven by the novelty of changing technology. As has been already said business used to draw on the military example as the way to go. But the RAF is not a Car Company or a widget maker. Its engineers have to respond to an ever changing and unpredictable demand placed upon them, as often by an enemy as by its own operators (OK ha ha, "aren't they one and the same thing", most amusing, message ends). What that scenario has in common with the planned production of Corollas I for one can't see. If the ways of servicing Hercs and others has to change to reflect the increasing lack of bods on the ground, then fine work on that, there must always be room for improvement. But do remember you are dealing with people, not units of production, whatever.
In the 60/70s centralised servicing came to a secret (not top secret) base in Wiltshire. The two Herc Squadrons released their aircraft and servicing personnel to the Station ENG WG. The two servicing squadrons thus formed were immediately adopted by the two flying squadrons, one apiece, so that the rivalry of one out performing the other could continue to maintain morale and performance. I don't remember any initials being involved except TGIF!