Lean and/or Pulse. Are they producing the goods?

[Streetpilot]

“Applying Lessons from Lean Production Theory to Transit Planning”

Passengers: An inconvenience to those who operate military transport aircraft or just in the way of lean?

Once upon a time aircraft carrying passengers were loaded and unloaded on the ASP in front of the Air Terminal at Brize (The “Water Front”), this meant minimal time between ac and lounge and little need for buses.

Then one day along came a Lean Team……
In one of the best examples of how the principles of lean have not been applied in the round an engineering “saving” was made by removing the policy of towing certain vintage ac to/from The Water Front. This has resulted in the payload being trucked across a busy active runway; in-flight rations, passengers (using the only 2 available 50 seat coaches and drivers); bags making several journeys using towing vehicles with a top speed of 7 MPH.
When ac arrive the passengers have to wait onboard whilst the tug reverses the ac into it’s parking place; usually a 2 or 3 point manoeuvre as it’s tight for space over there. Only then can the steps go in and the passengers and bags be offloaded, again to wait to cross the active.

Thankfully it has made the life of the engineers easier – no more inconvenient towing of the frames across to The Water Front for the passengers and as for the passengers themselves well the long journey back to the terminal keeps their minds off other things especially when they have been offloaded because of a tech delay on their trip out!

I’m sure the movers and MT will be looking forward to their chance to be leaned so that they get the extra resources needed to achieve their output now that their goalposts have been moved.

Perhaps the Lean Team should have read:
“Applying Lessons from Lean Production Theory to Transit Planning”
By Robert A. Dunning (Boeing Commercial Airplane Company) and Thomas M. Richer (Linbeck Corporation)

http://www.oz.net/~cliff/APM2001g.PDF

Passengers: An inconvenience to those who operate military transport aircraft or just in the way of lean?



Before anyone asks, No I'm not a mover!