Barriers to Lean Enterprise Transformation: A Case Study of the F-16 Avionics Sustainment System
Abstract
Instituting basic principles of lean thinking can help transform the U.S. Air Force's sustainment system by substantially improving its efficiency and effectiveness. One of the immediate outcomes of viewing the sustainment system through 'lean lenses' is the identification of numerous barriers impeding the system's transformation. These barriers are caused by a complex array of institutional, organizational, financial, technological, and policy and regulatory structures, as well as practices, established by the Air Force, Dept. of Defense (DoD) and the Congress. An example of the policy and regulatory environment within which the sustainment system operates is the Congressionally- mandated workload allocation limitation known colloquially as the '50/50 rule,' directly impacting the Air Force's ability to meet customer demands. Within this larger context, this thesis addresses the following key questions: (1) How should the F-16 avionics sustainment system be modified to achieve significant performance improvements through lean enterprise transformation; (2) What are the major barriers impeding the system's transformation through the adoption of lean principles; (3) How can these barriers be effectively overcome to derive the benefits of lean transformation; and (4) What are the key benefits that can be expected through lean enterprise transformation? This thesis employs the Transition-to-Lean (TTL) Roadmap developed by the Lean Aerospace Initiative (LAI) at MIT as an analytical framework to analyze the progress of the F-16 sustainment system towards becoming a lean enterprise. To gain a better understanding of the system, a Value Stream Map (VSM) of the current F-16 avionics sustainment system is developed. The VSM has helped to identify many of the organizational, financial, informational, institutional, policy and regulatory barriers. It has also aided in the identification of various types of waste resulting from the use of non-value added steps in the system7
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2003
- Accession Number
- ADA416607
Entities
People
- Benjamin M. Brandt
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology