Posted: November 3, 2016
Complexity
Science
The Corpus
Christi Army Depot (CCAD) has two main missions. They are repairing damaged aircraft and
upgrading older models of aircraft into an updated configuration. These missions have not changed much
throughout the years. As the
introduction to new technology has accelerated, CCAD has seen its own strategy
evolve throughout the years. This has
happened with personnel staffing, industrial processes, and recently, an influx
of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) projects to eliminate waste and cost overruns.
Personnel
staffing has evolved over time in key positions. The Deputy Commander of the Depot used to be
a Lieutenant Colonel from the Army. It
is now a civilian GS-15 position. That
transition is one that I agree with because it provides a stable long-term
civilian occupying the Deputy slot, rather than a military officer who would
only be in the position for a couple of years.
This provides the Depot with long-term continuity and a knowledge base
that contains more depth and breadth than would be possible with a military
officer. The flip side of this coin is
that leaders can sometimes stagnate.
They are resistant to new ideas or changes that happen within the
environment. This can lead to a
mentality when questioned to: “We have always done it that way”. Obviously, that is not the optimal
answer. There have been other switches
between military personnel and civilian personnel. Many of them in the Flight Test section of
CCAD seem to fluctuate back and forth over time. That being said, the Deputy Commander
position is the one that I find the most significant in the realm of personnel
changes. I would be remiss if I didn’t
mention that CCAD used to employ nearly 7,000 people. Of that one half of them were private
contractors. CCAD now employs 3,500
people. The work load is not the same as
it was when the 7,000 employee peak was reached, but there is a significant
cost savings realized through the reduction.
Additionally, reductions in workload were a result of the Afghanistan
and Iraq campaigns winding down. This
lead to a decreased demand for aircraft and a longer lead time in repairing
them and returning them to service.
CCAD
has come up with cutting edge industrial processes covering a variety of
skilled trades. These processes have
exceeded the processes of companies such as Sikorsky and Boeing. There remains much more that can be done. A limiting factor is where Sikorsky and Boeing
draw the line on approving CCAD processes for installation on the
aircraft. As astute observer might note
that both Sikorsky and Boeing compete for some of the same contracts for
aircraft that CCAD does! Therefore, they
are a supplier and partner to CCAD, while at the same time they are functioning
as business rivals! It reminds me of the
Yin Yang model where polar opposites are shown to coexist. Further, they are shown to be dependent on
each other. That is how the situation
between CCAD and its private enterprise competitors compares.
LSS
has been the rage for a few years now and have provided tangible benefits to
many private organizations as well as governmental organizations. LSS seeks to maximize efficiencies, save
money, incorporate ergonomics into a scientific formula. The problem with LSS is that they operate
from a deterministic viewpoint where they feel they can control outcomes and
prevent chaotic outcomes arising from complex systems. They also ignore Edward Lorenz’s butterfly
effect. As a result of a weather
modeling system, Lorenz dropped the last three digits in a six digit decimal
calculation during the second iteration of his weather experiment. He didn’t think it would be significant. It was.
Over time, the simulations varied apart from each other as
possible. This became known as the
butterfly effect. Small changes can
induce large (even unintended) changes to a process or an organization over
time. For example, our LSS experts did a
project in which their bottom line was that all product defects had to be
processed the same way. That is good
except for all of them shouldn’t be processed the same way! Some of them required executing warranties. Some were taken care of by certain organizations,
while other parts were the responsibility of some other different
organization. The one size fits all
scenario developed into serious challenge for CCAD as they struggled to execute
product warranties on defective items, only to find out that because they
processed them uniformly, they were unable to collect on the warranty work!
A
hybrid system of LSS, complexity/adaptability thinking, and the “Art of the
Possible” is now emerging at CCAD. With
proper guidance of the senior leadership, this could be successful. An effort needs to be made to solicit ideas
from the bottom up and gain the buy in of the employees. Otherwise, the new venture will be viewed
cynically at just another attempt to institute changes because of a
crisis. Older employees have seen these
new initiatives come and go. I will be
long retired from military and civilian service 10 years from now. My hope is that this hybrid system is successful
and 10 years down the road, CCAD is still operating and turning out high
quality, cutting edge, and aircraft for our armed forces.
John
H2O
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