ACs, SMEs feted for successful AMMT

By Bill Bartkus
NAVAIR Depot North Island

CORONADO, Calif. – Activity Coordinators (AC) and Subject Matter Experts (SME), comprising NAVAIR Depot North Island’s Teaming for Process Improvement (TPI) program, were lauded during the fifth annual TPI AC/SME Appreciation Day.

Virginia Lovell, TPI program manager (6.0A) created AC/SME Appreciation Day and coordinates the event each year. The event is the commanding officer’s annual TPI award ceremony that recognizes ACs and SMEs for their accomplishments during the program year, with emphasis on their contributions to the recent success of the AIR 5.0 Aviation Maintenance Management Team (AMMT) inspection.

“Since AMMT 1998, the effects for Activity Coordinators and Subject Matter Experts have consistently been outstanding through every one of five AMMT inspections,” Lovell told the audience. “The inspection of 2004 proved to be the indicator of yet another success, a milestone that was further enhanced by the efforts of Terry Timm (6.2) and the Tool Control Team.”

The inspectors noted that the Tool Control Program improved significantly since the last AMMT in November 2002 with five of 14 categories rated “excellent” compared to satisfactory two years ago.
Overall, the Depot’s aviation maintenance process programs gained 65 percent in rate of compliance and a 39 percent improvement in the solidity of the processes. The gains were directly conducive to the outstanding efforts of ACs, SMEs and Tool Control Team (TCT) members.

Lovell praised ACs, SMEs and the TCT for their tremendous efforts to strive towards full compliance of the Chief of Naval Operations’ Naval Aviation Maintenance Policy 4790.2H. But she asked, “Where do we go once we achieve full compliance?” The answer came in remarks by Capt. James Woolway, then NAVAIR Depot North Island commanding officer.

“Compliance is a great start, but being compliant means that we meet the minimum standards,” Woolway said. “Therefore, we must go “beyond compliance” as the Environmental staff calls it.”
By being beyond compliance, the captain said the Depot must confront every obstacle so that the Depot may exceptionally execute the command’s mission. “If we never stop getting better, then what is our goal?” he asked. “The goal is perfection!”

Woolway said that AIRSpeed and TPI fit together like hand in glove. “Lean is AIRSpeed’s elimination of waste, and TPI is an improvement program. Both lead to the goal of perfection,” he said. “Will the Depot ever be perfect?” he asked rhetorically. “It doesn’t matter because what matters is the goal,” he answered.
TPI is a unique Depot process, Woolway stated. “People accuse us of being progressive and a maverick, and they’re right! I’m proud of this,” he noted. “TPI is a unique, exceptional program. It was invented here, and it is unique to the Depot.”

Woolway said that the Depot has made remarkable improvements in some of the toughest programs. He cited a few: tool control, support equipment, calibration, technical libraries, and maintenance administration.

“Many of our programs came from humble beginnings, and these are now approaching beyond compliance,” said Woolway. "Still, our work to sustain and improve will always continue."
The skipper also noted the professional development aspect of TPI, and the benefits realized by ACs and SMEs in their presentation and communication skills.

ACs, SMEs and Tool Control Team members received award certificates, a team shirt, a commanding officer’s coin and a laser pointer for use in their frequent presentations to the Executive Steering Committee.