By Judy Hartman Alexander, Fleet Readiness Center Southeast Public Affairs

The Shingo Prize Board of Examiners announced Aug. 7, Fleet Readiness Center Southeast (FRCSE) will be awarded the 2008 Shingo Silver Medallion for the F/A-18 Hornet Center Barrel Replacement Plus (CBR+) Program. The announcement follows a recent site visit by the Shingo Prize Examiners who performed an in depth evaluation of the F/A-18 CBR+ line. The Shingo Prize is an international award established in 1988 to promote an awareness of Lean manufacturing concepts and to recognize organizations that achieve world-class manufacturing or business and research applications. The Shingo Prize was expanded in 2005 to include Lean innovations in the Public Sector category for organizations that promote the use of world-class manufacturing strategies and practices such as FRCSE.

The CBR+ process actually splits the aircraft into three sections. The center barrel is where the fore and aft fuselage sections, wings and landing gear all connect. It also is the part that takes the brunt of arrested landings aboard aircraft carriers. When the F/A-18 was built, the prime contractor, McDonnell Douglas, designed the center barrel to last 6,000 flight hours. With the aircraft approaching these hours, and the airframe holding up well, the Navy did not want to retire the F/A-18, so the solution was to replace the center barrel.

The FRCSE F/A-18 CBR+ program started its Lean journey in 2003 and has accomplished significant, measurable process improvements by implementing a cellular production line using Lean single-piece flow methodology. Measurable results have been achieved through continuous improvements in quality and reduction of costs, cycle times, and work-in-process. Lean principles have become a way of life for the entire FRCSE organization, which is committed to employing Lean tools as it continues to pursue the goals of providing cost-wise readiness to the Warfighter, as well as achieving corporate visions and goals.

The Naval Aviation Enterprise has adopted AIRSpeed as the methodology for Lean process improvement. Under the umbrella of AIRSpeed, FRCSE has three separate but succinctly joined deployment strategies that will help the command achieve improvement. Lean/Six Sigma, Theory of Constraints, and the "Four Disciplines of Execution" (4D)™are the foundations of the deployment strategy. This three-pronged approach will enable FRCSE to develop and deploy those industry proven concepts, strategies and tools that will optimize FRCSE support to the Fleet with the greatest return on investment.

Since the advent of Lean/Six Sigma, FRCSE has been doing things differently. The facility has "Leaned" out many processes, including aircraft maintenance. Lean thinking is summarized in five principles: precisely specify value by specific product, identify the value stream for each product, make value flow without interruptions, let the customer pull value from the producer, and pursue perfection.

The 4D™ process has improved cost and schedule execution performance by enhancing focus, alignment and accountability. Due to the high operational tempo and limited inventory of F/A-18 aircraft, every aircraft returned to operational status has a dramatic impact on Department of Defense air combat readiness.

The accomplishments of the F/A-18 CBR+ line are:
• Increased throughput by 77 percent, from nine aircraft in Fiscal Year (FY) 06 to 16 aircraft in FY07
• Improved internal quality by 48 percent as noted by the internal defect rate
• Improved quality by 71 percent as noted by customer reported defects
• Reduced cycle time 34 percent by the end of FY07
• Reduced aircraft Work In Process (WIP) by 35 percent the end of FY07
• Reduced man-hour expenditures by 46 percent by the end of FY07
• Reduced average cost per aircraft by 20 percent by the end of FY07

Capt. Tim Matthews, FRCSE Commanding Officer is an advocate of AIRSpeed and fully supports these efforts. “This is a significant accomplishment and a testament to the great strides FRCSE has made in improving processes, driving out waste, and enhancing the quality of products supplied to the Warfighter.” Matthews and Major Nimoch, F/A-18 Product Manager, will accept the Shingo Silver Medallion for FRCSE during a ceremony October 9, 2008 in Washington D.C.

Caption: Shingo Prize Examiners Terry Spaulding, Jacob Raymer, Leon Powers and Nathan Trone performed an evaluation visit of the F/A-18 CBR+ line. Pictured (l-r) Rufus Wright, FRCSE Commanding Officer Capt. Tim Matthews, Terry Spaulding, Major Nimock, Jacob Raymer, Angelo Evans, Leon Powers, Nathan Trone, John Pettis, and Victor Huot.

– USN –