SA08 - Continuous Improvement

Question 1

Continuous Improvement (CI)

Answer 1

the strategic, never-ending, incremental refinement of the way we perform our duties and responsibilities.

Question 2

LEAN targets the eight types of waste. You can easily remember the eight types of waste by using the acronym

Answer 2

DOWNTIME

Question 3

DOWNTIME

Answer 3

DEFECTS, OVERPRODUCTION, NON-STANDARD OVER PROCESSING, TRANSPORTATION, INTELLECT, MOTION, EXCESS INVENTORY

Question 4

DEFECTS

Answer 4

Defects that cause rework or scrap are a tremendous cost to organizations and have a direct impact on the bottom line

Question 5

OVERPRODUCTION

Answer 5

Producing an item before it is actually required

Question 6

WAITING

Answer 6

Whenever goods are not moving or being processed, the waste of waiting occurs.

Question 7

NON-STANDARD OVER PROCESSING

Answer 7

Often termed as “using a bazooka to swat flies,” many organizations use expensive high precision equipment where simpler tools would be sufficient.

Question 8

TRANSPORTATION

Answer 8

Moving product(s) between processes is a cost that adds no value to the product.

Question 9

INTELLECT

Answer 9

Not recognizing skill sets people bring to the job. Any failure to fully utilize the time and talents of people

Question 10

MOTION

Answer 10

unnecessary movement of data, files, tools, or equipment. Excessive motion to get the job done i.e. (bending, walking, lifting, reaching, etc.)

Question 11

EXCESS INVENTORY

Answer 11

Having more files than can be processed during a specified period of time

Question 12

AFSO21’s Five Desired Effects

Answer 12

• Increase productivity of our people: Doing more of the right things with the same or less effort.
• Increase critical equipment availability rates: All assets available at a greater rate from aircraft, to information technology, to range, space, etc.
• Improve response time and agility: Quicker response time to the Warfighter
• Sustain safe and reliable operations: Reduce injury rates, increase people safety and safe use of materiel assets
• Improve energy efficiency: Make energy conservation a consideration in everything we do2

Question 13

AFSO21’s Three Levels of Priorities

Answer 13

The three levels are Just Do It, Rapid Improvement Events (RIE), and High Value Initiatives (HVI).

Question 14

Just Do It

Answer 14

This is a quick fix to a process irritant; a simple answer to an obstacle in an individual process. A ―Just Do It‖ typically does not involve formal process reviews, teams, or an improvement event.

Question 15

Rapid Improvement Events (RIE)

Answer 15

These events usually last a week or more and apply a series of problem solving steps to determine root causes of problems and to eliminate waste, set improvement targets and establish clear performance measures to reach desired effects.

Question 16

The four components of a successful RIE

Answer 16

1. Strong Leadership
2. Knowledgeable participants
3. Focused Event Scope
4. Implementation Plan and Result Metrics

Question 17

High Value Initiative (HVI)

Answer 17

These initiatives produce significant returns against key Air Force challenges. HVIs typically require four to six months in order to successfully define and implement the required process changes.

Question 18

AFSO21 problem solving incorporates 4 approaches

Answer 18

Lean, Six Sigma, Theory of Constraints, Business Process Reengineering

Question 19

Lean

Answer 19

A systematic approach to identify waste, focus activities on eliminating it, and maximize (or make available) resources to satisfy other requirements.

Question 20

Six Sigma

Answer 20

A strategy that increases efficiency by statistical process control. Six Sigma relies on a repeatable 5-step problem solving method to project management and problem solving.

Question 21

Theory of Constraints

Answer 21

A philosophy and methodology for addressing logical thinking, scheduling and controlling resources and measuring performance. The philosophy emphasizes that a single constraint or bottleneck exists in any process and controls the output of the entire process.

Question 22

Business Process Reengineering

Answer 22

A management approach that examines aspects of a business and its interactions and attempts to improve the efficiency of underlying processes. Major and sometimes radical changes are sometimes associated with business process reengineering

Question 23

Eight-Step Problem Solving

Answer 23

1. Clarify and validate the problem
2. Break down the problem/identify performance gaps
3. Set improvement target
4. Determine root causes
5. Develop countermeasures
6. See countermeasures through
7. confirm results and process
8. Standardize Successful Processes

Question 24

Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) Cycle

Answer 24

Plan – Recognize an opportunity and plan a change
Do – Test the change by carrying out a small-scale study
Check – Review the test, analyze the results and identify what you‘ve learned
Act – Take action based on what you learned in the check step. If the change did not work, go through the cycle again with a different plan. If you were successful, incorporate what you learned from the test into wider changes.