CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
The 437th Operations Group began implementing improvements in their processes June 1 to more efficiently and expediently log, update and view aircrew currency.
"For C-17 pilots and loadmasters it is imperative they receive the necessary recurrent ground and flight training required to accomplish the mission of providing global reach in the Global War on Terror; safely and professionally" said Capt. Erik Brine, 437th Operations Support Squadron director of operations.
Captain Brine said for commanders and schedulers of the C-17 pilots and loadmasters, not only is the accomplishment of that training important but the accuracy and timeliness of training documentation is crucial. This has always been significantly harder than it sounds, he said
Each aircrew member has from 100 to several hundred individual currency items which require re-accomplishment in different numbers and frequency.
To make things more complicated, much of the required training is accomplished outside the Airman's squadron, their group, occasionally outside the wing and sometimes at a different base.
"To compile this tremendous list of currency items, standard forms are used for logging all training events," said Captain Brine. "There is a career field which tracks all pilot and loadmaster currency training using a computer program designed to create the detailed currency reports."
He said that even with all of the support, it can take more than 5 days for accomplished training to be accurately reflected on an individual's currency report. This creates a continuous serious problem.
In April, the 437 OG decided it was time to do something about it and Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st century provided the tools to make it happen.
With the assistance of 437th Airlift Wing Plans and Programs section and the civilian contracted AFSO21 support agency, the 437th Operations Support Squadron assembled a team of civilians and Airmen, representing aircrew members and training support agencies throughout the 437 OG to breakdown the aircrew currency process into steps.
The team met for three days and dissected the processes to minute details, cataloging every step as value added, non-value added or queue time.
It was during these meetings the team found that the currency process, on average, took more than five days for the completion of a training event by an Airman until it was accurately displayed on an aircrew currency report. Not only was the process lengthy, it was also labor intensive, taking more than 60 combined man-hours daily.
The most shocking discovery the team made was that of those five days, nearly 97 hours was wasted time where paperwork was awaiting action or waiting to go to the next location. The movement of paper was the culprit of more than 70 percent of the total process time. Some additional problems found included the methods of paperwork distribution and the lack of use of available technology and redundancies in the currency process. After breaking down the currency process came the part of developing a plan to streamline the process.
The team was then challenged to think outside the normal guidelines of current Air Force Instructions and locally imposed regulations to take a common sense approach to achieving the goal of providing aircrew members with a timely and accurate aircrew currency product.
The group had several brainstorming sessions and different iterations of a new process before the team unanimously decided on a newer and leaner aircrew currency process.
Captain Brine said the efficiency that the proposed process developed surprised even the team members themselves.
"The more than five-day process was cut down to a little over one day and the 61 man-hour per day average was reduced to 10 hours," said Lt. Col. George McDowell, 437 Airlift Wing chief of plans. "The use of technology to create an eventual paperless system coupled with reduction in manpower required to work the process could save the 437 OG in excess of $230K a year when it is fully implemented."
Captain Brine said implementation of the process began almost immediately and will continue to be phased in, as each step is ready. Overall, the currency process has become a tremendous AFSO21 success story for the 437 OG.