Analysis of Lean Initiatives in the Production of Naval Aviators

Abstract

The Department of the Navy is dealing with shrinking budgets and increased training requirements for the production of Naval Aviators for 4th and 5th generation Navy aircraft. Lean and Six Sigma strategies are routinely used in todays manufacturing processes. The U.S. military is saving billions of dollars by implementing quality improvement methods such as Lean Six Sigma, and these savings could grow even faster as the Department of Defense takes steps to expand these initiatives throughout the armed services. The purpose of this Joint Applied Project is to investigate and study the application of lean thinking in the production of Navy pilots. The Chief of Naval Air Trainings (CNATRA) strategic vision supposes that lean initiatives can be implemented in the training process and has made moves to streamline and create better value in the production of Navy aircrew. This paper will analyze the Naval Aviation Enterprise and CNATRAs lean training initiatives and compare them to typical lean manufacturing initiatives. This paper will also examine current policies and procedures to determine if current lean initiatives are meeting their intended objectives and goals. Further analysis will determine if improvements can be made to lean policies in order to increase efficiency and effectiveness over the entire value stream or aircrew training continuum.