Employing organizational modeling and simulation to reduce F/A-18E/F F414 engine maintenance time

Abstract

The goal of this project was to determine how to decrease the F414 engine throughput time at the Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Division (AIMD) at Naval Air Station (NAS) Lemoore, California. To achieve this goal, organizational modeling was employed to evaluate how changes to the organizational structure of the Lemoore AIMD affected engine throughput time. Data collected to build the organizational model was acquired via interviews with AIMD personnel. A baseline model of the AIMD organization was developed for the purpose of modeling the organization's current structure and performance. The actual, real-world duration required to conduct F414 maintenance was compared to the duration predicted by the model and determined to be within 3%. Once confidence was gained that the baseline model accurately depicted the organization's actual F414 maintenance performance, modifications or interventions to the model were made to evaluate how organizational changes would affect F414 maintenance duration. Interventions included paralleling the tasks associated with accomplishing administrative paperwork when initially receiving the F414 engine, and tasks associated with on-engine maintenance, combining personnel positions, adding personnel, and modifying the duration and frequency of meetings. The modeled results of these modifications indicated that the paralleling effort significantly decreased the F414 maintenance duration; likewise, decreasing meeting frequency and slightly increasing duration also facilitated a decreased duration.