The document describes a project to streamline the military funeral honors mission tasking and tracking process. It notes that the current process takes too long, has too many opportunities for errors and variation. The project team's goal is to reduce process time by 25% by June 30, 2015. Various potential improvements are tested, including redefining data fields, utilizing automation, and combining documents. An Access database is selected for piloting that saves entered data only once and links all forms. A future state map shows reduced steps. Pilots in May and June save 7 total minutes. The new process will go live on July 1, 2015 after user training.

1. Project Sponsor: SGM Brian Rikstad – Military Authority
Process Owner: Charles Einarson – State MFH Coordinator
Facilitator : Charles Einarson – Green Belt Applicant
Mentor : Samantha Einarson – Black Belt

2. Because of the numerous steps and individual forms involved
in the current mission tasking and tracking process, too
much time is spent on data entry, too many error points exist
and there are too many opportunities for unwanted variation
between administrative technicians.
These wastes result in a reduction of prep time for the teams,
potential rework and duplication of efforts as well as
additional costs to the program.

3.  Facilitator
 Charles Einarson
 Team Leader
 Jason Goodman
 Team Members
 Corey Scott
 Blanche Green
 Cassandra Farmer
 John Simpson
 Brian Rikstad

4.  The mission tasking time from the initial receipt
to post mission closeout require 16 minutes and
40 seconds for each mission. With an average of
225 funerals per month, 62 hours and 30 minutes
were required on mission tasking memos.
 Total Forms Required:
 9
 Total Steps:
 16

5. Current State Value Stream Map

6.  The goal of this project
is to reduce the
mission tasking
process time by 25% by
30 June, 2015.

7.  Too many forms
 Technician Training
 Leadership Training
The following are outside of scope of this project
 High Turnover Rate of Leadership (due to unstable
funding)
 Different agencies with different reporting
requirements
 National Database managed by NGB that does not
meet our needs as an individual state.

8. Potential Countermeasures:
 Redefine Required Data
 Utilize current automation (formulas, field linking)
 Error Proofing Data Fields
 Preselected Verbiage
 Combine Documents
 Quarterly Professional Development of Leadership
Selected Experiment:
By redefining required data, utilizing preselected verbiage and error
proofing of forms, and creating a combined database with all forms
being cross linked (Access) the goal should be met.
Data will only be entered once and variation will all but be
eliminated with most of the NVA steps and time being eliminated.

9. Future State Value Stream Map

10.  Completed a pilot on 31 May 2015; Saved 5
minutes but required some corrections.
 1-12 June – Corrections and improvements were
implemented.
 15-17 June –Conducted a second pilot to verify
bug fixes and improvements saving an additional
2 minutes for a total of 7 minutes saved.
 1 July 2015 – Automation goes live after
completing monthly closeout and reports.

11.  The automation will go live NLT 1 July 2015.
Implementation Plan
Final Training and Software Beta Testing Completed: 19 June
Announcement of transition date to team members: 19 June
Stable software package released to the field: 1 July
Complete satisfaction survey to gauge usefulness of new tools: 15 July
Phase out of legacy tracking tools: 31 July

12.  Pay chart integration with database – eliminate
spreadsheets
 Mission counts for each Soldier – Build reports to
track individual Soldier participation levels
 Joint Operations Center (JOC) specific interface –
Eliminate errors during afterhours mission receipt by
non -program Soldiers.
 Share program with other states – Only minor
changes would be required for use in other states