W. L. Dandridge Black Belt Finalized Project 15 Apr 12

Lean Six Sigma (LSS) Sample
Data Collection (SDC)
“Maintenance Visit Process
Improvement Project”
Date: 15 April 2012
Student Enrollment Number: 2384132
Submitted By: Wayne Larry Dandridge, 236 North Ainsdale Drive,
Charleston, SC 29414; Office and Home Phone: 843-573-9657, Cell
Phone: 843-276-7164; FAX: 843-573-9657; Primary Email:
Ldandridge@earthlink.net; and Secondary Email:
Larry.Dandridge@QinetiQ-NA.com
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1.0 Table of Contents
Paragraph
Number
Subject Page(s) Remarks
None Cover Page 1 Title, Author, Date
1.0 Table of Contents 2
2.0 Introduction 3 Two projects in one.
2.0 Background 4 Improve quality or lose
the contract.
3.0 Voice of the Customer 4 & 5 US Army Materiel
Systems Analysis Agency
(AMSAA’s) Voice.
4.0 The Problem (SDC data in GEDIS is not accurate
enough) and Overall Get Well Plan.
5 SDC data in the GEDIS
and the data going into
GEDIS are not accurate
enough.
5.0 Overall SDC Mission. 6 US Army and AMSAA’s
mission.
6.0 The QNA East Region Overall LSS SDC Mission. 6 Implement LSS thinking
and methods region
wide.
7.0 The QNA East Region Overall LSS Specific Goals
and Objectives.
6 & 7 Train employees to
yellow, green, and black
belt levels by end of
2012. Select projects, by
priority. Complete 1st
project by 15 Apr 12.
8.0 Overall Goals and Objectives of the LSS
Maintenance Visit Process Improvement Project.
7 & 8 See the project charter
at Appendix A for the
LSS Project details.
9.0 Stake Holders
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Lean Six Sigma Sample Data Collection (SDC)“Maintenance Visit Process
Improvement Project” Final Report
1.0. Introduction: This Lean Six Sigma (LSS) Black Belt Process Improvement Project final
report is submitted by Wayne Larry Dandridge Submitted to Aveta Business Institute for
evaluation and award of the institute’s “Black Belt Course Requirement”. The project was
conducted from May 2011 to March 31st
, 2012 and was conducted at Fort Stewart, Georgia
(GA) by the QinetiQ North America (QNA) Fort Stewart, GA Sample Data Collection (SDC) Team
and Larry Dandridge. The project took longer than the standard average of two to three
months used by industry and government organizations because:
• The project was the first LSS Project ever conducted by the Fort Stewart SDC Team;
• The project was also conducted while the LSS culture and rigorous, focused, and highly
effective problem solving and process improvement methodology was implemented in
the entire east Region of the QNA’s SDC Program and included the conduct of similar
first projects at two other sites (Fort Campbell, KY and Fort Bragg, NC) simultaneously;
and
• The Project Leader and LSS Champion and Black Belt Candidate leading this effort had
some health related interruptions during the project.
During the conduct of this project, all QNA SDC employees at Fort Stewart, GA; Fort Campbell,
KY; Fort Bragg, NC; Anniston Army Depot; Red River Army Depot; and Letter Kenney Army
Depot were trained to the yellow belt standard or had previously been trained to the Black Belt,
Green Belt, or Yellow Belt standard by either Aveta Business Institute or another formal school
or by QNA’s East Region Champion, Black Belt candidate, and Business Process Improvement
Engineer Larry Dandridge.
All of the employees at Fort Stewart, Fort Bragg, and Fort Campbell were trained to the yellow
belt standard during this time frame and all completed the reading and study of the book “The
Complete Idiots Guide” to Lean Six Sigma, by breakthrough Management Group and Neil
DeCarlo”, completed over 40 hours of class room lecture and on – line instruction, and
successfully completed ten tests (see copies of the tests at Appendix B) with a score of 90 or
higher.
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2.0 Background The US Army Materiel Systems Analysis Activity (AMSAA) is the primary
customer of the QNA SDC Program. QNA has a contract with AMSAA to provide Army logistics
and analytical subject matter experts (wheeled and tracked vehicle, other ground equipment
systems, and aviation maintenance experts and information technology specialists) and data
collection services to AMSAA at Army Forts, Forward Operating Bases, Training Centers, and
Depots worldwide. Although these services have been provided successfully by QNA for over
20 years, the standard for such services have steadily risen from the three Sigma level, to the
Four Sigma level, and, of late, the Six Sigma level. Without LSS’s systematic approach to
making organizations better and, right where it counts, in day-to-day work processes and
products, the goal of Six Sigma quality could probably not be reached in Sample Data Collection.
3.0. Voice of the Customer (AMSAA’s Voice). In April of 2011, AMSAA’s
Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) and Assistant CORs and other key AMSAA Executives
asked for a face-to-face meeting with senior QNA Leaders, including the author of this report,
to complain about the quality of data being entered into the SDC ground systems data base
(affectionately called the Ground Equipment Data Information System - GEDIS) and to complain
about the quality of the data in the SDC data base.
In this serious meeting the government (our AMSAA primary customers) candidly told us to
either improve the quality of the data in GEDIS (meaning clean up the errors) and the quality of
the data going into GEDIS or don’t expect to keep doing this work past the end of our current
contract. During this AMSAA briefing and meeting between AMSAA and senior QNA leaders,
AMSAA pointed out the tremendous adverse impact errors in the GEDIS data base caused to
government cost, readiness, deployment, risk, safety, and other planning. For examples:
• One number wrong in a National Stock Number (NSN) or part number can mean tens or
hundreds of thousands of dollars difference for one part and tens an hundreds of
millions of dollars difference for the hundreds, thousands, and tens of thousands of
parts needed to support Army operations world-wide.
• One error in the data base can mean the difference in having the right hardware, parts,
components, sub assemblies, and assemblies needed to accomplish a mission.
• One part number or NSN error can hurt significantly the reputation of AMSAA and QNA,
thus jeopardizing the entire SDC Program.
The summary minutes of that AMSAA _QNA meeting and AMSAA briefing are included in an
Emergency Action Plan that the author of this report wrote and is at Appendix C. The results of
this AMSAA briefing (and complaining) resulted in a recommendation from Larry Dandridge,
The QNA East SDC Region Manager, to lead the implementation of LSS in the east region and
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for that implementation to serve as the model for other regions to also adopt and implement
LSS’s culture, philosophy, and methodologies in the entire world-wide QNA Field Data Division’s
operations. Vice President of QNA’s Field Data Division and SDC Program Manager, Mr. Mike
Gross, approved this emergency plan to improve quality through the implementation of Lean
Six Sigma (LSS), appointed Larry Dandridge as the Divisions primary LSS Champion and Sponsor,
and authorized Larry Dandridge to obtain LSS Black Belt Training and Certification from Aveta
Business Institute.
4.0. The Problem (SDC data in GEDIS is not accurate enough) and
Overall Get Well Plan.
The identification of the overall problems facing the QNA East SDC Region SDC data were really
clearly identified to QNA by AMSAA in AMSAA’s April 2011 briefing and complaints to QNA. The
two problems are:
• The SDC data going into GEDIS is not accurate and complete enough. Although accuracy
is the principal problem.
• The SDC data already in GEDIS has too many errors in it and needs to be corrected and
cleaned up.
The QNA Filed Data Division VP Mike Gross tasked all QNA Regional Managers to improve the
quality of the data going into GEDIS. Because Larry Dandridge is a certified business process
reengineer and A-76 strategic sourcing specialist and has used many of the LSS tools and was
already essentially black belt qualified from his work at Battelle Pacific NW Lab, McAdams
Technologies, COBRO, WESTAR, and QNA, Mr. Gross specifically agreed to Larry Dandridge’s
proposed plan to formally adopt and implement Lean Six Sigma in the East Region to improve
the quality of data going into GEDIS in the future.
Mr. Gross also tasked the Assistant Program Manager for Information Technology and GEDIS
Data Base Management, Mr. Kevin Horsley to lead a separate effort to review the existing SDC
GEDIS data base, find all errors, and correct them. This effort would be supported by Mr. Jim
Wynne, the West Region Manager and, to a lesser degree, by all other QNA SDC Region
Managers and the QNA SDC Training Manager, Maurice Squires. This report will not address
the good progress made to date by the “SDC Existing Data Base Clean UP Team”, other than to
comment that until the entire data base is carefully reviewed and all errors found, the errors
will continue to plague AMSAA and QNA.
5.0 AMSAA’s Overall SDC Mission.
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The QNA East Region SDC Manager and the SDC East Region Site Managers kicked off the
implementation of the LSS cultural transition and the beginning of the first LSS Process
Improvement Project by reviewing the AMSAA concerns and complaints --- the “Voice of our
Customer AMSAA” and the mission of SDC that is published in detail in Department of Army
Pamphlet 700-24, which in summary includes:
AMSAA’s SDC Worldwide Mission
The SDC Program is established by Department of Defense Directive 4151.18 to efficiently and
effectively collect maintenance, supply, cost, operations (usage), maintenance Man-Hour, and
related data to support failure analysis, cost, reliability, availability, maintainability, risk, tooling,
recovery, lift, and other studies, special requirements, and Army Staff programs. SDC covers
ground and aviation end items worldwide and is accepted as the most accurate source of Army
logistics and usage data. The principal parts of the SDC Program and mission include SDC data
collection, Field Exercise Data Collection (FEDC), Condition Based Maintenance (CBM) data
collection, RESET data collection, AMSAA Materiel Lessons Learned Analysis (AMLLA) studies,
special surveys and studies from Army Wide customers, and other special projects. QNA is the
prime support contractor providing data collectors, data collection, analysis, information
technology, data base management, computer programming, soft ware engineering, other
engineering, and related support.
6.0. The QNA East Region Overall LSS SDC Mission.
The mission of the QNA SDC East Region LSS Champion, Sponsors, and Employees, with
unwavering support from top management, is to:
Train all QNA SDC East Region employees in Lean Six Sigma terminology, processes, tools,
methods, road map, and thinking and convince all employees that LSS is the systematic and
highly structured approach that we must use to make our organization, our services, our
products, ourselves, our reputations and value to our customers, AMSAA, and the SDC Program
better, faster, and less expensive. The bottom line is to reduce errors in the data in the data
base and the data going into the data base to no more than 3.4 per million opportunities ---- or
in other wise strive for perfection (100% accurate and 100% complete data) and achieve
excellence (Six Sigma quality of 99.9997% accurate and complete data).
7.0. The QNA East Region Overall LSS Specific Goals and Objectives.
With advice and approval of the QNA Field Data Division VP and the SDC PM Mike Gross, the
QNA SDC East Region Manager and LSS Champion, Larry Dandridge and the three SDC East
Region Site Managers, Fort Stewart, GA’s Data Project Manager (DPM) Eugene Williams, Fort
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Bragg’s DPM Gerald Bowling: and Fort Campbell, KY’s Stewart’s DPM Eric Wheeler established
the following overall goals:
• Adopt and implement LSS culture and highly structured problem solving and process
improvement technology, tools, and way of thinking in the QNA SDC East Region by 1
May 2016.
• Select the SDC site major work processes, and in this order, for LSS Process
improvement Projects: (1.) Maintenance Visit Data Collection Process, (2.) Operations
(OPS) Data Collection Process, (3.) Transfer End Item In Process, (4.) Transfer End Item
Out Process, (5.) National Training Center (NTC) SDC Process, (6.) Joint National Training
Center (JRTC) SDC Process, (7.) Maintenance Meeting Attendance and Reporting
Process, and (8.) the Bi-Weekly Report Process”.
• Achieve Six Sigma quality level for accuracy and completeness of data (99.9997%
accuracy or no more than 3.4 errors per million opportunities) prepared and presented
for quality control review by the Site Supervisory Data Monitor and Data Project
Manager by the end of each LSS Process Improvement Project for each process.
• Train and certify all QNA East Region employees to the LSS Yellow Belt level by 1 May
2012.
• Train and certify all East region Site Managers to the LSS Green Belt Level by 31
December 2012.
• Train and certify Larry Dandridge to the LSS Black Belt level by 15 April 2012 or sooner if
possible.
8.0. Overall Plan, Goals, and Objectives of the LSS Maintenance Visit
Process Improvement Project.
The Overall Plan for the First Project
The overall plan is to use the powerful and highly structured LSS DMAIC process and
appropriate tools and the QNA SDC Fort Stewart Team of one Data Project Manager, one
Supervisory Data Monitor, the four Data Monitors, with our stake holders participation, and
lead by the East SDC Region Manager, to do a thorough LSS Process Improvement Project
between April 2011 to April 2012 to improve the quality of our most important SDC process ---
the SDC Maintenance Visit Data Collection, Data Research, Interview, Observation, Analysis,
Inspection, Data Entry, and Data Transmission (sync’ing) Process.
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The QNA SDC East Region Champion, Sponsors, On-Site Project Team Leaders, stake holders,
and employees agreed that the goal of the QNA SDC East Region first project would be to
carefully review and improve the SDC Maintenance Visit Process. The East Region Team agreed
that each site would begin a Lean Six Sigma Project to review and improve the “Maintenance
Visit Process” and that Fort Stewart would lead the way, under the leadership and training
provided by Larry Dandridge. Fort Stewart would complete the project first and the other two
sites, Fort Bragg and Fort Campbell, would use the work done at Fort Stewart, the training they
get from Larry Dandridge and other *region black belts and *green belts, and their text book to
guide them through their first LSS project.
*Note: The QNA SDC East Region has three green belts (Bob Baldwin, Dale Paul, and Claude
Turner) and one black belt working the SDC AMLLA program at three Army depots but their
availability to help is and was very limited. Claude Turner and Dale Paul and working on getting
their LSS Black Belt certification from Aveta Business Institute by the end of 2012.
The Goals and Objects of the First LSS Project at Fort Stewart
The detailed justification, deliverables, objectives, resources, and schedule for the first LSS
Process Improvement Project are found in the LSS Project Charter at Appendix A of this report.
However, a summary of the goals and objectives is provided below.
Overall Goals of the First LSS Project at Fort Stewart
• Improve the Fort Stewart Maintenance Visit process and sub processes (each
window/field in the Maintenance Visit Process that we make errors in).
• Improve AMSAA’s (our primary external customers, especially the Contracting Officer,
the Contracting Officer’s Representative, the Assistant Contracting Officer’s
Representatives, the Materiel Lessons Learned analysis Project Leader, and all members
of AMSA’s Field Studies Branch Team ) satisfaction.
• Improve QNA employee (our internal customers) participation and job satisfaction.
• Improve other external customer satisfaction. This includes all stakeholders and external
customers like the Fort Stewart Commander, G4 (Logistics Staff, Units we collect data
from, the Directorate of Logistics (DOL) team, the Logistics Support Element (LSE) team,
the Army Forward Support Battalion (AFSB) team and the Logistics Assistance
Representatives (LARs), The Battalion Logistics Support Teams (BLST), the Defense
Logistics Agency (DLA) team, the Pre-deployment Training Exercise (PDTE) Organization,
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the Army Material Command (AMC), and the great soldiers and their families that we all
serve.
Maintenance Visit Process Improvement LSS Project Specific Objectives
1. Improving the level of accuracy and completeness of Sample Data Collection (SDC)
"Maintenance Visit" data to as close as 100% accurate and 100% complete data
presented to the Supervisory Data Monitor (SDM) and Data Project Manager (DPM) for
checking and approval for entry into GEDIS. Goal is to reach Six Sigma (99.99975%
accuracy and completeness of SDC data entered into GEDIS by 15 April 2012 --- that
equates to no more than 3.4 errors per million opportunities). This included identifying
how many opportunities there are to make a mistake when completing one
“Maintenance Visit report”.
2. Listening to the Army Materiel Systems Analysis Activity’s (AMSAA’s) complaints,
compliments, wants, and comments (the voice of the customer) and determining
exactly what matters to AMSAA (exactly what is most important and most valued
products and services and deliverables) ------ 100% accurate and 100% complete SDC
data entered into GEDIS for ground end items is here most important contract
requirement and need.
3. Establishing Lean Six Sigma in the QNA SDC Fort Stewart Team as a way of: thinking,
solving problems, improving processes, creating value, continuously improving
processes and business opportunities and customer satisfaction, and staying focused on
customers.
4. Clarifying, documenting, standardizing, and stream lining the step-by-step flow of the
SDC Maintenance Visit Process at Fort Stewart.
4. Clarifying and documenting the output product/results (the “Y”) of the Maintenance
Visit Process. The complete and correct SDC Maintenance, Supply, Man-Hour, and
related SDC data entered into GEDIS SDC Data Base via the Maintenance Visit report is
the output product.
5. Identifying the inputs/root causes of variation (errors --- the “Xs”) of the Maintenance
Visit Process and sorting out the vital few from the trivial many causes.
6. Identifying symptoms of problems and gray areas (areas of confusion, duplication, and
misunderstanding) in the SDC Fort Stewart Maintenance Visit Process and using the SDC
Training Team (Maurice Squires’ Team) and the SDC HQs Information Technology and
GEDIS Team (Kevin Horsley’s Team) and training and retraining to clarify and simplify
those gray areas. Also identifying to the Training Team and GEDIS/IT Team areas
needing programming and training support.
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7. Coming up with good counter measures to PREVENT errors in SDC data in the future.
Goal is to MISTAKE PROOF the SDC Maintenance Visit process and eventually end the
need for (or at least greatly reduce) inspection and rework.
8. Eliminating waste/non value added actions (waiting, rework, motion, over production,
transportation, processing, inventory, and intellect forms of waste) in the Fort Stewart
Maintenance Visit Process. Special emphasis on eliminating the need for rework (SDM
and DPM finding errors and having to give work back to DMs to redo).
9. Using this project to help train all Fort Stewart employees on the Lean Six Sigma in the
highly structured, focused, and highly effective use of LSS’s proven quality principles and
process improvement techniques (especially the Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve,
and Control – DMAIC road map). This project will use voice of the customer, clear
problem identification, data collection, a charter, defined metrics (especially errors),
affinity diagramming, brain storming, five why (deep probing questioning), cause and
effect (fish bone) diagramming, root cause analysis (common and special causes), the
concept of internal and external customers and focusing on them and what they value,
counter measure development and testing, Pareto Charting, Gantt Charting,
standardization, waste and non-value added work elimination, Kanbans, cellular
techniques, quick set up (set-up reduction), Kokai watches, Step-By-Step Process
Mapping and Flow Charting, simple –yet powerful statistical techiques (location, spread,
shape), Value Streaming (and the concept of value and entitlement), lean principles,
mistake proofing (“poke-Yoke”), pull production control techniques, Five Ss (Sort, Store,
Shine, Standardize, and Sustain), a place for everything and everything in its place,
distance is evil, team work, stake holders, risk analysis, a schedule, a strong suggestion
program, critical to (CT) characteristic identification, making quality visible, open mind
and open door leadership, leveling and balancing workload, servant leadership, clear
and up-to-date employee job descriptions, clear and up-to-date SOPs, quick rewards
and recognition for participation and improvements, the elimination of unwanted
variation, monthly In Process Reviews (toll gate reviews), Suppliers-Inputs-Process-
Outputs-Customers (SIPOC) Map, limited Internal and External Bench Marking”, a
reliable and accurate measurement system (100% inspection as called for in contract), a
control plan, and other LSS and world class techniques.
10. Avoid tampering with anything that is working well. If some block/fields of the
Maintenance Visit are always filled out correctly by the DM, leave that process alone. If
the only variation in the process is caused by acts of nature or things uncontrollable by
AMSAA, QNA, Units data is collected from, the LSE and AFSB, other stake holders and
key players, and others on the SDC team ---- leave them alone. We are interested in
special causes that we can influence, prevent, and control.
11. Avoid the collection of unneeded data and the proliferation of charts. Collect facts
and only needed data and only for as long as it is needed to identify problems,
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understand the problems, determine root causes, develop sound counter measures,
mistake proof and improve the process, hold those improvements, and move on.
12. Measuring accurately the starting quality of the SDC data presented by the Fort
Stewart DMs to the SDM and DPM for review (starting in 1 July 2012) and measure
accurately the quality of the SDC data presented by the DM to the SDM and DPM.
Measurement to be done in terms of errors per million opportunities and Sigma Level.
Method of measurement is 100% inspection done by SDM and DPM, as dictated by
AMSAA contract.
12. Lower the cost of SDC to AMSAA and QNA by PREVENTING (Yoke) ERRORS and raise
the AMSAA (customer) satisfaction level to its’ highest levels ever. Lower the “Cost of
SDC Quality” ----- which is any cost that would not be expended if quality was perfect.
The Japanese term “poke-yoke” means “idiot proof or prevent errors”.
13. Bench marking the best SDC processes used by Fort Campbell, Fort Bragg, and Fort
Stewart (and other SDC sites) with each other so that each site takes maximum
advantage of the best processes, skills, knowledge, and techniques used by each site.
Bench marking is defined as measuring Fort Stewart’s performance against the best-in-
class performance of other SDC sites. Our goal is to improve on the partnership
between all SDC sites and allow all sites to learn from one another.
14. Use signs, signals, and pictures (Kanbans) anywhere we can to help clarify who, what,
when, and where things need to be done. Use color codes, signs, flags, signals, flow
charts to help simplify and show employees what needs to be done and when to do it
---if it is helpful.
15. Improve employee participation, willingness to make complaints, willingness to make
suggestions, cooperation, optimism, understanding, compassion, and enthusiasm for
“continuous improvement and the use of Lean Six Sigma”.
16. Position ourselves (QNA SDC Team) to win the next SDC competition by having the
best trained and most customer focused employees, using the best and standardized
SDC Maintenance Visit Process, and having a near perfect record (a Six Sigma level
record) in collecting, researching, analyzing, checking, rechecking, and entering 100%
accurate and 100% complete SDC Maintenance Visit Data into GEDIS.
9.0 The Stake Holders Analysis and Plan for the Fort Stewart LSS
Maintenance Visit Process Improvement Project.
The Fort Stewart QNA SDC “Maintenance Visit Process Improvement Team” identified who the
stake holders are in the process and project and who might be for or against change in the
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project and process. The team identified a stakeholder as “any individual or group with interest
in the outcome of your project and who may be impacted by your project”. The team behaved
typically to this first project, with high expectations at first, then a realization of how difficult
their task was, and then they rallied to get the tough job done, and they now take great pride in
the improvements they have made to the SDC Maintenance Visit Process at Fort Stewart. They
are proud that their team was chosen to do the first LSS Project in this division.
Key Stake Holder Role Impact
on
Project
(VH, H,
M, L)
Location and Type of Support
1. QNA SDC VP Mike Gross Strategic Leadership Very High Belcamp, MD (Division Headquarters)
Links LSS goals to company goals, approves
projects, provides resources, reviews results,
approves recommendations impacting more
than one region, communicates LSS vision,
removes barriers, approves modifications to
compensation, incentive, reward, and
recognition systems.
2. QNA East Region Manager , LSS
Region Champion, Sponsor,
and LSS Black Belt
Training and
Strategic and
Tactical Leadership
and Sponsorship
Very High Charleston, SC (Region HQs)
Leads all efforts in East SDC Region to
implement LSS and complete this first LSS
Project. Provides LSS Green Belt and Yellow
Belt training. Provides LSS orientation training
to Division Executives and Managers. Mentors
the Ft. Stewart DPM through the project.
3. QNA Ft. Stewart Site Leader
and future LSS Green Belt
(DPM) Eugene Williams
Tactical Leadership
and on site
sponsorship of LSS.
The Fort Stewart
Maintenance Visit
Process Owner!
Very High Ft. Stewart, GA.
Leads all efforts at Fort Stewart to implement
LSS and complete this first LSS Project.
Provides LSS Yellow Belt and cultural training.
Mentors the Ft. Stewart SDM and DMs through
the project. Assists the Region Manager with all
LSS matters at site. Demonstrates mastery of
green belt body of LSS knowledge.
Recommends LSS projects. Teaches LSS to his
employees. Prepares LSS Project final reports
with assistance of East Region Manager and LSS
Team.
4. QNA Ft. Stewart Deputy Site
Leader (SDM) Wayne Russell
Tactical Leadership
and Quality Control
Assists Site Leader (DPM) with implementation
of LSS culture at Fort Stewart and training of all
employees. Serves in very important role of
doing, in accordance with the SDC contract a
100% inspection of all “Maintenance Visit
Reports prepared by each DM and tracking
errors, suspected root causes, and preparing
monthly error tracking report for DPM
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signature. Works towards green blet LSS
certification.
5. Four QNA Ft. Stewart Data
Monitors
Learns and applies
LSS tools to first
project and future
projects.
Active participation in team tasks,
communicates well with other team members,
demonstrates basic improvement tool
knowledge, and accepts and executes
assignments as determined by the LSS Ft.
Stewart Team. Fearlessly and tactfully submits
suggestions, complaints, and comments to LSS
team.
6. Fort Bragg DPM Gerald
Bowling and Fort Campbell
DPM Eric Wheeler and
Supports Fort
Stewart team with
bench marking their
processes against
the Fort Stewart
processes.
High Fort Bragg, NC and Fort Campbell, KY.
These two DPMs are working towards LSS
green belt certification and are using the Fort
Stewart LSS Process Improvement Project to
aid them in conducting the same type of
project at their sites.
7. QNA SDC Assistant Program
Manager Kevin Horsley
Standardization and
all Information
Technology (IT)
Support
Very high Belcamp, MD (Division HQs).
Answers questions concerning IT (GEDIS) and
related standardization. Reviews all team
problems, root cause determinations and
recommendations and provides answers to
critical questions concerning standardization of
processes and sub-processes. Makes decisions
on what automation improvements that can be
made to further MISTAKE PROOF the process
with IT programming and software and
hardware changes. Coordinates his answers
with the QNA SDC Training Officer. Very
important role indeed.
8. QNA SDC Training Manager
Maurice Squires
Training, refresher
training, and
standardization.
Very high Fort Hood, TX.
Writes, coordinates, obtains AMSAA and PM
approval, and publishes the SDC GEDIS
Standardization Manual (the Field Monitor
Guide). Answers questions concerning all areas
of SDC and SDC processes and related
standardization. Reviews all team problems,
root cause determinations and
recommendations and provides answers to
critical questions concerning standardization of
processes and sub-processes. Makes decisions
with the collaboration of Kevin Horsley on what
improvements that can be made to further
MISTAKE PROOF the process with IT and
manual changes. Coordinates his answers with
the QNA SDC APM for IT and GEDIS Kevin
Horsley. Very important role indeed.
9. AMSAA COR Joe Wurm and his
Three ACORs Greg Gouty, Mike
Campbell, and Pete Hill
Government
Contracting
Officer’s
Representative
(COR) for the
AMSAA-QNA SDC
Very High Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD.
Acts with the help of his three Assistant CORs
as the single point of contact for all
government (AMSAA) instructions and
communications to QNA. Approves LSS
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Contract projects, travel, expenditures, and training and
performs quality assurance inspections. The
primary voice of AMSAA to QNA!!!!
10. Fort Stewart G4 (Assistant
Chief of Staff for Logistics) LTC
XXXXX YYYYYYY,
Government
employee (soldier)
and principal
government host of
SDC at Fort Stewart.
High Fort Stewart, GA (post HQs).
The Fort Stewart, GA primary point of contact
and sponsor for SDC Program at Fort Stewart.
Coordinates and directs units and organizations
to participate and support the SDC Program.
Our interviews, briefings, and coordination with
these people are critical to capturing accurate
and complete SDC data.
11. Fort Stewart Military Units and
Civilian Contractors that we
collect Maintenance From
Brigade
Maintenance
Officers, Battalion
Maintenance
Officers, Company
Maintenance
Officers,
Maintenance
Technicians, and
Maintenance
Sergeants and
Civilian Civil Service
and Contractor
Managers.
High Fort Stewart, GA (multiple locations all over
Fort).
The Fort Stewart, GA unit’s manager level
primary points of contact and sponsor for SDC
Program at their Bde, Bn, or Co. Coordinates
and directs units and organizations to
participate and support the SDC Program. Key
people are the maintenance Technicians
(Warrant Officers and maintenance NCOs) as
they know what is going on in their units and
can open and close doors to SDC data collection
and cooperation. Any improvements to SDC
processes that effect the unit must be
coordinated with and approved by these
people. Since we are suppose to do data
collection on a non-interference manner with
the units –any changes to SDC processes that
cause more interference must be carefully
thought out and coordinated. Our interviews
with these people are critical to capturing
accurate and complete SDC data.
12. Fort Stewart Military, Civil
Service and Contractor
Mechanics and Technical
Inspectors.
*Hands On
Maintenance and
Quality Control
employees.
*Note: Since some
40% to 60% of all
Army ground end
item maintenance is
unrecorded, it is
imperative that
these folks
cooperate with
QNA and AMSAA
and tell us what
work they have
done. We cannot
get complete or
accurate SDC data
without their
cooperation.
Very High Fort Stewart, GA (multiple locations all over
Fort).
The Fort Stewart, GA unit’s lowest level and
primary points of contact and sponsor for SDC
Program at their Bde, Bn, or Co. These are the
people who do the maintenance and order the
supplies –so they are the primary source for all
SDC data. They know what is going on in their
units and can open and close doors to SDC data
collection and cooperation. Any improvements
to SDC processes that affect these employees
and he unit must be coordinated with and
approved by these people and their
supervisors. Since we are suppose to do data
collection on a non-interference manner with
the units –any changes to SDC processes that
cause more interference must be carefully
thought out and coordinated. Our interviews
with these people are critical to capturing
accurate and complete SDC data.
13. Fort Stewart Military, Civil
Service and Contractor
Equipment Operators
Operation of End
Items and Operator
and crew level
High Fort Stewart, GA (multiple locations all over
Fort).
14

maintenance. Since these folks perform Operator level
Preventive Maintenance Checks and Services
and they frequently assist mechanics in
performing maintenance --- their input and our
interviews with these people are critical to
capturing accurate and complete SDC data.
What we have done thus far to complete our first
LSS Project “The SDC Maintenance Visit
Process Improvement Process
1. We listened in April 2011 to the voice of our primary customer, AMSAA and identified
our top priority problem that we need to solve as "as of April 2011, the accuracy
and completeness of data entered into GEDIS is not what the customer (AMSAA)
needs and AMSAA wants improvement and quickly." We are lucky that we don’t
have to look for where we need the most improvement --- as AMSAA identified that for
us in a very serious briefing to the QNA SDC PM, APMs, Region Managers, Training
Manager, HR Manager, and others in April 2011. AMSAA told us to improve the quality
of the SDC data we enter into GEDIS and AMSAA told us the existing SDC GEDIS data
base has far too many errors in it and that GEDIS needs to be cleaned up.
2. We, the East Region SDC Sites of QNA SDC, are working since April 2011 (and before)
on improving drastically the quality of SDC data entered into GEDIS and HELICs and
Mike Gross, Kevin Horsley, and Jim Wynne are leading a separate effort to find and
correct errors in the existing GEDIS data base. Fort Campbell’s DPM Eric Wheeler and
DM Eric Barrett are serving on Jim Wynne’s QNA Tiger team to help clean up the
GEDIS database.
3. We set as our “overall and long term” East SDC QNA Region goal to "improve the
level of quality of ground end items SDC data that we enter into GEDIS to the "Six
Sigma level quality" in accuracy and completeness of data as 99.9997% accuracy or
no more than 3.4 errors per million opportunities. We set this goal and a time line
for all of our SDC Processes (Maintenance Visit, OPs, Transfer In and Transfer Out,
NTC, JRTC, Bi-Weekly Reports, etc.) to reach Six Sigma quality, by no later than May
2016. Thus we have a five year plan to move to Six Sigma quality in all that we do in
SDC at Fort Stewart (and Fort Campbell and Fort Bragg).
4. We also set as a goal to adopt the LSS philosophy, culture, and highly structured
problem solving road map (DMAIC) and continuous improvement method and tools as
our primary way of continuously improving the quality of our processes, services, and
products in the future. We decided to shoot for perfection and achieve excellence in
SDC. And we set a goal for ourselves to "train all QNA SDC East Region employees
to the Yellow Belt Level" in Lean Six Sigma by 1 April 2012" and all DPMs to the
Green Belt Level by the end of 2012.
5. We selected as our first lean Six Sigma project to improve the "Maintenance Visit
Process" and we have identified the PROBLEM (low level quality output ----
approximately 3.5 to 3.6 Sigma Level quality of data arriving at the SDM and DPM from
the DMs when we started the LSS Project). That starting point was about 97.73% to
98.22% accuracy and completeness (or about 22,700 to 17,800 errors per million
15

opportunities). We are striving to complete the LSS Maintenance Visit process
improvement project by 1 April 2012.
6. We identified our primary QNA SDC Maintenance Visit "Stake Holders" (internal and
external customers) in the SDC Maintenance Visit Process as:
7. AMSAA,
8. The organizations and units we collect data from,
9. The Army’s Logistics Support Element (LSE) Commander (Cdr),
10. The Army Forward Support Battalion (AFSB) Cdr,
11. The Battalion Logistics Support Team (BLST),
12. The Pre-Deployment Training Equipment (PDTE) Support Team,
13. The local Director of Logistics (DOL) or Director of Maintenance (DOM) or both,
14. QNA's SDC Program Manager (PM),
15. The SDC Assistant Program Manager (APM) for Ground Systems John Picott,
16. The SDC APM for GEDIS and Information technology (IT) Kevin Horsley,
17. The SDC Training Manager Maurice Squires,
18. The East SDC Region QNA Manager, and
19. The Fort Stewart QNA SDC Team.
20. And we began creating a clear vision for what LSS success will include. Our long term
goal is to fool proof, mistake proof, and Murphy proof all of our work processes so that
it is impossible to make an error in SDC data collection, research, analysis, and entry.
21. We established a formal suggestion and complaint program within the East SDC
Region to help encourage employee participation, team work, cooperation, suggestions,
complaints, and improved communication and we made Lean Six Sigma a part of our
individual, team, and region performance measures and evaluations. We have adopted
LSS as the primary process and strategy for QNA East region wide business process
improvement but not the only way we will solve problems).
22. We have adopted LSS as our highly structured methodology to reduce variation
(errors) in our SDC processes. We have decided to use LSS techniques to get the
most improvement in accuracy and completeness of SDC data for the least investment
------- because we have more to do, much more to do than LSS projects. We must also
stay engaged in day-to-day missions, tasks, and fire fighting and routine work ---while at
the same time giving some time to LSS to improve our processes. We intend to study
every block (field) in each of our SDC work processes (Maintenance Visit, OPs, Transfer
In, Transfer Out, etc.) to ensure we know, clarify, simplify, and standardize the steps in
each of those blocks (fields). We now know that each block is a process within a
process.
23. We have learned or reinforced our belief that “Value” is something that our primary
customer, AMSAA is willing to pay for. That value is defined in our case as 100%
complete and 100% accurate SDC data (or at least as close to perfect and complete
data as possible –thus our adoption of a Six Sigma quality goal of 99.9997% accurate
and complete data. Nothing sort of Six Sigma level quality will satisfy QNA or AMSAA in
the future.
24. You and your Fort Stewart SDC QNA Team did some excellent and in-depth initial
brain storming of the problems and obstacles we have concerning performing the
16

maintenance visit process and we together developed an affinity diagram using yellow
sticky notes to organize our problems, obstacles, gray areas, areas of confusion,
symptoms of our problems, and suspected root causes of our problems (primarily the
causes of errors on the maintenance visit). We put together some Cause and Effect
(fish bone) diagrams focused on determining suspected root causes for errors made
on the maintenance visit and we came up with some initial counter measures to prevent
some of those errors. We used the Five Why (deep probing questioning) and Cause
and Effect (fish bone) diagrams to help us with this brain storming.
25. Initially, we put together a higher level “Process Map” (Flow Chart and limited Value
Stream Map) that identified the 21 major steps and some steps within those steps of the
Maintenance Visit Process and we shared with the QNA SDC Training Team Manager
and GEDIS/IT Assistant PM the gray areas and questions we had and they clarified and
explained those gray areas to us ------ so that we now are not making mistakes in those
particular areas any longer. We used this flow charting drill to clarify the "Maintenance
Visit flow" and to identify all of the value added and non-value added steps in the
"Maintenance Visit Process". We used the flow chart to help us eliminate 8 kinds of
waste and to better focus our efforts on our external customers (AMSAA, units we collect
from, LSE, AFSB, etc.) and internal customers (QNA employees). We used this process
to obtain buy in and consensus (agreement) among each of our employees (DMs, SDM,
DPM, and Reg Mgr) of the way the "Maintenance Visit Process" should be done or in
other words we used the flow chart to help us Standardize how we do the Maintenance
Visit process. We discovered that flow charts (Process Maps and Value Stream Maps)
are particularly useful in service industries (versus manufacturing), where the work
process involves unseen steps. We learned that the flow chart is an extremely useful
way of delineating (figuring out and putting in a picture) what is going on in a process.
Most importantly, we saw that a process cannot be improved, unless everyone (DMs,
DPM, and SDM) understands and agrees on what the process is and what the
specific steps in that process are.
26. We recognized early on that we have very limited resources to devote to LSS
projects, so we carefully identified which of our work processes at Fort Stewart produce
the priority services and products for our AMSAA and other customers ----- “the SDC
Maintenance Visit, the SDC OPS Process, the Transfer –In and Transfer Out Process,
and the NTC Process”. These processes will be covered by separate and high priority
LSS Process Improvement Projects before others are under taken. These processes are
the ones most important to AMSAA and our other customers.
27. Fort Stewart is on track to complete their first "Lean Six Sigma Project" (Improve the
accuracy and completeness of SDC Data collected, researched, analyzed, checked,
rechecked, and entered into GEDIS) by the end of March 2011 or at least the end of
April 2012. In early Feb 2012 we reviewed the overall QNA East Region SDC Program
to adopt "Lean Six Sigma" as our primary, structured, and systematic approach and
culture for problem solving, process improvement, waste reduction, confusion
elimination, standardization, and continuous improvement. Our long term goal is to
reach the Six Sigma level of accuracy and completeness (99.9997% or no more than 3.4
errors per million opportunities) of SDC data in all processes Maintenance Visit, Ops,
Initial Inventory (Transfer In), Transfer Out, NTC, JRTC, etc. Attached is the Fort
Stewart tracking report that Fort Stewart keeps and updates each month and use to
17

home in on problems and use to select future LSS projects and Kaizen Events (fast
paced and less in depth improvement projects).
28. The early February 2012 Fort Stewart and Regional Manager LSS Maintenance Visit
Process Project Review showed that the SDM and DPM had caught 52 errors in the 7
months that we have collected data (errors and numbers of Maintenance Visits
completed). The good news is that prior to SDM and DPM review the DMs started in
July 2012 with an accuracy level of about 98.9% (3.75 Sigma level of accuracy) and are
doing at least that well in the months after (except for when two DMs were out and we
had a backlog, overload, and had to borrow two DMs) and even with that handicap
(the quality of data was around 96% and 98%) and went back up as soon as our trained
and veteran employees returned. The bottom line is "we got immediate and significant
improvement in the quality of data, "prior to SDM and DPM review", after LSS Training,
after we used LSS tools (Listening to the Voice of our Customer, Team Work, Goal
Setting, Process Mapping/Value Streaming, Brain Storming, Affinity Diagramming,
Cause and Effect Diagramming, Five Why, Accurate Measurement, Pareto
Charting, and more.) The quality of SDC Data after the SDM and DPM checks is
approaching as near to perfection as possible for where we are now with the current
SDC Maintenance Visit Process, but we see where more confusion, gray areas, and
improvement s can and should be made if we now “Process Map the individual sub
processes for the "Remarks, Narrative, Fault Date, TM Date, and Man Hours" blocks in
the Maintenance Visit.
29. There is every reason to believe that the quality of data being entered into GEDIS at Fort
Stewart is approaching the fifth sigma level of quality (as the SDM and DPM are
catching and correcting the vast majority of the very few errors that are being made).
We early on found some problems (confusion, gray areas, lack of standardization, etc.)
and we made many immediate improvements back in July and August (with great help
from Kevin Horsley and Maurice Squires) and we continue to find problems and make
improvements. We now know the significant few and the trivial many ---- meaning we
now know where (which blocks-fields in the maintenance visit that our DM’s make the
most mistakes. We now are focusing on those processes (the individual blocks/fields on
the maintenance visit for example) within processes (the smaller steps that make up the
bigger steps in the SDC Maintenance Visit Process) and determining the root causes
(controllable and uncontrollable causes) and developing counter measures to prevent
the controllable causes.
30. LSS error (or omissions) at Fort Stewart are primarily made in the areas of "Remarks,
Narrative, Fault Date, TM Date, and Man Hours" ---- with Remarks and Narrative
making up 75% of all errors caught by the SDM and DPM" -------- thus proving again
the 80-20 rule that 80% of problems come from 20% of the causes. Fort Stewart is now
in the process of process flowing the steps (separate fields/blocks of the
maintenance visit), starting with remarks. Remarks are interesting, as for a long
time in SDC we did not put much in remarks in the maintenance visit and now, because
of automated Quality Assurance (QA) check (warnings, errors) at Belcamp requiring
remarks for high man-hours, low-man-hours, Materiel Category Structure Code
(MATCAT) questions (FEDLOG), Acquisition Code questions (FEDLOG - discontinued
18

parts, etc.), etc. some hand written note explanations, Operational Readiness Float -
ORF, and other reasons require more remarks.
31. If exactly how high and low man-hours were determined by QNA’s GEDIS HQS staff
could be shared with the field, then remarks could be put in before hand on this
particular case (for example is high or low plus or minus 10% of what is in the MAC
Chart or is it calculated some other way. Another thing noted was QA questions
comeback from 15 minutes to as long as an hour after synching ------- originally we were
told by Kevin and the Training Team to wait 15 minutes, but it looks like that should be
changed to one hour.
32. There were only 7 errors made (caught by the SDM and DPM) on all the maintenance
visits done in seven months at Fort Stewart, in the areas of "Signatures (which are
only on paper work), Serial Number, Visit Number block, NSN, Work Order No.,
Date Out" and the only errors found in January data were spelling errors in the narrative
and remarks. Some blocks on the maintenance visit had no errors found for the past
seven months--so there is nothing that needs to be done there.
III. What we need to do to complete the LSS Maintenance Visit Process Project.
1. You and your Fort Stewart team need to take the Fort Bragg 21 Step Process Map (flow
chart/value stream) and turn it into the "Fort Stewart Maintenance Visit Process Map"
showing the step-by-step process that you and your employees follow to prepare to go to the
motor pool, to collect data, to research and analyze data, to check data, to give data to the SDM
and DPM to check, and to enter into GEDIS. As I recall, only the order of the SDM and DPM
quality check process is different at Fort Stewart (meaning Bragg only gives paper files to SDM
and DPM, whereas at Fort Stewart, you check the paper and digitized files at the same time).
You have this 21 step process on your wall and it is time to really tailor the process to the
process used today at Fort Stewart and publish it and put it on your wall.
2. Since your DMs are making the vast majority of their mistakes on the Maintenance Visit in
five blocks/fields on the form, you and your Fort Stewart Team need to Process Map (hand
draw a flow chart) of the detailed steps of each of the Maintenance Visit sub-processes
used to determine and enter information into the following fields/blocks in the Maintenance Visit:
• Remarks,
• Narrative,
• Fault Date,
• TM Date, and
• Man Hours.
3. Remember that each of the blocks on the Maintenance Visit Form is a separate and detailed
process of its own. So you need to hold a separate Kaizen event for each of the blocks where
the most mistakes are being made. You should use the Process Mapping, *Five Why, Cause
and Effect diagramming, and Affinity Diagramming, and Brain Storming tools that you have
learned how to use to perform a very in-depth and detailed analysis of the Maintenance Visit
Remarks process, Narrative Process, Fault Date Process, TM Date Process, and man-Hours
process. Yes, that is five separate mini projects (Kaizen Events).
19

Now is the time for you and your team quickly, in a highly focused manner, in a war room like
environment, to look in great detail at the five sub-processes where most of the DM errors are
made in the Maintenance Visit SDC Process (Remarks, Narrative, TM Date, Fault Date, and
Man-Hours). Everyone of your DMs and the SDM must participate in these studies of these five
sub-processes.
The devil is in the details, so you and your Fort Stewart Team must clarify and determine for
each of the sub-processes (Remarks, Narrative, TM Date, Fault Date, and Man-Hours):
• What triggers the need for an entry into these five blocks (remarks, narrative, fault date,
TM date, and Man-Hours)?
• What the output product (Y) is for each block?
• What inputs (Xs) must be collected to complete these blocks?
• What are the specific steps used to complete these blocks?
• What publications must be researched to complete these blocks?
• What the Filed Monitor Guide (FMG) says to do to complete these blocks?
• What other pubs or data bases (like LIW) must be researched to complete these blocks,
• What specific questions must be asked of the mechanics, operators, Maint Supervisors,
etc.?
• What gray areas, confusion, and misunderstandings exist today?
• What situations in SDC require remarks, narrative, fault date, TM date, and Man-hours
require an entry in each of these blocks?
• What does the Fort Stewart SDC SOP say about how to determine what goes in these
blocks and when they require an entry?
• What kinds of mistakes are made in these five blocks?
• What are the suspected root causes of mistakes in each of these blocks?
• What counter measures need to be developed and implemented to PREVENT these
errors?
Early on in this process we identified suspected root causes of problems (errors in the
Maintenance Visit) as: DM assigned too many end items, lack of attention to detail, distractions,
fat finger, DM failed to QC, GEDIS software problem, training inadequate, lack of
standardization, etc. Those early suspected causes were really mostly symptoms of root causes
and we had not driven down five levels to determine the real root cause, nor did we have all this
information that we have now to really see and get to the root causes of these errors being
made in these five blocks (remarks, narrative, fault date, TM date, and man-hours). Remember
there may be many contributing causes to mistakes/errors --- so make sure you ID them all and
come up with good counter measures for each type of error.
* Five Why Example (in this case seven whys). Note that some causes you can do little about
(like a sick child and divorce). Note that deep probing questioning uncovers other problems and
root causes (inadequate training, perhaps an inappropriate hire because he has little ground
maintenance experience, assigned too many end items, etc.). There are multiple symptoms
and causes and there will need to be multiple countermeasures developed for the causes that
are controllable.
1. Why did DM make a mistake in the TM Date? Answer: Because he used the wrong
(outdated) TM -20 Manual. (this is a symptom and not the root cause)
20

2. Why did he use the outdated TM? Answer: Because he said that is the TM the unit used.
(this is a symptom and not the root cause)
3. Why did he not know what the FMG said on page XXX which tells all DMs to use the most
current and up-to-date manual? Answer: Because he forgot his initial training and he did not
check the FMG. (this is a symptom, but if he had checked his FMG it would have told him to
use the most current manual)
4. Why did he not check the LIW for the most current manual? Answer: He said he does not
have access to LIW yet. (another problem and symptom)
5. Why did he not have another DM check LIW for him? Answer: He said he did not know he
could do that. (symptom)
6. Why did he not check the FMG for how to determine what TM date to use? Answer, he was
rushed that day, is going through a divorce, has a sick child that is worrying him, and he did not
take time to look up in the FMG how to. (symptoms and root causes)
7. Why was the DM rushed that day that he made the error? Answer he is assigned too many
end items (137 end items and all high usage and complex).
8. Why did he forget his initial training and why was he not familiar with the FMG? Answer, he
is a new employee and he is still going through initial training, he has not been through an
annual training team refresher training event, and his background in Army Ground Maintenance
is very weak. (root causes)
4. After we complete this drill down to the details of how our Maintenance Visit sub processes
work (and don’t work), document the detailed steps of those processes in a process map (and
publish it), identify and clarify gray areas and eliminate confusion, update your local SOP for
these five processes, ask the training team and HQs IT/GEDIS Team for any clarifications,
retrain everyone on areas needing refresher, document the root causes of errors, come up with
good counter-measures to prevent errors in those blocks, we will write a final report on this first
project and watch our monthly errors (looking for out of control problems) and hold on to the
gains in quality we have made. We will then move on to the OPS Process or we may start
some other LSS Improvement Project that we uncover a need for in this first project of
improving the “Maintenance Visit Process. We will keep in mind, that no more than two years
should go by before we revisit the maintenance Visit Process and update our Process Map.
21

APPENDIX B
DATE: 4 April 2011 (1515 hours)
FROM: Larry Dandridge, QinetiQ North America (QNA), System Engineering
Group (SEG), Field Data Division (FDD), East Region Sample Data Collection (SDC)
East Region Manager, 843-276-7164, Larry.Dandridge@QinetiQ-NA.com
TO: Mike Gross, QNA, SEG, FDD Vice President and SDC Program Manager
SUBJECT: SDC East Region Strategic Plan to Improve SDC Quality and the Results
of the Fort Stewart Brain Storming (A Crisis Action Plan)
THE CRISIS
Our primary external customer, The US Army Materiel Systems Analysis Activity,
Field Studies Branch has told us recently that the number of mistakes (errors and
omissions) in the existing SDC data base and the rate of errors made in SDC data
entry each day are unacceptable. AMSAA is “in great pain over data errors” and
has given us instructions to correct the existing data base and prevent future
errors or face the loss of our contract and jobs. This message from AMSAA is a
moment of truth for us and a clear message that AMSAA is making more than a
formal complaint, but also giving us a final and fair warning that continuing
business “as is” will threaten the continuation of the AMSAA SDC mission and
funding, and also the AMSAA-QNA SDC Contract --- meaning all of our
reputations and jobs are at stake here!
THE EAST SDC REGION’s VISION
The East Region’s “Vision” is to focus much more attention on the primary
customer’s (stake holder’s), the Army Materiel Systems Analysis Activity’s
(AMSAA’s), need for accurate and complete SDC data. Our vision is to create and
deliver the value of an accurate and complete SDC data base for AMSAA. Our
vision is to change completely our culture of finding and entering data at a 90% to
99% completeness and accuracy level and then inspecting and correcting that
22

data before final entry, to a culture that “finds complete data and enters correct
data, thus PREVENTING errors”.
Our vision is for us, {the Regional Manager, the Data Project Managers (DPMs),
Supervisory Data Monitors (SDMs), and Data Monitors (DMs)}, to work together
and constantly, as a tight - knit team, to design every one of our hiring processes,
training systems, work processes, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and
tools so that workers cannot miss data and cannot make an error.
Our vision is for us to rethink, re-brainstorm, and (if needed) redesign the
operational processes and tools we use to achieve dramatic, but controlled
improvements in the completeness and accuracy of the data we collect, research,
analyze, check, and input into SDC.
Our vision is for us to improve quality by at least ten times every year from now
until we reach the six sigma level (rough estimate is five years to get there). Our
vision is to move from making an estimated 6,200 to 67,000 errors (wrong data)
and omissions (missed data) per million opportunities (the 3 to 4 sigma level of
(98 to 99% accuracy) to a six sigma quality level of only 3 to 4 errors per million
opportunities and entries.
Our vision is to move:
• From our current way of thinking and doing business to a “cause and
effect” way of doing business,
• From a per cent level of SDC data completeness and accuracy of data
collection and entry to a “3.4 or less parts per million” level of accuracy
and completeness,
• From looking at everything to “focusing on what matters most to our
customers”,
• From guessing and tampering with things to “finding root causes and
coming up with good counter measures” to prevent those problems and
errors,
23

• From business as usual to “constant and continuous improvement” and
change,
• From a business of trying to inspect-find-correct errors to a business that
“prevents errors”,
• From a business with almost no quality measurements to collecting
“simple, important, and powerful measurements (data)” on what we
should be measuring and nothing more, and
• From looking to find errors after they are made to “designing our work-
training- tools-processes so that errors and omissions cannot happen”.
BROAD GOALS
QinetiQ North America (QNA) East Region Sample Data Collection (SDC) Team
Number One and two Goals are to:
1. Help clean up the existing SDC data base to the Six Sigma quality level of no
more than 3.4 million errors per million entries and
2. Continuously improve the accuracy and completeness of data collection
and entry from the current estimated 98% accuracy and completeness level
to the six sigma quality level of accuracy and completeness of no more than
3.4 errors or omissions per one million opportunities and entries.
THE TWO PROBLEMS WE WILL SOLVE
The following two problems are the source of our customer’s pain, the source of
AMSAA’s dissatisfaction with QNA, and the challenges we face.
24

Problem #1: The SDC Data Base has too many errors in it.
Problem #2: The SDC Data Base has too many errors in it and Data Monitors,
Supervisory Data Monitors, and Regional Managers continue to make errors in
collecting, researching, analyzing, checking, and entering data into the SDC Data
Base.
OUR ROUGH ROAD MAP TO SOLVING THESE TWO PROBLEMS
We must recognize that a crisis is upon us and our reputations, jobs, and contract
are at stake and AMSAA’s SDC mission is at stake and our nation, Army, soldiers,
and tax payers need accurate and complete data to effectively and efficiently
operate and survive.
We must change our culture rapidly by using each of our site teams and great
employees as true “problem solving teams”, that give our customers (AMSAA,
LSEs, AFSBs, BLAST Teams, Units/Organizations we collect from, etc –but
especially AMSAA), and front line employees (DMs and SDMs) the most voice and
power to identify problems, develop counter measures, and continuously
improve our processes and quality of services and products (data and reports
primarily).
We must convince all of our employees that “no one’s recommendations will be
ignored”, that each team and leader has an “open door and open mind policy”,
and that each employee should “quickly report complaints, suggestions, and
problems without fear” of any kind of reprisal or unwelcoming attitude. We must
convince every employee that they are on equal footing on the SDC QNA East
Region Team. Respect for people is the fundamental foundation of our work. We
must “drive out all fear” from our organization!
We must develop an enthusiastic, optimistic, wining, and continuous
improvement attitude towards our work and improving quality (accuracy and
completeness of data collection). Charles Swindoll once said that “attitude is
more important than facts, the past, education, money, what other people think,
giftedness, or skill.” Attitude is under our control ------ and by treating each other
25

with great respect, dignity, politeness, patience, kindness, understanding, and
compassion and every day ---- we will strengthen as individuals, as a team, and
we will solve our quality problems.
We must communicate early and often. We must tell each other what problems
and errors we face each day and every time we see a problem or error and then
focus the entire team’s efforts on determining what is the root cause of the
problem and what counter measures we need (if any) to prevent the problem in
the future. This means sharing everything we learn with not only everyone at our
site, but also the DPMs at the other sites (Fort Campbell, Fort Bragg, Fort Stewart,
and Anniston Army Depot) and the Regional Manager (who will share it with
other regions and SDC HQs).
We QNA SDC Leaders must adopt the “servant leadership philosophy” –that is
we must recognize that our job is to give our employees all the training,
publications, tools, transportation, office space, office equipment, office supplies,
telephones, computers, support, and other stuff they need to do their jobs. The
Japanese culture says “the higher you are in an organization the lower you should
bow – that is the attitude of servant leadership”. Lead by example, admit your
mistakes and early, report problems early, and “fix problems – not blame”.
We must “make quality visible” in all that we do. Meaning our dress, attitude,
politeness, enthusiasm, optimism, determination, attention to detail,
organization, house cleaning, office yard cleaning, personal cleanliness, safe
driving, answering phones politely (Good morning, QinetiQ North American, this
is John Smith, can I help you), our vehicle signs, our office signs, our bath rooms,
our office decorating, our radios, and communications (verbal and written) must
be professional and show that “we mean to do things right the first time and
every time”.
We must recognize that processes, by their nature, can never be solved ---- only
improved! And we will learn how to better and more quickly identify problems
and errors by using each site as a “continuous improvement team”, that is a team
that is:
26

1. Empowered with the authority, responsibility, and accountability to
identify and solve problems and to stop work, until mistakes are corrected
and counter measures developed, to prevent those mistakes from
happening again;
2. Making certain we really do empower our Data Monitors to be able to
make recommendations, make complaints, make suggestions, make
comments, try out new ideas, make mistakes and report them, and feel like
they are “the most important and respected and important members of
our SDC East Region Team;
3. Making certain that everyone practices listening and giving everyone, at
every level a full chance to say what they want;
4. Always striving to simplify, clarify, and improve safety, processes, and
quality;
5. Staffed with only the best qualified and available people;
6. Armed with a clear, concise, and complete Position/Job Description;
7. Trained well (and standardized/refresher trained annually) in existing SDC
processes;
8. Trained in the basic tools of continuous improvement and problem solving
(brain storming, affinity diagramming, five why----deep probing
questioning, cause and effect diagramming, flow charting, and other
simple, yet powerful tools);
9. Provided the most current and up-to-date FEDLOG, publications (DA
PAMs, TMs, ETMs, IETMs, ARs, TBs, FMs, etc.), Publication Accounts,
AKO, LIW access, ILAP access, FASST access, AEPs and its replacement
access, and other tools;
10.Encouraged and rewarded for making suggestions, complaints, and
comments;
27

11.Encouraged and rewarded for reporting mistakes and problems and early;
12. Encouraged to fix problems --- not blame;
13. Encouraged and rewarded for practicing “A Place for everything and
everything in its place”, meaning files are keep straight and according to
SDC files SOP, vehicles are parked in their appropriate and
designated/authorized places, office supplies are in clearly marked cabinets
and kept stocked, Paper Master technical Library is kept up-to-date and
kept in proper place in professionally marked and labeled book binders
(book1, Book2, etc.), electronic technical libraries are on each employee’s
computer and no obsolete or un-needed pubs are kept on that computer,
cleaning and safety supplies are in their designated place, yellow right-to-
know centers with HAZMAT MSDSs are in clear view in central located
areas, etc;
14. Skilled at identifying non-value added activities and helping to eliminate
those non-value added activities;
15. Looking for the “fat rabbits to shoot first” or as the Japanese say looking
for the “low hanging fruit to pick first” (early in this process of
improvement of quality to look for obvious and serious problems that can
be solved quickly and easily and take action without delay) in continuous
improvement;
16. Trained to do jobs consistently and properly (by the book) and retrained
(standardized) at least annually;
17. Provided with clarified standards and step-by-step processes that are
flow charted and clearly explained in Standard Operating Procedures
(SOPs);
18. Provided with reasonable numbers of equipment to collect data on based
on their training and skill level, the complexity and location of the
equipment, the Operations TEMPO of the equipment, the weather and
other environmental factors (DPMs, SDMs, and DMs will continuously
28

review workloads to ensure no one is overloaded and being stressed and
forced to take any short cuts) --- this is called “leveling and balancing
workload” and each employee should be doing the approximate same
amount of work at all times;
19. Skilled at looking at facts to recognize when to act and when to leave a
process alone. Meaning we will look at each of our SDC Processes over the
coming months and years and we will look at processes for ways to
continuously improve them and look for problems and errors to
investigate, collect data on, analyze, and, if needed, find the root causes
and develop counter measures for. But we will not waste time on things
that are not under our control ---- like Mother Nature.
20. Trained to use a technique, called by the Japanese, “KoKai Watches”
(observations) which recognize that people can observe a process --- even
those who are strangers to it, with fresh eyes, seeing things that closely
involved workers might not see!
21. Empowered to use DMs to check other DMs, SDMs, and DPMs work;
SDMs to check DMs, other SDMs, and DPMs work; and DPMs to check DMs
and SDMs to ensure mistakes are found before the data is finalized. No
one is above having their work quality checked.
OUR SPECIFIC SHORT RANGE PLAN
The East region will:
Step 1: Hold team training on this plan;
Step 2: Review the problems/errors and briefing that AMSAA provided recently to
the QNA top leadership (PM, APMs, Regional Managers, AMLLA Manager) at
Belcamp,
Step 3: *With the help of the East Region Manager, hold team training on
brainstorming, five why (deep probing questioning), cause and effect (fish bone)
29

diagramming, step by step flow charting of all SDC processes used at each site,
Kaizen (practice of continuous improvement through small incremental changes);
*Note: use the Fort Stewart sample problem, symptoms, root causes, and
counter measures work on page XX of this plan as a guide, but do your own work.
Step 4: With the help of the East Region Manager, brain storm the problems and
symptoms that AMSAA and the sites know exist and try to determine the root
causes;
Step 5: With the help of the East region Manager, determine which root causes
are significant and controllable and develop counter measures to prevent or at
least mediate those problems;
Step 6: Report and share each east region site findings with other east region
sites and the East Region Manager;
Step 7: Region Manager and DPMs will share findings and recommendations and
requests for assistance to the Assistant Program Managers (Kevin Horsley, Bob
Sewall, and John Picott) and the Program Manager Mike Gross and information
copy the other regional Managers, Training Manager (Maurice Squires), CBM
Manager (Dave Suits), IT manager (Martin Jones), and Human Resources and
Admin Manager (Pat O’Malley) and the AMSAA Business Office.
Step 8: RM and DPM will look together into GDSS and GEDIS to find errors and
report them and their fix to Kevin Horsley.
Step 9: Start again to look for problems, errors, processes to improve.
LONG RANGE PLAN
Use modern Lean Six Sigma techniques to continuously look for problems and
processes to investigate, define, measure, analyze, improve, and control. Each
site will continuously use structured problem solving technique to:
1. Find problems and processes to improve.
2. Use the entire site team to:
30

• clearly identify problems, errors, and improvement candidates;
• clarify the problem, error, or process;
• flow chart the effected processes; and
• brain storm, affinity diagram, cause and effect diagram, and five why
question (deep probing questioning), and analyze problems, errors
and ways to improve quality and collect data.
3. Identify and understand suspected root causes (of the variation/errors) and
how to measure them.
4. Identify good counter measures to fix or mediate (lesson) the problem and
prevent errors (variation).
5. Implement the counter measures and measure their success (Check and
analyze the results to find out if the change accomplished what was
planned.)
6. Act to keep the change if it is working or decide to refine, change, or take
some other action aimed at improvement.
7. Share problems, symptoms, errors, root causes, and counter measures to
other East region Sites and Regional Manager.
8. Continue to practice continuous improvement process forever.
Fort Stewarts Initial Brain Storming Results
The following tables show what SDC Data problems (errors) the Fort Stewart
Team and the Regional Manager identified together last week and what root
cases we suspect cause those problems (errors) and the counter measures we are
considering implementing to prevent those errors or at least reduce those errors
in the future. The Fort Stewart Team used brain storming, affinity diagramming,
deep probing questioning (five why), and cause and effect diagramming to come
up with these preliminary results (problems, symptoms, suspected root causes,
and counter measures). It should be pointed out now that Fort Stewart is a well l
31

run site and the employees there are highly motivated and committed to doing
the best job that they can. Many of the problems and counter measures
identified below are not serious problems at Fort Stewart and many of the
counter measures are already in place.
Problem Number 1: Preventing Future Errors in the SDC Data Base.
CATEG
ORY
OF
CAUSE
Symptoms Suspected ROOT
CAUSEs
COUNTER MEASURES Responsibl
e Official
Suspense
Date
People
(one)
Errors in SDC
data base
(Aircraft
parts,
Topographic
al MAPs.
Freon,
Coffee Pots,
Uniforms,
wrong
nouns,
wrong SMR
code, wrong
man-hours,
wrong user
on code,
etc., etc.)
#1 Low skill and
knowledge level of
employees.
#2 Not up-to-date
and complete job
descriptions.
#3 No test for new
employees to take to
measure their skill
with LIW, AEPs,
TAMMS, FASST, LIF,
FEDLOG, etc.
(Fort Stewart does a
good job with hiring
only qualified
persons and
counseling).
#1 COUNTER MEASURE Hire only highly
qualified.
#2 COUNTER MEASURE Update the Job
Description to include all required skills and
knowledge. (Dandridge will do first draft and
send to DPM for final review before sending
to Mike Gross through John Picott.)
#3 COUNTER MEASURE Develop and
administer and valid test to applicants.
#4 COUNTER MEASURE Counsel and rate
performance in detail at 15 day, 30 day, 60
day, and 80the day and let go if he/she cannot
do this job well before grace
period/probationary period is over.
#1, 2, and
3. Reg Mgr,
DPM, SDM,
and Data
Monitors
as a team.
#4 SDMs
and DPMs
#1
Immediate.
#2
30 Apr 11
#3
30 May 11
#4
Immediate.
People
(two)
Errors in SDC
data base.
(Aircraft
parts,
Topographic
al MAPs.
Freon,
Coffee Pots,
Uniforms,
wrong
nouns,
wrong SMR
code, wrong
man-hours,
wrong user
on code,
etc., etc.)
#1 Lack of attention
to detail
(Fort Stewart works
at keeping
everyone’s level of
attention and
awareness of quality
high, but this can be
improved on
everywhere.)
#1 COUNTER MEASURE Teach in training how
to do SDC correctly the first time and every
time.
#2 COUNTER MEASURE Prevent distractions
by limiting number of personal phone calls
per day, limiting texting to only during breaks
and lunch, preventing any loud talking or
singing or radios/TVs in the work area,
scheduling vacations and days off (PTO) smart
and evenly, and controlling visitors. Turn
phone ring volumes down.
#3 COUNTER MEASURE Issue each employee a
ruler or straight edge. Require employees to
always use ruler/straight edge to prevent
reading another line of data.
#4 COUNTER MEASURE Take small breaks
every hour of about 3 minutes (rather than
one long break at mid morning and mid
afternoon) to rest eyes, get up and stretch,
walk around and also help prevent cramps,
#1 Reg
Mgr, DPM,
SDM, and
Data
Monitors
as a team.
#2 DPMs
and SDMs
remind and
enforce
these rules.
#1
Immediate.
#2
Immediate.
#3
Immediate.
#4
Immediate.
32

blood clots, carpel tunnel syndrome, and
fatigue.
#5 COUNTER MEASURE Copy and paste
remarks into a MS Word document and run
spell check; until GEDIS develops a spell check
for remarks (prevents grammar and spelling
errors).
#6 COUNTER MEASURE Divide Ops into AM
and PM and do every 14 days. Do every 14
days. Never miss a chance to do Ops.
#5
Immediate.
#6
Immediate.
CATEG
ORY
OF
CAUSE
CAUSEs
e Official
Suspense
Date
People
(three)
Errors in SDC
data base.
(Aircraft
parts,
Topographic
al MAPs.
Freon,
Coffee Pots,
Uniforms,
wrong
nouns,
wrong SMR
code, wrong
man-hours,
wrong user
on code,
etc., etc.)
#1 Poor attitude
(Fort Stewart is a
close knit team and
they support each
other. Their attitude
is always positive
when I am there.)
#1 COUNTER MEASURE By treating people
with great dignity, respect, kindness,
compassion, and by using servant leadership
--- employees are expected to show a positive
and enthusiastic attitude. Employees are
provided industry competitive pay and
benefits, bonuses for exceptional
performance and acts, high quality training,
good tools, good transport, protective
equipment, comfortable offices, and, in these
hard times, it is reasonable for employers to
expect employees would appreciate having an
important job.
#2 COUNTER MEASURE By leaders looking out
for employees who may have problems
outside of the work place, like family
problems, illnesses, substance abuse
problems, poor life habits, and offering
support and counseling.
#3 COUNTER MEASURE Using all positive (and
if needed) negative incentives to motivate
employees.
DMs,
SDMs,
DPMs, and
all other
levels of
QNA
Leadership.
#1
Immediate.
#2
Immediate.
#3
Immediate.
People
(four)
Errors in SDC
data base
#1 Distractions
(phone calls, texting,
radio, loud talking,
TV, visitors)
(Ft. Stewart controls
distracters.)
#1 COUNTER MEASURE Prevent distractions
by limiting number of personal phone calls
per day, limiting texting to only during breaks
and lunch, preventing any loud talking or
singing or radios/TVs in the work area,
scheduling vacations and days off (PTO) smart
and evenly, and controlling visitors.
DMs,
SDMs,
DPMs, and
all other
levels of
QNA
Leadership.
#1
Immediate.
CATEG
ORY
OF
CAUSEs
e Official
Suspense
Date
33

CAUSE
People
(five)
Errors in SDC
data base
#1 Perception of Low
Pay
(Fort Stewart does a
good job of clarifying
pay and benefits with
potential new hires.)
#1 COUNTER MEASURE By QNA top
leadership striving to keep SDC DM, SDM, and
DPM pay as competitive and attractive as the
market will allow.
#2 COUNTER MEASURE BY SDMs, DPMs,
Regional managers, and all levels of QNA
leadership carefully interviewing job
applicants on what is most important to them
– making the most per hour or working out of
comfortable heated/air conditioned offices
and vehicles, with modern equipment, limited
work place hazards, and a supportive and
friendly team work environment. If any of our
logisticians want to use their hand tools and
wrench turning skills ---they can make more
money per hour standing/squatting/climbing
and in the cold and heat and around a lot
more noise, HAZMAT, and environmental
hazards and discomforts. SDMs and DPMs
must tell applicants right up front what the
trade offs are in SDC. Pay is perception and
part of a good attitude. If someone does not
like the pay ---they should not be hired.
DMs,
SDMs,
DPMs, and
all other
levels of
QNA
Leadership.
#1
Immediate.
#2
Immediate.
CATEG
ORY
OF
CAUSE
CAUSEs
e Official
Suspense
Date
People
(six)
Errors in SDC
data base.
(Aircraft
parts,
Topographic
al MAPs.
Freon,
Coffee Pots,
Uniforms,
wrong
nouns,
wrong SMR
code, wrong
man-hours,
wrong user
on code,
etc., etc.)
Having to
borrow
manpower
for NTC,
JRTC, etc
(creates
spikes in
workload,
requires
#1 AMSAA adding
large numbers of end
items for data
collection during
NTC, JRTC, and other
similar training
events.
Currently, AMSAA
frequently adds
many new pieces of
equipment for
collection during
NTC, JRTC, and
similar training
exercises/training
deployments. This
last minute adding of
equipment (that is
not currently being
collected on –adds a
tremendous spike in
workload for the DM
that covers that unit.
This requires another
DM to be assigned
(normally from
another site) to the
Fort Stewart Team
#1 COUNTER MEASURE A counter measure to
this would be, if possible, for AMSAA to end
this practice of drastically increasing workload
for NTC/JRTC. If extra equipment must be
picked up, it should not exceed the contract
limit of 20% without adding man-power to the
contract.
#2 COUNTER MEASURE Currently and usually,
another DM (from another SDC site) is added
to the Fort Stewart Team at NTC or JRTC to
cover this large increase in NTC/JRTC
workload. This is very helpful to Fort Stewart,
but will create a backlog for the site that the
borrowed labor comes from – again
incentivizing short cuts and adding risk to
making more errors and missing data at the
borrowed DM SDC Site and at NTC/JRTC. A
counter measure to this would be, if possible,
for AMSAA to end this practice of drastically
increasing workload for NTC/JRTC.
#3 COUNTER MEASURE One way to lessen the
impact and risk of errors during NTC/JRTC and
the like is for QNA SDC Kevin Horsley and
Programming Team to somehow develop a
way for the borrowed DM to have a Fort
Stewart temporary GEDIS ID (temporary
visitor log in) so that his work can be seen and
#1 AMSAA
#2 AMSAA
#1 Must be
presented
to AMSAA
through
John Picott
and Mike
Gross.
Larry
Dandridge
will
propose by
4 April 2011
through
this plan
and report.
#2 Must be
presented
to AMSAA
through
John Picott
and Mike
Gross.
Larry
Dandridge
34

man power
to be
borrowed
from other
sites –which
causes the
borrowed
site to
develop
backlog and
stress, the
borrowed
labor’s work
cannot be
checked by
the Fort
Stewart
SDM or DPM
– it has to be
checked by
the home
site SDM of
the
borrowed
DM, the
borrowed
DM may not
be familiar
with Ft.
Stewart
equipment)
and it creates an
incentive for the DM
to cut corners to
keep up with this
new, heavy, and
really unreasonable
spike in workload.
(Fort Stewart knows
to immediately tell
the QNA SDC Chain
of Leadership and
AMSAA business
office if they get over
loaded with
workload.)
quality checked by the Fort Stewart SDM and
DPM --- not the borrowed DM’s home station
SDM and DPM.
#4 COUNTER MEASURE Make sure the
additional equipment picked up (if that
cannot be stopped) is assigned to the
borrowed DM --- not the Fort Stewart DM.
#5 COUNTER MEASURE Make the start date
and time for each NTC and JRTC (and like
training deployment) to start when the
equipment arrives at the rail head or truck
loading area at Fort Stewart. Much of the
deployment maintenance is done at the rail
head and enroute to NTC and JRTC and when
they first arrive at NTC and JRTC (before they
go into the box). This has been proposed
before by the Fort Stewart team.
#3 Kevin
Horsley,
Assistant
SDC PM for
Info
Technology
,
Programmi
ng, and
SDC data
Base.
#4 SDM
and DPM at
Fort
Stewart.
#5 AMSAA
must
approve
this change
and
standardize
this start
time and
date.
will
propose by
4 April 2011
through
this plan
and report.
#3 Larry
Dandridge
will
propose by
4 April 2011
through
this plan
and report.
#4
Immediate.
#5 Larry
Dandridge
will
propose by
4 April 2011
through
this plan
and report
to Mike
Gross and
his APMs.
People
(seven
)
Errors in SDC
data base.
Not
FEDLOG’ing,
Not TM’ing
every part
(poor and
incomplete
research and
analysis by
DMs) and
using the
Probably the most
common and
significant root cause
of this in the past is
assigning too many
pieces of equipment
to each DM. Before
the current contract,
some DMs had from
150 to 230 pieces of
equipment ---too
many to have time to
#1 COUNTER MEASURE The new contract (the
most important counter measure) and
leveling and balancing of workload at Fort
Stewart to only 88 end items per DM are
going to do great things to help prevent
errors.
#1 DMs,
SDMs, and
DPMs.
#1
Immediate.
(Important
counter
measure is
the new
contract
and fact
that AMSAA
has agreed
to
35

data right
off of the
5988E rather
than
validating.
(Aircraft
parts,
Topographic
al MAPs.
Freon,
Coffee Pots,
Uniforms,
wrong
nouns,
wrong SMR
code, wrong
man-hours,
wrong user
on code,
etc., etc.)
(Not taking
time to look
up every
part, every
element of
data that
goes into
GEDIS)
get all the data,
research the data
completely and
properly, and then
enter the data
accurately. This
causes DMs to use
short cuts, cheat
sheets, just type
what was on the
5988E, and was a
primary cause of
errors and
incomplete data.
(Fort Stewart has
assigned 88 pieces of
equipment to each
DM and will keep an
eye on how the
workload is working
out.)
#2 COUNTER MEASURE DMs must have
courage and no fear in reporting whenever
they are asked to do more than they can do
accurately and completely. SDMs and DPMs,
Regional Mgrs, and APMs and PM must
support DM’s judgment and
recommendations. AMSAA has always said
“quality over quantity –so we QNA employees
must hold them to their word.
#3 COUNTER MEASURE Any DM or other
employee not doing proper research and
analysis, who has been properly trained, has
the time, has a work load that allows him/her
to do proper research and has no legitimate
excuse for not doing the research properly
must be counseled and disciplined as needed
and if it does not stop –then terminated
quickly. This has not been the case at Fort
Stewart.
#2 DMs
and SDMs,
DPMs, and
all levels of
QNA
leadership
(and
AMSAA).
#3 DMs
and SDMs,
DPMs, and
all levels of
QNA
leadership
(and
AMSAA).
reasonable
equipment
density at
Ft.
Stewart.)
#2
Immediate.
#3
Immediate.
CATEG
ORY
OF
CAUSE
CAUSEs
e Official
Suspense
Date
Tools
One)
Errors in SDC
data base.
No automatic check
in GEDIS to check for
duplicates.
(Fort Stewart has to
do this manually-as
do other sites.)
#1 COUNTER MEASURE QNA SDC
Programmers develop and install some kind
of check in GEDIS to check for duplicates while
DM is working the data.
#1 Kevin
Horsley
and his
team.
#1 Larry
Dandridge
will
propose by
4 April 2011
through
this plan
and report.
CATEG
ORY
OF
CAUSE
CAUSEs
e Official
Suspense
Date
36

Tools
(two)
Errors in SDC
data base.
Some people may
not use Google as a
tool to verify and find
parts, LINs, and
NSNs.
(Fort Stewart
employees use
Google).
#1 COUNTER MEASURE Train all employees to
use Google to help them. Make this part of
initial and annual training.
#2 COUNTER MEASURE Training Team send a
reminder to all QNA SDC employees by email
at least once a year to use Google.
#3 COUNTER MEASURE Larry Dandridge
remind all East region Employees annually and
during site visits.
#1 and #2
Maurice
Squires and
Larry
Dandridge.
#3 Larry
Dandridge
#1 and #2
Larry
Dandridge
will
propose by
4 April 2011
through
this plan
and report.
#3 Send
email by 8
April 2011.
Tools
(three)
Errors in SDC
data base.
Some DMs
have no
access to
AEPs.
Tim Hynes, the QNA
SEG Facility Security
Officer does not have
an AKO account.
(Fort Stewart knows
this and helped Tim
Hynes with knowing
what to do.)
(Fort Stewart knows
how to apply and
knows they cannot
get AEPs without
Hynes getting his
AKO.)
#1 COUNTER MEASURE Tim Hynes has to
approve all AEPs access requests and Tim
Hynes must have an AKO account to do that.
He has applied and is waiting for approval.
Note: AEPs should be used by DMs to help
validate rounds fired in weapons systems.
#1 Tim
Hynes
#1 As soon
as possible.
Tools
(four)
Errors in SDC
data base.
Some DMs
have no
access to
their specific
UICs in AEPs.
DM does not know
he or she must apply
to AEPs for access to
specific UICs after
he/she gets AEPs
access.
(Fort Stewart knows
how to apply and
knows they cannot
get AEPs without
Hynes getting his
AKO.)
#1 COUNTER MEASURE Larry Dandridge send
an email to all East Region employees and cc
PM, APMs, other Region Managers, Training
Manager, CBM Manager, IT Manager, and
AMSAA business Office reminding everyone
of how to get UIC access in AEPs.
Note: Since AEPs is going away soon, QNA FSA
Fred Maybee is helping find out from LOGSA
where DMs will go for rounds fired in the
future and Dandridge will share with everyone.
#1 Larry
Dandridge
#1 Send
email by 8
April 2011.
Tools
(five)
Errors in SDC
data base.
(NOUNs
different in
FEDLOG,
TMs, and
GEDIS)
#1 Some sites may
not have FEDLOG
accounts.
(Fort Stewart does
have a FEDLOG
account and helps
other sites all the
time with current
FEDLOG).
#1 COUNTER MEASURE Train and require all
sites to have a current FEDLOG account of
their own. If they are having trouble getting
FEDLOG report that to John Picott and (as an
interim solution) get a copy each month from
either the local AFSB, other local sources,
another QNA site, or call Eugene Williams.
#1 Eugene
Williams
sent an
email to all
sites last
week
asking
them if
they have a
FEDLOG
account
and is
helping
#1 Email
has been
sent and
help is in
progress.
This report
will help
other
regions
also.
37

#2 Some sites may
not be reporting to
Kevin Horsley when a
NIIN creates a wrong
Noun in GEDIS.
(Fort Stewart
employees know to
report to SDM or
DPM and SDM
reports to Kevin).
#3 Some sites may
not know to continue
to use Boolean Query
to run multiple TMs
for multiple parts.
(Each Fort Stewart
employee knows
how to use Boolean).
#4 Some sites may
not know to run
FEDLOG batch
process.
(Fort Stewart
employees each
know how to do
this.)
#2 COUNTER MEASURE Train and remind
frequently all sites to send an email report to
Kevin Horsley (and Cc Larry Dandridge)
reporting whenever a DM enters a NIIN and
GEDIS creates a wrong (no matching the
FEDLOG) Noun.
#3 COUNTER MEASURE Dandridge ask Eugene
Williams to scan Boolean Query procedure
and send to all East region sites and cc me. I
will send to all other key players.
#4 COUNTER MEASURE Dandridge ask Eugene
Williams to scan FEDLOG Batch, step by step
process and send to all East region sites and cc
me. I will send to all other key players.
#5 COUNTER MEASURE Train employees to
use the NOUN in FEDLOG in GEDIS –not the
NOUN in TM and not the NOUN that may
already be in GEDIS.
#6 COUNTER MEASURE Train employees to
use the newest NSN in FEDLOG and do a DA
Form 2028 if the TM has wrong or outdated
part number or NSN in it.
them get
one if they
do not
have one.
#2 Larry
Dandridge
send an
email to all
East region
sites and cc
all other
key
players.
#3 Eugene
Williams
and Larry
Dandridge
#4 Eugene
Williams
and Larry
Dandridge.
#5 DPMs,
DMs, and
Training
Team.
#6 DPMs,
SDMs, and
Training
Team.
#2 Send
email by
NLT 5April
2011.
#3 By NLT 8
April 2011
#4 By NLT
15 April
2011.
#5
Immediate.
#6
Immediate.
CATEG
ORY
OF
CAUSE
CAUSEs
e Official
Suspense
Date
38

Tools
(six)
Slow
computers—
cause
frustration
and limit
research and
cause errors.
Some employees
may have TMs and
other publications on
their computers that
they do not need.
(Fort Stewart does
not have any
problem with this as
the DPM checks
frequently.)
(Fort Stewart has a
librarian appointed
din writing and a
complete and up-to-
date paper and
electronic tech
library).
#1 COUNTER MEASURE Train and require
employees to not have any outdated or
unneeded publications, software programs, or
un needed or unauthorized other memory
eating stuff on their computers.
#2 COUNTER MEASURE East Regional
Manager and DPMs check for this problem at
least quarterly and during site visits.
#3 COUNTER MEASURE Set up complete
Technical Library on another computer – an
extra office computer for just that purpose.
Keep the library current by appointing in
writing a librarian for each site.
#1 and 2
Dandridge
share this
with other
east region
sites and cc
other key
SDC
players.
#3
Dandridge
share this
with other
east region
sites and cc
other key
SDC
players.
(this
librarian
has been a
requiremen
t in the
East region
for years)
#1 and #2
Immediate.
#3
Dandridge
share this
with other
east region
sites and cc
other key
SDC players
by NLT 12
April 2011.
39

Tools
(seven
)
Errors in SDC
data base.
Employees don’t all
know how to use
ILAP and FASST.
(Fort Stewart
Employees are well
trained in LIW, AKO,
TAMMS, FEDLOG,
Pubs, AEPs, SAMS,
but are not very
knowledgeable of
how to use FASST
and ILAP.
#1 *COUNTER MEASURE Make certain each
site has Bob Baldwin’s “How to Use FASST
Process and Tutorial”.
*Note: FASST is very helpful with rough
density lists ----best to use up-to-date
property book at each Fort, but FASST is
helpful until access the Fort Property Book is
obtained. Being able to use FASST is not a top
priority, but it is a tool out there that we may
be able to leverage to do SDC better. Mike
Gross at one time asked Maurice squires to
include FASST training in his annual training
plan.
#2 COUNTER MEASURE Develop and guide to
show how to access ILAP (part of LOGSA) and
spell out in an information paper how a DM
and SDM can use ILAP to help determine if
he/she is capturing all parts and man-hours.
ILAP should be very helpful at tracking and
validating how many parts and how much
maintenance was done at NTC, JRTC, etc.
#1 DPMs
#2 DPMs
work
together
on this and
ask the FSA
at Fort
Bragg
(James
Dickey) to
help out.
#2
Dandridge
check with
Maurice
Squires on
what he
thinks of
FASST and
how it can
help DMs,
DPMs,
SDMs.
#1
Immediate.
#2 By NLT
1 July 2011
#2
Dandridge
send email
and call
Maurice by
NLT 1 May
2011.
Public
ations
(one)
Errors in SDC
data base.
Some employees
may not be using
current publications.
(Fort Stewart has a
current and up-to-
date technical library
(paper and
electronic).
#1 COUNTER MEASURE Make certain each site
has a publications account.
Note: Kevin Horsley published a nice guide for
how to get a pubs account and FEDLOG
account a few years ago. All east region sites
have in their DPM, SDM, and DM Support
Manual.
#1
Dandridge
share this
with other
east region
sites and cc
other key
SDC
players.
#1
Dandridge
share this
with other
east region
sites and cc
other key
SDC players
by NLT 12
April 2011.
40

Public
ations
(two)
Errors in SDC
data base.
Some employees
don’t know how to
check the
appropriate block in
LIW to get automatic
updates.
(Fort Stewart
employees do know
how to do this).
#1 *COUNTER MEASURE Make certain each
employee in East Region knows how to check
the appropriate block in LIW to get automatic
updates notifications. Dandridge checks this
at every site he visits. Dandridge has
published a process to follow to get automatic
updates and that process is in the East Region
DPM, SDM, DM Supplemental Manual.
*Note: Employees at Fort Stewart report
hardly ever getting an update notification ---
even though they checked the appropriate LIW
block.
#1
Dandridge
share this
with other
east region
sites and cc
other key
SDC
players.
#1
Dandridge
share this
with other
east region
sites and cc
other key
SDC players
by NLT 12
April 2011.
Public
ations
(three)
Errors in SDC
data base.
East Region DPM,
SDM, DM
Supplemental
Manual needs
updating.
#1 COUNTER MEASURE Dandridge and
Williams are working on an update to the East
Region SDC DPM, SDM, DM Supplemental
Manual and it should be out by 1 May 2011.
#1
Dandridge
and
Williams
publish by
1 May
2011.
#1
Dandridge
share this
with other
east region
sites and cc
other key
SDC players
by NLT 12
April 2011.
CATEG
ORY
OF
CAUSE
CAUSEs
e Official
Suspense
Date
Public
ations
(four)
Errors in SDC
data base.
MRAPs, HMEE-T
(new backhoe) and
other new
equipment TMs are
terrible or no TM at
all. HMEE has no TM
yet.
#1 COUNTER MEASURE Must use Contractor
Field Service Reps (CFSRs), Logistics Assistance
Reps (LARs), goggle, manufacturer help desk,
PS Magazine, and all other sources for part
Nouns and NSNs/part numbers and
publication references to find and document
parts in GEDIS.
#2 COUNTER MEASURE DMs must share what
you find from LARs, CFSRs, manufacturers,
etc. with other sites through the SDM and
DPM at each site.
#1 Each
DM, SDM,
DPM.
#2 Each
DM, SDM,
and DPM
#1
Immediate.
#2
Immediate.
Public
ations
(five)
Errors in SDC
data base.
IETMs don’t work
well with Vista
operating system on
our computers.
#1 COUNTER MEASURE In the long run, the
Windows 7 system should eliminate most IETM
problems.
#2 COUNTER MEASURE DMs must use Eugene
Williams and Martin Jones to load and trouble
shot and solve IETM problems.
#1 Army
Problem.
#2 Eugene
Williams
and Martin
Jones
#1 Army.
#2
Immediate
Public
ations
(six)
Errors in SDC
data base.
SDC Program GEDIS
Cross Over Guide is
very outdated.
#1 COUNTER MEASURE Need to get John
Picott to start publishing the monthly GEDIS
News Letter again and quickly.
Note: Last Letter was April 2010!!!!! All sites
worldwide liked this update an need it badly.
#1 John
Picott
#1
Dandridge
will notify
and request
John Picott
by this
41

#2 COUNTER MEASURE Need to get Training
Team to publish an updated SDC Program
GEDIS Cross Over Guide. This guide was great
when it came out but it terribly out dated and
in need of an update.
#2 Maurice
Squires
report on 4
April 2011.
#2
Dandridge
will notify
and request
Squires by
this report
on 4 April
2011.
Public
ations
(seven
)
Errors in SDC
data base.
Local SOPs need
continuous
improvement and
step-by-step
processes
documented in them.
(Fort Stewart has
worked hard on their
local SOP, but it
needs updating and
improvement).
#1 COUNTER MEASURE If the east region sites
were to flow chart each of their work
processes and write down those processes in
a step-by-step SOP and flow chart ----- they
would go far towards clarifying, standardizing,
and making processes error proof.
#1 DMs,
SDMs,
DPMs, and
Dandridge
must work
together
on this.
#1
Dandridge
help each
site to
complete
this by 1
November
2011.
Public
ations
(eight)
Errors in SDC
data base.
Not all publications
show what parts
need to be changed
in scheduled
maintenance.
(Good point and
problem brought up
by Fort Stewart
Team).
#1 COUNTER MEASURE DM, SDM, and DPM
need to work with unit to capture these parts
and develop a local standardized scheduled
maintenance list of parts, NSNs, and Nouns
and share that with Region manager –who
will share with other regions.
#2 COUNTER MEASURE Fort Stewart DPM
send to Training Team their recommended
“standardized list of parts for scheduled
maintenance for equipment they collect on
that do not have a TM that lists scheduled
maintenance parts changed, for the Training
Team’s review and blessing to share with
other Regions.
#3 COUNTER MEASURE Dandridge send a
suggestion to John Picott and Maurice Squires
for each site (worldwide) to do same for any
equipment that they may have that has no
TM that lists what parts are used during
scheduled maintenance.
#1 Fort
Stewart
DPM
working
with DMs
and SDM.
#2 Fort
Stewart
DPM
working
with DMs
and SDM.
#3
Dandridge
#1 Eugene
Williams by
1 June
2011.
#2 By 1 Sep
2011.
#3 By NLT 1
May 2011.
Public
ations
(nine)
Errors in SDC
data base.
Not all employees
know where to go to
find out what is the
latest version of all
Army publications
(ARs, TMs, TBs, DA
#1 COUNTER MEASURE *Train and remind all
employees to go to The Army Publishing
Directorate at http://www.apd.army.mil/ and
DA Pamphlet 25-30 to find out what is the
latest version of all Army publications.
And train and remind all employees to use the
#1 DPMs
and SDMs.
#1
Immediate
and
continuing
annually
42

W. L. Dandridge Black Belt Finalized Project 15 Apr 12

W. L. Dandridge Black Belt Finalized Project 15 Apr 12

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