AFSO21 requires Airmen to work smarter, not harder Published Sept. 26, 2006 By Col. Matthew Arens Air Force Smart Operations for Air Mobility Command SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill -- In the March 2006 Letter to Airmen, Secretary of the Air Force Michael Wynne articulated Air Force Smart Operations as a dedicated effort to maximize value and minimize waste in our operations by looking at each process from beginning to end. It doesn't just look at how we can do each task better, but asks tougher and more important questions: Why are we doing it? Is the task relevant, productive and value added? In other words, is it necessary at all? With Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century, we will march unnecessary work out the door - forever. In early August, Air Mobility Command was one of the first commands to release its strategy deployment for implementing AFSO 21. This was a first step in what will become a long and difficult journey because with a smaller, leaner force we cannot afford to keep large bureaucratic and wasteful processes in place. Gen. Duncan McNabb, AMC commander, said it succinctly by stating, "Working harder is not an option...we must work smarter!" We need every Airman out there to look at the work they do and assess the value to the mission. General McNabb's No. 1 priority is, "improving velocity through the system," so if a task doesn't help support that goal then we must ask whether we need to do it at all. In order to ensure we all don't go about in different directions, General McNabb has given us a true north vector by releasing his vision and mission statement. He also articulated his top three Breakthrough Objectives (BTO) along with the command's Annual Enterprise Improvement Priorities. All subordinate organizations are currently identifying process improvement opportunities as part of their own Annual Improvement Priorities. This top down direction with bottom up process opportunity identification will ensure the command focuses its efforts in the right area to improve combat capability. We at AMC headquarters are here to help. Our role is to enable you to do the mission in the most efficient and effective way possible and not to be a barrier to change. It will take time to affect our collective culture but we need everyone from Airman to commander to be proponents of change and embrace it with passion. So ask yourself, if you were king for a day, what would you change? Vision: Unrivaled Global Reach for America...Always! Mission Statement: Deliver maximum war-fighting and humanitarian effects for America through rapid and precise global air mobility BTO #1: Within 5 years, increase system velocity and precision to deliver the right effect to the right place at the right time, every time. · Reduce the time aircraft spend on the ground during missions by 30% (in the next year) while working towards a 50% reduction within the next 5 years · Increase mobility aircraft availability by 10% while striving for a 25% improvement within 5 years · Improve our ability to provide a common operating picture of the battle-space (in war and humanitarian operations) by 25% · Improve aeromedical evacuation response time by 20% while working towards a 50% increase over the next 5 years · Improve the accuracy of our deployment process by 20% and move on to a 35% improvement in 5 years · Increase the number of mobility aircraft equipped with defensive systems by 10% while working toward a total increase of 25% over the next 5 years · Create a precision airdrop capability that meets the requirements of the combatant commander · Improve total asset visibility by 50% while reaching to achieve 100% over the next 5 years · Improve payload efficiency by 15% toward an increase of 50% in 5 years · Improve air refueling efficiency by 20% while working to achieve a 30% increase over the next 5 years BTO #2: Within 3 years, transform the enterprise to slash waste in our processes to meet our mission. · Reduce resource cost to operate and maintain the Air Mobility enterprise by 10% with a goal of cutting 30% of our costs over the next 3 years · Improve total energy efficiency by 15% this year while striving to achieve 30% over the next 3 years · Recapitalize assets at a rate of 5% per year · Decrease lost duty time by 20% while working toward a 50% decrease over 3 years · Decrease all reportable safety incidents by 50% BTO #3: Within 5 years, create a self-sustaining continuous improvement culture throughout AMC. · Create a self-sustaining facilitation capability and train 50% of the entire organization in AFSO21 tools and methodologies · Ensure every commander, Headquarters AMC director, and command chief master sergeant participate in at least 1 Lean event · Require every headquarters, wing, and field operating agency develop at least one self-sustaining continuous process improvement (CPI) master-level Lean mentor · Ensure all CCs & directors understand the importance of prioritizing processes for improvements based on key impacts to quality cost delivery · Conduct a first pass CPI on all key processes by June 30, 2007 · Establish Operating Steering Teams throughout Headquarters AMC and 18th Air Force in support of AFSO21 · Improve CPI Cultural Assessment Survey absolute scores 5% · Establish trained AFSO21 offices for the headquarters and in each wing