Jetrader - January/February 2011 - 22

continued from page 19 elimination of wasted time and movement from the various processes that make up the typical activities in a C-check. Some constraints were eliminated simply by moving pallets of special tools and airplane parts to the hangar ﬂoor near the aircraft. Previously, aircraft maintenance technicians (AMTs) typically queued up in front of the parts stock room, often waiting 15 minutes or longer just to get a batch of screws or a particular component. That waiting time was costly. Moving tools, parts and supplies closer to the aircraft meant eliminating wasted steps, time and costs.

Another Day, Another Million Dollars
The risk and reward of lean/continual improvement for a maintenance facility with a labor-and-parts-intensive heavy check of a jet aircraft is signiﬁcant. At FedEx Express, the time taken to perform a typical C-check was reduced by thousands of hours. That time savings meant technicians could take on other work that was being done by third-party vendors. Performing that work in-house has saved FedEx Express millions of dollars annually. The savings in component maintenance have been huge, too. Support shops at FedEx Express have generated millions in cost savings using lean/continuous improvement for high-dollar avionics component maintenance.

of rotable parts has further reduced out-ofservice times by eliminating the need for technicians to order items such as O-rings and seals. Another approach that has improved line haul operations is the establishment of “service stations.” With the variety of aircraft in our system, FedEx Express has stations set up to handle speciﬁc types of aircraft and their problems. Tooling and parts are located at the applicable stations, and the technicians increase proﬁciency by seeing the same airframe and engine types.

People are the Key
Consider the Chinese Proverb: “When planning for a year, plant corn. When planning for a decade, plant trees. When planning for life, train and educate people.” Culture change to achieve the successes at FedEx Express did not happen overnight and will always be a work in progress. The success of any lean program is only as good as the leaders and the workers who participate in it and believe in its success. When a lean program is launched, people are initially somewhat skeptical and it may be an uphill battle to change their minds. People may think continual improvement is the ﬂavor of the month, or they will claim, “We’ve seen many of these programs before.” The key to overcoming resistance and to eventual success is consistency of leadership and the message. It takes living the message before people really grasp

that a complete change is underway in the way eliminating waste improves the work environment. Open communication is also essential. Listen to employees. After all, it is their world that you’re trying to change. At FedEx Express, having the technicians and other staff evaluate suggestions and work together with management on each suggestion has enabled them to develop their own solutions for how work will be performed. That employee involvement has gone a long way toward making the lean program successful. It helps to remind ourselves that continual improvement truly is a journey. Too often, we are so preoccupied with achieving our goals that we forget the journey and lose our way. A large percentage of failures with lean/continual improvement take place because we become impatient with a process that is often slow. Success rarely happens overnight. We have to take small steps and celebrate the small wins. Stay focused and you will succeed!

Not Limited to Hangars and Shops
We have used lean/continual improvement methods not only in the hangars and shops, but also in our line maintenance environments, reducing the time AMTs wait for tools and parts by establishing Pointof-Use (POU) service kits in ground service vehicles and at the aircraft gates. Kitting

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In Memory of John McNicol
With the deepest sorrow I must advise that John McNicol, President of AISI, passed away Saturday, 13 November 2010, at City of Hope Hospital, Calif., of complications from treatment for leukemia. John was an extraordinary and gifted person and my best friend for 20 years. Our hearts grieve for his young family: wife Elaine and children Kyle, Rachel and Ashley. Those who wish to pay their respects are requested to donate to the Kyle, Rachel and Ashley McNicol Trust Fund, c/o AISI, in lieu of ﬂowers. — Fred Bearden, CEO, AISI

22 The ofﬁcial publication of the International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading

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Jetrader - January/February 2011

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