Shingo Prize Recognizes Military Victories In "Lean" Battle To Save Money
USU President Stan Albrecht addressed key military leaders from the Army, Navy and Air Force at the Shingo Prize's Second Annual Public Sector Conference and Awards Ceremony, held this year in Las Vegas.
Utah State University President Stan Albrecht flew to Las Vegas in early September to meet with key military leaders from the Army, Navy and Air Force and celebrate with them recent victories they’ve had in a war that many Americans don’t even know is being waged.
He flew there to represent Utah State University and speak at the Shingo Prize’s Second Annual Public Sector Conference and Awards Ceremony.
Those who attended that conference heard about budget war, of sorts, being waged within the Armed Services. The conflicts abroad have taxed the military’s ability to meet the increasing demand for its services.
However, the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines have managed to improve their ability to respond by implementing a philosophy that the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University has been championing for years.
Air Force Lt. Gen. Donald Wetekam (left) described the Shingo Prize as a "world class award." He was joined by USU's Ross Robson.
Within the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business there is a small business, of sorts, that has developed a national reputation for its work promoting a philosophy that emphasizes the importance of showing respect for employees, while eliminating waste, saving money, increasing productivity and improving quality. The approach was originally articulated by Shigeo Shingo, a widely-respected industrial engineer in Japan whose teachings have been key to Toyota’s success. In 1988 he came to Utah State University and was recognized with an honorary doctorate in business.
Soon afterward, the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business launched the Shingo Prize for Manufacturing Excellence. The organization, led by Executive Director Ross Robson, administers the prize and has built its reputation nationally. It is now often called by those who know of the award, the "Nobel prize of manufacturing." Robson has led the Shingo Prize efforts almost since its beginning and is credited with being a national expert on the philosophy.
President Albrecht and Shingo program Executive Director Ross Robson.
To be an award recipient a business or organization must submit an application that is reviewed by an independent board of examiners. The board of examiners also makes an on-site visit to see if the applicant qualifies for the prize.
From Sept. 5-8, representatives from several military units and leaders from the Sandia National Laboratories, a facility that makes neutron generators for nuclear weapons, were honored at the conference. The event drew high-ranking military leaders, including three, three-star generals and a vice admiral.
The philosophy that has grown from Shingo’s teachings is now often referred to as "Lean" by experts in the area, with the word "Lean" being used as a noun, not an adjective.
At the conference, Lean was credited with helping the military dramatically eliminate waste and make more equipment available to the troops.
For example, the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia specializes in completing recurring overhauls of the Air Force’s 120 C-5 Galaxy aircraft. The massive, aging cargo airplanes can transport tanks, helicopters and other heavy equipment to where it is needed. The airplanes are desperately needed abroad, and in combination with other shorter-haul airlift aircraft, help reduce the need for dangerous ground convoys, said Brig. Gen. Andy Busch.
"We take each aircraft in on a rotating basis for maintenance," Busch said. "That vital, thorough and detailed maintenance work used to take as long as 400 days. Now we do it all in less than 140 days."
The three-day conference featured several presentations that detailed the dramatic improvements made as these techniques were mastered. President Albrecht spoke before the awards dinner and paid tribute to the work the award recipients do for the Armed Services.
Military leaders talked about a "perfect storm" whipped up by conflicts abroad that drained their resources and fueled their efforts to be more effective with their budget dollars. They repeatedly emphasized their aim to supply the troops with the equipment needed to keep them safe and to help them succeed.
No one pretended that hopes of winning the Shingo Prize were the motive for the improvement but several said they were grateful for the recognition the prize offered their work.
Air Force Lt. Gen. Donald Wetekam said the use of Lean tools has been spreading in the Air Force but was initially viewed, even by himself, skeptically. He believes that this approach has made their efforts to improve much more effective. He described the Shingo Prize as a "world class award" and said the prize, coupled with the measurable results that have been achieved, have spotlighted the advantages of using a Lean approach.
USU’s Shingo Prize has been referred to as the "Nobel prize of manufacturing."
"It allowed those of us within the Services who were advocating for this to get the attention of other senior leaders who were not part of the transformation at that point," Wetekam said of the prize.
The Lean philosophy is now being promoted, to a greater or lesser extent, in all four branches of the U.S. Armed services, the generals said. The conference gave them a chance to compare notes and learn from the units that have had the most success implementing Lean practices.
There are two Shingo Prize conferences held each year. One recognizes business excellence and outstanding research and the second, the one that was last held on Sept. 5, recognizes organizations from the public sector that have excelled.
One of the winners this year at the "Gold" level was the F-16 Aircraft Maintenance Squadron from Hill Air Force Base at the Ogden Air Logistics Center.
This conference featured a keynote speaker, Gary Convis, who is the senior vice president of Toyota Motor North America and an expert in the implementation of Lean practices.