TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla., Sept. 25, 2006 – As another session of the Green Belt Training Course taught by The Lean Institute here shifts into high gear, Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center senior managers stress the importance of the class.

The Green Belt Training Course trains 20 students at a time and emphasizes Lean and Six Sigma tools including 5S+1, value stream mapping and cause and effect diagrams. Since October 2005, more than 100 Lean classes have been offered.

“The course is meant to show us the power of process thinking and give us the basic tools to help us improve the way we do our work,” said Col. Rick Matthews, Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center vice director, who is enrolled in the current class.

Before a session begins, students are divided into teams and assigned a project to complete using techniques taught in the class.

“The purpose of a project is to ensure the students know how to apply techniques learned in the class into a real-world situation,” said Wade Wolfe, Transformation, Integration and Process Improvements Division chief with the Plans and Programs Directorate.\

Projects assigned for the current session include reducing the time it takes to have a prescription refilled at the base pharmacy, improving the mobility process in the 552nd Air Control Wing, reducing the process time for the Air Force Materiel Command purchase request form and developing a more efficient way to ensure the 76th Maintenance Wing is paid properly for work performed when repairing engine parts that exceed technical orders limits, Wolfe said.

The Green Belt Training course is a key component to meeting the challenge by Gen. Bruce Carlson, Air Force Materiel Command commander, to reduce costs and improving equipment availability, Wolfe explained.

Since the program’s induction, there have been several process improvements implemented, not only on the shop floor, but also in the administrative areas.

The F110 squadron in the 748th Combat Sustainment Group has improved the Air Force Technical Order-22 review and approval process.

The benefits include an 88 percent reduction in overdue responses and a 54 percent reduction in average days open, which has lessened from 39 to 17 days, Wolfe noted.