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Drs. Missie Bowers and Ken Gilbert Awarded Air Force Research Grant
Lean Process Improvements in Air Force Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul "Backshop" Operations Process improvement initiatives in Air Force maintenance, repair, and overhaul facilities have resulted in decreased aircraft turn-around times through the implementation of lean production principles, theory of constraints, and critical chain principles. To date, most of the work has focused on improving the main aircraft and component lines; little work has focused on the backshop areas, which rework and repair items that support the main aircraft and component areas. These backshops experience long flow times as well as high levels of demand variation and uncertainty; therefore, the supply of needed parts is oftentimes inconsistent with aircraft parts requirements. This project will focus on improving both the effectiveness of the backshop areas and the inventories that buffer these support areas so as to decrease backshop turn-around times and lower parts inventories Back to All News |
