Photo By Samantha Morse | Bryan Harvey, H-53 aircraft mechanic at Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) performs...... read more read more
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. – As part of its commitment to continuous improvement, Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) has launched a new virtual request form designed to streamline operations and boost efficiency, saving time and money.
The FRCE Process Control and Improvement Branch recently developed an online application called the process improvement request form that encourages employees to take an active role in improving operations by identifying areas that could be streamlined and proposing solutions to enhance process efficiency.
Chris Chesley, a program analyst in the branch, said the application connects FRCE employees with the continuous process improvement (CPI) team, a group that works to identify opportunities to enhance the depot’s products, services and processes, while also improving workplace safety and productivity.
“As times change and as technology changes, it’s important that we identify and update our processes to remain efficient and effective in our support of military aviation,” said Chesley. “This program allows employees to share their process improvement ideas directly with our team. If they need a way to fix a process, to modernize we can help because that’s exactly what our team is here to do.”
Before the introduction of the process improvement request form, FRCE employees did not have an official way to report these opportunities to the team, according to Chesley. He said the application streamlines the reporting process and makes it easier for employees to submit their ideas, saving time in the process.
“We’ve never had anything like this before,” said Chesley. “Now that the requests come straight to our team, it significantly speeds up the process. Soliciting information from the workforce in this way improves our response time and helps ensure ideas don’t fall through the cracks on their way to our team.”
Submissions through the CPI application are different from other formal employee suggestion programs in that they focus on bettering products, services or processes through a series of incremental improvements with the goal of achieving measurable results over time. Other programs place emphasis on improvements that result in cost savings through enhanced product quality, increased efficiency or improved safety.
Chesley said the request form is open to all FRCE employees. When a request is received, a member of the CPI team will work with the individual who submitted the request to find a solution, he said.
“This is for everyone at FRC East,” said Chesley. “Everyone here deals with a process, from administrative employees in office spaces to artisans who work out on the shop floors. No matter what shop they work in, if they have a great idea, they can fill out the form and we will contact them directly to find a solution to the concern.”
With a workforce as large and widespread as FRCE’s, identifying processes, procedures and technical instructions for improvement can be difficult for a team of four to manage alone, according to Process Control and Improvement Branch Head Anthony Nilson. He said empowering the entire workforce to take part in this effort will help the CPI team to reach more areas and make a greater impact than ever before.
“We don’t always know that there is an issue with a process or procedure until someone tells us, which is why this project’s success relies on teamwork,” Nilson said. “With FRC East’s operations being spread across over 100 buildings, it’s much more difficult to identify every area of improvement without input from the entire workforce. This application is a great way for our folks who come across these things out on shop floors to say, ‘Hey, I don’t think this makes sense,’ or, ‘I think there’s a better way to do this,’ and actually see results. It makes it easier for the team to know where to look.”
Chesley said over the past 10 years, the team has helped improve countless processes within FRCE to increase efficiency. He said they are currently working alongside members of the Comptroller Department to help standardize a new workflow that has transformed a complex and no-longer-efficient procedure into a streamlined and successful operation.
“The billing process for aircraft maintenance and repair changed significantly about three years ago, leaving the depot’s Comptroller Department unable to process some of the financial paperwork the way they had been doing,” said Chesley. “Without an effective way to close out the paperwork, we were left with a backlog of financial documents that needed to be closed out before FRC East could receive funds for its services. We’ve been working with them to help find ways to reconcile those funding documents and implement a more efficient process.”
Program analyst Michael Closterman said the CPI team uses data-driven methodologies, such as Lean Six Sigma and the theory of constraints, when reviewing process improvement requests. He said using these methodologies helps the team maximize the impact their efforts have on the depot’s operations.
“We have to be methodical with our improvement efforts,” said Closterman. “Everyone wants to do the best they can for the warfighter and sometimes that means looking at these processes from a different, more strategic perspective. If we take the time to map out a process and look at it holistically, we can see exactly where the issue lies, which helps us come to a more informed solution. It helps us ensure our efforts are effective and don’t have any adverse effects on operations. We’re trying to look at the big picture, from the beginning to the end, because if we only look at one small piece of the process, what we do could disrupt something else.”
Chesley said improving processes and procedures within FRCE will help the depot better support the warfighter.
“Anytime we can save money and provide services faster, it benefits the warfighter,” said Chesley. “Our overall goal is to make everyone’s lives better. When people are struggling with too much variation or waste, it’s inefficient and costs the depot time and money. We want to provide our workforce with everything they need to do their jobs to the best of their abilities and give the fleet the best quality services as fast as we can. Gaining as many efficiencies as possible will help us do that.”
FRCE is North Carolina's largest maintenance, repair, overhaul and technical services provider, with more than 4,000 civilian, military and contract workers. Its annual revenue exceeds $865 million. The depot provides service to the fleet while functioning as an integral part of the greater U.S. Navy; Naval Air Systems Command; and Commander, Fleet Readiness Centers.
| Date Taken: | 09.02.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.02.2025 09:10 |
| Story ID: | 546994 |
| Location: | CHERRY POINT, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 32 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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