An Air Force traffic management specialist has again shown why the U.S. Armed Forces continues to invest in Lean Six Sigma training. In this case, they cut in half the time it takes for their unit to process and handle manifests.

Gloria Williams, who holds the title of Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command Document Management Oversight (DMO) branch traffic management specialist, earned a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois in May 2019.

Along the way, she developed new processes that helped cut the time her unit works with manifests from eight days to four days.

The Uses of Lean Six Sigma

Over the years, the military has applied the methodology in many ways to find efficiencies in processes, cut wastes, reduce costs and improve the experience of end users. This approach offers insight into why Lean Six Sigma and other process improvement methods can benefit organizations.

Williams was nominated for the Green Belt program by her supervisor, Todd Goetz, DMO chief, because Williams is “a kind, driven and ambitious professional with a customer-focus approach.”

Goetz said Williams earning her belt has helped to strengthen the overall team. According to a U.S. Army news release, Goetz said that Lean Six Sigma is a “collaborative team effort” that helps the DMO be “empowered to challenge process improvement initiatives with the intent to be innovative and streamline results.”

For her part, Williams said she wanted the challenge of earning a Green Belt. She also spoke of wanting to “leave a legacy” to her team, a long-term goal that is a mark of organizations that use Lean Six Sigma.

What a Green Belt Does

In most cases, a Green Belt works part-time on project teams, supporting the Black Belt who leads the project. A Green Belt often handles many of the technical aspects of the project, such as applying Lean Six Sigma techniques to projects and compiling and analyzing data.

Green Belts are key to the overall process improvement efforts in an organization. They move away from learning theories and begin to apply them to real-world situations. This requires knowing the details of various Lean Six Sigma methods and choosing the best one for their current situation. Green Belts can come from any part of an organization, from front line technicians to operational supervisors.

Green Belts have a variety of tools to choose from to do their work. Here are some common tools and techniques.

Lean and Six Sigma training has become a frequent occurrence in the armed forces. Recent examples include a Naval Health Clinic, the Defense Logistics Agency and workers at a Pennsylvania Army Depot. With the potential benefits Lean and Six Sigma offers, it is easy to see why.