A new lean, continuous inspection process

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Joseph E. Bridge
  • 911th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AIR RESERVE STATION, Pa. --  "The days of the Operational Readiness Inspections ramp up are over; this new system is in place to avoid that, and truly evaluate all programs and what we need and don't need," said Lt. Col. Todd M. McCrann, director of inspections and deputy Inspector General.

The 911th will be holding a Unit Effectiveness Inspection, also known as a capstone event, August 20-25, 2015.
 
A "Capstone" event is a culmination of individual units self-identifying where they have gaps or areas not currently meeting compliance and from that information, developing a plan to correct any issues.

The culmination of the UEI is for an outside team of inspectors to visit the 911th and evaluate that plans are being carried out. The "Capstone" event is more of an audit than an inspection, and that is how the new system is different from the old.

"The old way used a "cookie-cutter" scenario to test all wings the same as every other, but didn't take into account the various day-to-day missions of each unique wing," said Master Sgt. Daniel M. Healy, Wing Inspection Team superintendent of the Inspector General's office at the 911th Airlift Wing.

The top three takeaways from this new inspection process are:
1. Continuous improvement and review all year long; deal with issues as they are identified
2. No inspection ramp up then reverting back to daily routine
3. Inspection is tailor fitted to each wing, not a one size fits all process

"The old way left you hoping the inspectors wouldn't dig too deep and uncover the flaws you pretended weren't there," said Healy. "The new way provides a constant and continuous review for both the inspectors and the unit being inspected."

Another innovative piece of the UEI is the implementation of the climate survey that Air Force Reserve Command conducted this past spring. By making the survey an official part of the UEI, issues affecting the work center can be addressed.

The top five issues identified in the survey are:
1.  Training (ancillary vs. Air Force Specialty Code)
2.  Voucher/pay (Defense Travel System, Reserve Travel System, eFinance)
3.  Budget
4.  Manning (Air Reserve Technician hiring process)
5.  Benefits (Reserve vs. Active Duty Air Force)

"It's refreshing to see action being taken by Air Force leadership on issues that affect the everyday lives of Airmen," said Healy.  "Listening to people who know their job in and out is going to benefit everybody in the long run."