Lean Six Sigma and the U.S. Army’s Withdrawal from Afghanistan

Getting all of the military’s equipment out of Afghanistan is going to be a huge job. According to a recent article from the United States Army, Lean Six Sigma is going to be an important part of that job. According to Lt. Col. Roy Speaks, who is the commander of the 401st Army Field Support Battalion in Kandahar, using Lean Six Sigma concepts isn’t something that the Army does at a tactical level. Looking at business processes is something generally reserved for strategic operations. However, Speaks stated, a logistical task of this level requires different thinking.

The Army must execute a steady, responsible retrograde and redeployment of its resources out of Afghanistan, the article notes. In the past six months that the Lean Six Sigma team has been exploring and instituting projects in order to do that, the team has been able to accomplish an increase in the velocity of the retrograde and maximize the use of the C-17 for air movement of vehicles.

There are millions of pounds of cargo — belonging to various branches of the military — that must be moved from the theater, the article stated. The best, and most cost effective, way to do that is by combining military decision making with applicable and proven private sector business practices such as Lean Six Sigma.

While you’re probably not looking to move a massive amount of equipment. But if you want to find ways to increase efficiency and cut costs, Lean Six Sigma can help your business too.