AMC office seeks to solve problems in 8 steps Published Sept. 29, 2009 By Laura McAndrews Air Mobility Command Public Affairs SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (AFNS) -- In life, it can take as many as eight steps to solve a problem. However, according to the Air Force's Smart Operations for the 21st Century program, eight steps to solve any problem is all it should take. "The eight-step process is a more disciplined approach to problem solving," said Col. Mark McLean, chief of Air Mobility Command's AFSO 21 initiatives. This eight-step process is a new discipline being taught throughout the command in hopes of improving the ability to support the warfighter in AMC's core competencies which include airlift, aerial refueling and aeromedical evacuation. "It really is a common-sense approach to tackling issues," Colonel McLean said. "Using the eight-step method keeps everyone focused on the problem at hand, and ensures that the solutions developed target the root causes of the problem." In an AFSO 21 Senior Leaders Course at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., in August, 14 AMC colonels, chief master sergeants and upper level civilian employees used the Eight-Step Problem Solving Process by employing it on a fictional deployment scenario. In this particular scenario, the wing leadership had just moved to a new base. Many systems were not running at optimal performance levels and the base's overall aircraft mission capability rates were deteriorating. "Usually the first response is to ask for more manpower and equipment," said Colonel McLean. "However, in using the Eight-Step Problem Solving Process, senior leaders found ways to make improvements without additional resources." They employed step one of the process by clarifying and validating the problem: the wing's mission capable rate had continuously declined below the 85 percent minimum during the last nine months. The group then implemented step two: they broke down the problem and identified performance gaps. At this fictional base the largest performance gap contributing to the steady decline of the aircraft's mission capability rates was due to supply. In step three, the group set an improvement target to achieve an equal to or greater than mission capable rate of 85 percent within three months. During step four they discovered the largest performance gap was in supply and it was directly related to aircraft tires. They then asked themselves a series of questions, "five whys" to determine the gaps potential root causes. In this case, they determined that they were wearing out the tires at a rate well above average. They then organized a list of solutions, or "countermeasures," to put a stop to the quick tire deterioration. The countermeasures ran the gamut, from verifying pilot landing and taxing procedures to the construction of a new runway surface. "A runway is a huge investment," said Mr. Rod Hersom, an Eight-Step Problem Solving Process expert with AMC's AFSO 21 office. "You want to make sure it's not the landing and takeoff procedures before you use that countermeasure." Once a countermeasure is put into place, results are tracked to determine its success, and if successful the process would become a standard operating procedure. To emphasize the importance of implementing any new operating procedures and AFSO 21 as a whole, Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley, and United States Air Force Chief of Staff, Gen. Norton Schwartz, issued a memorandum to all Air Force commanders on June 8, 2009. "Built upon the Eight-Step Problem Solving Model, AFSO 21 identifies performance gaps, allows Airmen to find innovative and effective ways to accomplish the mission, and brings everyone together to solve problems, exploit opportunities and maximize efficiencies," according to the memorandum. "It all contributes to war-winning capability and quality service." The Eight-Step Problem Solving Process is a method for solving day to day issues as well as larger problems. Because of the benefits from using the process, the Air Force Inspector General has implemented and mandated the use of the "Eight-Step Problem Solving Process" to get to the root cause of all problems and employ long lasting corrective actions. This latest requirement addition was spelled out in the release of the updated Air Force Instruction 90-201, Inspector General Activities. "The process is the root cause analysis of how you solve the discrepancies the IG finds when inspecting your base," said Maj. Bill Triche, from the AMC Inspector General office. Major Triche, cited the following example: a base might say they can generate 12 aircraft in 15 hours, when actually it is very difficult for them to accomplish this mission tasking, the reality is that it actually takes them 25 hours to get that number of aircraft ready to meet their wartime mission. "Through the eight-step process we can learn why and get a solution," he said. Dr. Ken Kirby, University of Tennessee professor of operations management, said the process is a combination of Col. John Boyd's OODA loop -- observe, orient, decide, act, and the Toyota Corporation's PDCA cycle -- plan, do, check, act. "It's like the OODA loop extended," said Major Triche. The eight steps are: (1) clarify and validate the problem, (2) break down the problem and identify performance gaps, (3) set improvement target, (4) determine root cause, (5) develop countermeasures, (6) see countermeasures through, (7) confirm results and process, and (8) standardize successful processes. "The Air Force rolled out the Eight-Step Problem Solving Process over a year ago and now teaches it in many professional military education courses," said Colonel McLean. "Basically, we don't want Airmen to fix just the discrepancies documented in IG inspections," said Colonel McLean. "We want them to figure out the root cause and fix that so the discrepancy doesn't happen the next time." Scott AFB will be holding in-depth training in the eight-step process for non-commissioned officers and up on Oct. 19 to 20 and Nov. 16 to 17. For details call (618) 229-2233 or e-mail AMC-CVO@scott.af.mil.