Tool team improves maintenance efficiency

  • Published
  • By Capt. Tom Crosson
  • 386th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFPN) --  Eleven Airmen with the 386th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron here have made their facility a user-friendly and efficient workspace.

When the consolidated tool kit, or CTK, team arrived in February, they were disappointed with the condition of their facility.

"There were parts and trash everywhere. There was no organization, no rationale for where things were stored," said Staff Sgt. William Taylor, CTK shop NCO in charge. "It became difficult to effectively store and keep track of the equipment we were working with every day."

The Airmen set out to overhaul their facility. They disposed of the furniture and equipment they no longer needed. They rearranged shelves and equipment in a more efficient system. Now they consider their facility the gem of the squadron.

The CTK shop is the hub of all flightline maintenance operations. Before and after every shift, truckloads of aircraft maintainers visit the shop to pick up or drop off the tools and equipment they need to keep a ramp full of C-130 Hercules flying.

Every item in the shop's $3.5 million inventory must be accounted for at all times. Each tool kit that leaves the facility must be inventoried, and each piece of equipment must be signed out to maintainers. The longer it takes to inventory and sign out the equipment, the longer it takes to get the aircraft back in the air.

In order to provide faster service for the maintainers, the CTK shop team gutted the equipment storage area. Airmen moved the large racks of tool kits and frequently used equipment next to the service counter. They also tripled the size of the service counter, all in an effort to reduce their customers' wait time.

"With our new customer service area, we can handle eight maintainers at a time instead of four," Sergeant Taylor said. "Now when the average truck load of six to 12 maintainers arrives at our shop, we get them equipped and back out the door in seven minutes, well more than half the time it took before."