Shipyards Showcase Shipbuilding Affordability

Through Lean Six Sigma

JACKSONVILLE - The National Shipbuilding Research Program (NSRP) and the Naval Sea System Command’s “NAVSEA Lean” initiative responded to continuing shipyard and Navy interest in Lean manufacturing by hosting a Lean Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Forum in Jacksonville, Florida on September 12-14, 2006.

This event, the fourth forum to be held under the NSRP’s Lean Shipbuilding Initiative (LSI), supported the NSRP’s mission of reducing the cost of Navy ship acquisition and repair by facilitating advanced joint learning that is helping to accelerate incorporation of Lean manufacturing and Six Sigma principles and practices throughout the U.S. shipbuilding enterprise.

The theme for Lean Forum 2006 -- “Shipbuilding Affordability Through Lean Six Sigma” -- was principally focused on learning from the experiences gained within the shipbuilding and repair industry in implementing Lean and Six Sigma practices.  The forum featured a full agenda of speakers from shipbuilding/ship repair and Navy.

Based on feedback from previous forums to allow more time for direct interaction among attendees, this year’s agenda also included “Crackerbarrel” sessions.  The term is derived from the informal discussions once carried on by people assembled around a cracker barrel at the country store. The forum sessions – timed, facilitated, small group discussions designed to give attendees an opportunity to share experiences, best practices and lessons learned on several Lean fronts – proved to be relevant and popular among attendees.

Overall feedback was very positive from the more than 140 who attended the Forum.  Ninety-one percent of attendees indicated they would attend future Lean Shipbuilding Forums.  

An event highlight was the dinner keynote address by Jerry Bussell, Vice President of Global Operations for Medtronic, one of the leaders in medical technology manufacturing and services. In conveying Medtronic’s success, due in part to effectively implementing Lean practices on every level, Mr. Bussell described the transformation Medtronic made several years ago from standard manufacturing processes to becoming one of the best examples of Lean manufacturing and services on a worldwide scale.

Other keynote speakers included Jim Brice, Director, NAVSEA Task Force Lean; Steve Strom, Vice President of Quality, Northrop Grumman Ship Systems; and Dennis Fanguy, Vice President of Quality Management Systems, Bollinger Shipyards.

The remainder of the speaker presentations included presentations from public and private sector shipyards.  Topics included: value-stream metrics; integrating Lean & Six Sigma; process–based management; integrating Lean with environmental, health and safety concerns; sustaining Lean Six Sigma, and others.

Forum participants were also afforded the opportunity to tour several Jacksonville-area industrial facilities: Atlantic Marine Shipyard; JEA (electric, water, sewer utility) power plant; Medtronic; and the Navy’s local aircraft repair depot.

The forum demonstrated continued growth of Lean in the U.S. shipbuilding and ship repair industry under the umbrella of NSRP's Lean Shipbuilding Initiative.  Through the LSI and the Lean Implementers Group, composed of representatives from U.S. public and private shipyards and Navy acquisition and repair program staffs, the growing spectrum of industry Lean activities are linked for maximum impact on an accelerated schedule. LSI was developed by the shipyards for the shipyards to support industry awareness, understanding and adoption of Lean principles and practices.

Lean Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Forum presentations and information on LSI can be found on NSRP's website, www.nsrp.org.

NSRP is a collaboration of 11 U.S. shipyards working with government, industry, and academia to achieve the continuous product and process improvements necessary to achieve naval ship affordability.  NSRP’s mission is to manage and focus national shipbuilding and ship repair research and development funding on technologies that will reduce the cost of warships to the U.S. Navy by leveraging commercial practices and improving the efficiency of the U.S. shipbuilding and ship repair industry.  NSRP also provides a collaborative forum to improve business and acquisition processes.  NSRP is sponsored by Naval Sea Systems Command, and Navy Program Executive Officers for Ships, Aircraft Carriers and Submarines.