Case Study
Reducing Average Turn Time
Issue:
American Airlines has a shop where they refurbish and repair landing gear for their fleet. This 300 person shop had been trying for years to bring their average turn time down with some success. However, they were stuck at 89 days, while one of their closest competitors was accomplishing the same work in 45 days. If they couldn’t bring their Average Days down below 60, they risked grounding aircraft or having to farm the work out.
Actions:
Kevin worked closely with their leaders and machinists, and with Planning and Maintenance. Through a blend of leadership coaching, continuous improvement activities and setting up a more effective management system, they were able to bring their turn times down.
Results:
With no increase in headcount or overtime, the shop reduced WIP from 47 gear to 31 gear, reduced their OSHA recordable rate by 50% and improved their budget performance from 63% to 95%. No work was farmed out and no aircraft were grounded. Their 3 month average turn time dropped to 57 days.
