The Journey Begins 19 Dec

Dear Family and Friends,

Below is the job I have been tasked to perform:

On the DLA Distribution Kandahar Afghanistan program, the prime contractor desires to adopt and institutionalize Lean Six Sigma as the standard for process documentation and continuous process improvement. To the extent possible, the company would like to create and to retain standard business process mapping methodology.

Background:  The primary corporate business processes have been documented with lean/six sigma methodology as a way to communicate standard procedures, ensure continuity, enable scaling, conduct new employee training and to provide guidance to employees at all levels that perform routine operational functions. The purpose of this process is to ensure that reliable and repeatable standards are followed for conducting routine business transactions. Currently, the prime contractor is not currently ISO9001 certified but strives to attain future certification as well as institutionalize continuous improvement through lean/six sigma across all of its programs.

In 2007, the prime contractor also used the same methodology to rapidly design and develop operational processes which were used to support the Spare, Repair and After Market Parts program. The combination of documented “mapped” processes enabled the company to ramp from zero to $140M+ in annual part transaction value for more than 15000 SKUs in under 90 days.

My intent is to facilitate the current warehousing process at Kandahar Air Field (KAF) during the first 30 days as “proof of concept” and expand this standard work and training to other areas of value both contractor and government customers.  Currently, their warehouse consists of an “air building” with steel containers used to store organizational equipment, petroleum, oil, lubricants and spare parts.  Square footage, numbers of individual items handled over a standard interval of time are all unknown but not hard questions to answer. 

Furthermore, they are constructing a new steel-reinforced-concrete warehouse to enhance operations.  Warehouses usually don’t take long to construct but there may be mitigating circumstance overseas that do not exist in Conus.

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So much for the hard details…  Softer issues have been, establishing contract funding and a letter of authorization with the government contractor.  Plus, working between different Lockheed companies presents its own share of complications that delayed my departure from 14 December until my new departure date of 19 December (tomorrow).  The delay provided opportunity to attend a 3 day indoctrination of Afghanistan and Iraq cultural issues and military rules of engagement required of all government and contractors going into a wartime area of operation. 

While waiting to deploy, I drove 4 hours late on Monday evening to Houston and began early morning briefings the next day.  This brought back memories of Parris Island (USMC drill field).  The only detail missing was the recuit's “yellow footprints” and screaming DI’s.  There were approximately 100 KBR employees preparing to depart immediately into great unknown and were only awaiting medical clearance.  KBR (check this firm out on google) provides Conus Recruitment Course (CRC) training required for all incoming contractors. 

They were gladly willing to push me and one other fellow from Presidential Airways (another story in the mix) through the lecture grind(minus medical).  Looking across a room of both men and women (20:1 ratio) varying in age from 20 to 65, was quite sobering.  There was none of the swagger and bravado associated with a room full of soldiers.  These were people who had their own personal story about why they chose this lucrative but potentially dangerous line of business, if only for a one year contract duration.

Finally and most importantly, I would like to share my "shock and awe" about my family who support me on this search for the Holy Grail.   My wife Nancy surprised me when she agreed to my all expense paid vacation to Afghanistan at the onset.  Plus all my family and friends have been most indulgent.  I appreciate their faith and willingness to share me with the Afghani's during the upcoming holidays. 

Oh, my address overseas is:

DLA Distribution Kandahar Afghanistan (DDKA)

Kandahar Airfield

APO 09355 AE

Love to you all,

Chris