5S and our lean journey
April 2007
Who we are
• Alaska Airlines and sister carrier, Horizon Air, together serve
90 cities through an expansive network in Alaska, the Lower
48, Canada and Mexico.
• This year Alaska Airlines celebrates its 75th anniversary,
marking our airline’s growth from a single-aircraft operation in
1932 to one of the largest U.S. carriers.
• Our values – Alaska Spirit, Resourcefulness, Caring, Integrity
and Professionalism
Our all Boeing fleet
Boeing 737-900 (739) Boeing 737-800 (738)
Number in Fleet: 12 Number in Fleet: 21
Boeing 737-700 (73G) Boeing 737-400 (734)
Number in Fleet: 20 Number in Fleet: 37
Boeing 737-400 Combi (73Q) Boeing MD-80 (M80)
Number in Fleet: 2 Number in Fleet: 22
Destinations we serve
Lean and 5S
SORT - Segregate and discard
SIMPLIFY - Arrange and identify
SWEEP - Establish visual controls
STANDARDIZE - Develop standard processes
SELF-DISCIPLINE - Continuous follow-through
Alaska Airlines and 5S
START – Endorse continuous improvement
SAMPLE – Learn new tools and concepts: Zoom and 5S
SCATTER – Apply learning at various depths in broad areas of the
organization
STRATEGIC – Align and integrate lean in the company strategy
SUSTAIN – Continuous follow through
START – Endorse continuous improvement
SAMPLE – Learn new tool and concepts: Zoom and 5S
SCATTER – Apply learning at various depths in broad areas of the
organization
STRATEGIC – Align and integrate lean in the company strategy
SUSTAIN – Continuous follow through
Start
Sample
2003 – Aircraft Turn Scatter
Strategic
Sustain
Objective
– Increase aircraft utilization with quick turns
Actions
– Integrated team used basic Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) at the
gemba for process definition
– Implemented visual controls (5S)
– Developed standardized work processes
Outcomes
– Learned each group had their turn process
– Processes did not ‘add up’
– Defined standard Alaska Airlines turn process – TANGO
– Demonstrated power of integrated process
Needed to move from task to process
CSAs
Fuel
Pilots
Fleet
Ramp
Marketing Upstairs
Maintenance Downstairs Aircraft
Inflight Load Planning Turn
Catering Services
Operations
SOC
Dispatch
Cargo
Start
Sample
Aircraft Turn Scatter
Strategic
Sustain
Fuel
Baggage
Maintenance
Cargo
Upstairs
Catering
Water
Downstairs
Catering Lavatory
Load planning
Fleet
Pilots
Services
Flight attendants
Passengers
Start
Sample
And we achieved results! Scatter
Strategic
Sustain
# 1 DOT On Time Performance – August 2004, (Alaska’s best
on time performance)
0% increase to OJIs, aircraft and ground damage
Aircraft utilization rates for target aircraft up 3.4%
Offered additional flights and destinations
Top rankings
– Outstanding Customer Service - Conde Nast
– # 1 Best Major Domestic Airline – Travel & Leisure
Magazine, World’s Best Awards
Start
The true success – Sample
Scatter
evolutionary, not revolutionary Strategic
Sustain
Realized lean is critical to our success
We must approach all work this way
The people doing the work are the Expertise
experts
Facilitation
Focus on action oriented problem Action oriented sponsorship
solving, at the gemba (not talking
about it!)
START – Endorse continuous improvement
SAMPLE – Learn new tool and concepts: Zoom and 5S
SCATTER – Apply learning at various depths in broad areas of the
organization
STRATEGIC – Align and integrate lean in the company strategy
SUSTAIN – Continuous follow through
Start
Sample
2004 – Learn thru education Scatter
Strategic
Sustain
Alaska Airlines Lean Toolbox
• Zoom
• 5S
Leadership engaged with Boeing to learn
lean
Expertise
• Boeing site visits
• Japan visits
Facilitation
Action oriented sponsorship
Lean conferences
• Employees attended Boeing lean
conference
• Alaska Airlines presented
Start
Sample
2004 Zoom – learn by doing Scatter
Strategic
Sustain
Conducted > 25 Zoom events
Example: Reservations Partner Desk
Developed > 50 Zoom facilitators
Engaged > 200 employees in Zoom improvements
Shared experiences through communication vehicles
Incorporated Process Improvement into leadership expectations
Inaugural corporate recognition for continuous improvement
– Flywheel award
Start
Sample
2004 5S – learn by doing Scatter
Strategic
Sustain
START – Endorse continuous improvement
SAMPLE – Learn new tool and concepts: Zoom and 5S
SCATTER – Apply learning at various depths in broad areas of the
organization
STRATEGIC – Align and integrate lean in the company strategy
SUSTAIN – Continuous follow through
Start
Sample
Growing commitment Scatter
Strategic
Sustain
Created &
Created Delivered
staffed Provided
Satellite workshop
Air Group Lean 101
M&E facilitator
Lean training
Team training
Team
Exchanges Attended Hosted
Partnered
& & Kaizen
with
tours with presented Blitz,
Boeing
local at Lean participated
for
lean Conference in Moonshine
workshops
practitioners and LFI Wars
Start
Sample
2005/2006– Let’s do more…… Scatter
Strategic
Sustain
2005/2006– and more!!
Start
Sample
What did we learn? Scatter
Strategic
Sustain
Benefits
• Leveraged subject expertise
• Provided exposure to lean
• Provided positive lean experience
• Empowered people to change processes
Learning
• Not all improvements were sustained
• Results were not necessarily recognized by or visible to our
customers
Start
Sample
Aligning our focus Scatter
Strategic
Sustain
Tactical Direction Strategic Direction
Work Group
Individual
Many Tactical &
Unaligned To Strategic
Activities Direction
START – Endorse continuous improvement
SAMPLE – Learn new tools and concepts: Zoom and 5S
SCATTER – Apply learning at various depths in broad areas of the
organization
STRATEGIC – Align and integrate lean in the company strategy
SUSTAIN – Continuous follow through
Start
Sample
2006 – Lean aligned with strategy Scatter
Strategic
Sustain
Corporate initiative to improve our maintenance program
3569 Steps
10707 Feet
2.02 Miles
Start
Sample
2006 – Lean aligned with strategy Scatter
Strategic
Sustain
Corporate initiative to improve our maintenance program
810 Steps
2430 Feet
.46 Miles
Start
Sample
2007 - Airline operations Scatter
Strategic
Sustain
Corporate Strategy
Lean
Operations Project
Strategy & Management
Support Office
Start
Sample
Apply the learning from TANGO Scatter
Strategic
Sustain
CSAs Expertise
Fuel
Pilots Facilitation
Fleet
Action oriented sponsorship
Ramp
Marketing Upstairs
Maintenance Downstairs Aircraft
Inflight Load Planning Turn
Catering Services
Operations
Robust
SOC Feedback
Dispatch Systems
Cargo
Start
Sample
2007 Lean - Operational Excellence Scatter
Strategic
Sustain
Schedule and infrastructure
STAR – Target 100% STAR launch
Turn – Establish metrics and achieve ground
time reliability, reduce variability
Data– Right metrics to drive Right effort
START – Endorse continuous improvement
SAMPLE – Learn new tools and concepts: Zoom and 5S
SCATTER – Apply lean learning at various depths in broad areas of
the organization
STRATEGIC – Align and integrate lean in the company strategy
SUSTAIN – Continuous follow through
Start
Sample
Sustain the gains Scatter
Strategic
Sustain
Internal Service Quality
Employee Satisfaction
Employee Retention
Employee Productivity and Performance
External Service Quality
Customer Satisfaction
Superior Customer Value
Customer Loyalty
Revenue Growth/Profitability
Shareholder Value
Where is Alaska Airlines?
• START – Endorse continuous improvement
• SAMPLE – Learn new tools and concepts: Zoom and 5S
• SCATTER – Apply lean learning at various depths in broad areas
of the organization
• STRATEGIC – Align and integrate lean in the company strategy
• SUSTAIN – Continuous follow through
Questions?
