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LEAN AND SHARED AIR FORCE SUPPORT SERVICES

Written by Colonel Pedro Entradas Salvada and Major Ricardo Fernandes da Silva

The requirement to reduce the number of personnel in the Air Force (Defence 2020) and the

need to adjust the ratio of the staff assigned to Operations versus Support areas from 1-4 to 1-

3, led to a study in Support Services.

This study was conducted by a multidisciplinary team in the Air Force and based on the

processes mapped it concluded that Support functions must be improved and modernised; the

focus should be on the excellence of the Support services provided to military staff and as well

as improving efficiency.

The analysis allowed us to identify redundancies and duplications which favoured the creation

of a structure to promote efficiency, add value, reduce costs and improve services by means of

a more rational management of the resources available, particularly with regards to the

individual use of information and communication technologies.

Because this change had significant cultural change, Lean methodology was used to involve all

levels of the organisation; seek cooperation from all the support staff involved with a view to

transforming the support services of the Air Force.

BEFORE

he previous model was

based on paper

documentation, with

excessive bureaucracy,

inadequate standardisation and low use

of information and communication

systems.

This model identified the main kinds

of waste (fig. 1) which we must combat

daily at all levels of the organisation.

In addition to the examples of waste

identified, the traditional Air Force staff

support model was also characterised

by being different within the various

support service units, due to a large

number of stakeholders in different

processes, low dematerialisation and

excessive levels of approval.

Fig. 1 List of Wastes

Having concluded that there was a high potential for

the modernisation of the Support Services model; the

actual needs of the military staff and civilians were also

identified, based on a direct collaboration between the

parties concerned and the case managers.

The search for solutions was based on a shared

services philosophy, which promotes efficiency and

improves the quality of the services provided, exploiting

operational synergies, structures and standardisation

and the elimination of waste.

LEAN METHODOLOGY

The various support processes were analysed and

thoroughly mapped (fig. 2), using Lean methodology

(fig. 3), involving the key stakeholders.

Fig. 2 Self-Service project development phase

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Faults Sending documents with incomplete and/or incorrect information;

Long waiting times or delays Delays in the arrival of a document or

information, waiting for people, signatures, information;

About production Sending the same document by e-mail and fax, making

copies, ‘just in case’

Not using human talent Underestimating the value of creativity and talent of

the people involved in the processes for further improvements;

Transport Excessive e-mail distribution list, hand delivery of documents to

attach to other processes;

Inventory Piles of paper work, excessive consumables, and excessive

number of signatures;

Movement of persons Travelling between services, searching for files on

computers, searching for documents in files;

Excessive data processing Repetitive data entry, etc.

WASTE – ALL TASKS THAT DO NOT ADD VALUE

T

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The aim of this effort was to

identify opportunities for

improvement, from the value

chain workflows, to the elimination

of waste, namely through the

exclusion of tasks which do not

add any value to the processes. It

has once again become clear

how important the Lean tools are

for the Air Force. They have been

used with great success in aircraft

maintenance and logistics.

SHARED SERVICES

The Support Shared Services,

created by CEMFA Order no.

59/2015 on 31 July 2015, will

provide specialised customer

services and have the capacity to

provide clarifications and perform

various functions within the

organisation, including Staffing,

Finance and Logistics, focusing

on a single structure using

experienced staff that are able to

respond to various demands

using the best administrative

practices.

This integrated concept

requires an adequate

coordination between the various

departments with authority over

the processes, and between the

various channels, because that is

the only way to achieve greater

efficiency and better management

of resources.

Fig. 3 The five Lean principles

Fig. 4 Shared Services Model

The Shared Services are based on the concentration

concept and include a Contact Centre (customer service

by phone) to clarify any doubts regarding navigation on

the Self-Service (Online Electronic Counter) which is a

virtual customer service and works autonomously via

Intranet/Internet; and finally the Loja do Militar (the

Airman-Shop) (fig. 4).

AFTER

In this customer support concept, the Air Force military

staff and civilians must be able to access the maximum

number of support services autonomously, via the Self-

Service, using, if necessary, the Contact Centre for

clarifications regarding the use of the self-service, and only

going to the Airman-Shop in cases where it is absolutely

necessary, such as when purchasing uniforms or when

delivering original documents.

These services facilitate the existence of a direct

interaction between the military staff and the Central

Services and it is expected that the military and

civilians staff can solve 60% of its issues

autonomously, via Self-Service; 30% by using the

Contact Centre; and 10% with the Central Services

specialised technicians.

In turn, on-site support in the Airman Shop must

offer a wide range of services in a single location and

must be centrally located in the Unit to reduce

dispersion of Support Services as much as possible.

In the new model, the Central Services play an

essential role in the modernisation of the support

processes, focusing on planning functions,

standardisation of procedures and ensuring error

reduction and improving quality.

At the same time, this is an opportunity to rearrange

the local Support services, by simplifying the requisitions

of goods and services and streamlining the distribution of

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material (process known as kanban1 and milk-run2), with

constant and continuous resource optimisation, cost and

stocks reduction, reduction of bureaucracy and change of

organisational culture incorporating Lean management

concepts.

SELF-SERVICE

The Self-Service consists of an electronic customer

service counter, which is located on the Air Force portal,

where new features have been created that allow direct

access to personal information, obtaining a variety of

Fig. 5 Self-Service

Fig. 5A Using the Self Service at the Loja do Militar in Alfragide

declarations/documents autonomously and placing a

variety of requests.

This contributes to speeding up access to information,

without the need to contact the local support structures,

simply by logging into your personal account area (figs. 5

and 5A). After logging in, the military and civilian staff of the

Air Force have access to their biographical data in the

organisation, including ADM, tax and payroll data, holiday

entitlement and number of days taken, among other

information.

The Self-Service area allows the user to autonomously

and automatically issue several standard declarations with

electronic authentication to be delivered in different entities,

apply for ADM card renewal as well as change the NIB.

New functions will be developed in the short and medium

term.

In the portal, the user will have access to a Knowledge

Base area, where he or she can access a variety of

articles with detailed information on staff, finance and

logistics.

CONTACT CENTRE

The Contact Centre, located in Alfragide for the entire Air

Force (figs. 6 and 6A), aims to provide a specialised

telephone service to all military and civilian staff of the

Air Force by helping users navigate the Self-Service,

contributing to greater speed and ease in browsing.

Fig. 6 Contact Centre in Alfragide

Fig. 6A Another aspect of the Contact Centre

It also provides all the clarifications necessary on the

subjects listed in the Self-Service, forwarding other

matters to the Central Services.

It replaces the traditional telephone and on-site

support of the Headquarters, Registrar´s

Offices/Secretariats and Central Services, reducing the

number of stakeholders in Support.

The Contact Centre may also propose changes and

improve the content of the Self Service based on use

and demand analysis, with a view to continuous

improvement.

LOJA DO MILITAR (AIRMAN-SHOP)

The aim of the Loja do Militar (Airman-Shop) is to

provide an on-site service in a unique location for the

reception, forwarding and delivery of documents and

processing other matters that cannot be dealt through

the Self-Service system.

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Fig. 7 Appearance of the Loja do Militar (Airman-Shop)

quality service with fewer people, using less space, in short,

the aim is to cut costs.

In the future we should continue to promote the Shared

Services model to conform to the operating standards,

regularly update and manage the content and information

available, dematerialise and adapt existing processes to

the new model, as well as add services to the Airman-

Shop.

The first results of the implementation performed in

2015 demonstrate the general satisfaction of users and

clearly identify and rate the processes as being more

effective and standardised for the entire Air Force.

Fig. 7A Loja do Militar (Military Store) in Alfragide

In the Airman-Shop you can receive and deliver

documentation within the administration staff, authenticate

documents, process ADM reimbursements, renew driving

licenses and identification documents, process and assign

requests for accommodation and deliver the respective

keys; process requests, sale and delivery of uniforms.

The experience with the implementation of the Airman-

Shop (figs. 7 and 7A) has clearly enabled a clear

segregation between functions of front and back office

functions, a greater proximity between the services and

the ‘customers’, as well as a reduced response time for

the main services provided.

In the units where the Airman-Shop was implemented in

2015 (BA1, BA5 and UAL) the local needs were met while

respecting their specific features, ensuring the necessary

customisation.

CONCLUSION

The initial phase of implementation of the Shared Services

model allows us to conclude that it is possible to provide a

The implementation of three Airman-Shop in the three

units, shows there has been an average reduction of staff

involved in the processes concerned of about 28%.

This model offers integrated services, focused on user

needs, abandoning the traditional model with service

dispersion, with consequent waste of the increasingly

scarce human and material resources.

In this context, the implementation of the Shared

Services model to support the Air Force staff is in

alignment with the best practices and is a way forward for

a more modern and efficient Air Force, but which is also

closer to its military staff and civilians.

1 Kanban

Japanese word associated with information and material flow.

2 MilkRun

Courier distribution of material.

The authors would like to thank Major General PILAV Manuel Rafael

Martins for the technical revision of the article

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