Bringing Lean to IT

Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne formally implemented information technology “lean” re-engineering improvements for acquisition activities last month. Currently, the Electronic Systems Center’s Operations Support Systems Wing is using the process and force-wide implementation is scheduled by May 28. Before the improvements, the Air Force used several different processes to develop, test, and field IT systems. The result was frequent delay and sometimes less than satisfactory product performance. USAF officials say that the new lean process uses an enterprise approach to system development and cuts out certificates of networthiness and operation certificates that were often to blame for delays.