Supplier Request (SR) Process Streamline and Optimization

Abstract

The Supplier Request (SR) process is used by the supply base to electronically submit Process or Engineering change requests against the contractual relationship or approved technical baseline. The process is not optimized when it comes to the processing of Process Change Requests (PCR) type SR’s. The team identified three main process wastes: repetition of tasks, program independent reviews and inconsistent information provided by the supplier. The new streamlined and optimized process was able to meet the objectives and exceed expectations. The first pass yield was improved from 30 percent to 100 percent and the average cycle time was improved from 114 days to 24 days. Year to date, the project has contributed to the organization two million dollars in costs avoided. The next project phase would be to deploy the new process for all programs across the mission areas and suppliers across the supply base. Key Terms ⎯ Lean Manufacturing, Process Improvement, Project Management, Supplier Management.