Lean Six Sigma for Supply Chain Management as Applied to the Army Rapid Fielding Initiative

The Army´s rapid fielding initiative (RFI) is the process by which new equipment is distributed to soldiers either at home station or in a theater of operations. Currently, equipment is shipped from over 50 suppliers around the United States to a single central warehouse on the east coast where it is packaged into sets. The sets are then shipped to the end user stationed at one of over 40 locations around the world. It is a process that costs the Army time, money and a great deal of effort to execute. By applying a combination of lean six sigma and the systems decision process, decision makers can make informed decisions and select the most efficient and economical alternatives that improve the RFI process and provide the greatest value to the stakeholder.