return to contents

Deputy Division Director's Notes: Putting "System" into System Approach

Dana Christensen, Deputy Director of NMT Division

The Laboratory has taken a dramatic step in changing the way it manages the execution of work. This new way may be called "the system approach." At Technical Area 55 (TA-55), we have selected a number of project leaders whose job is to assure that projects are executed and products are delivered to customers on schedule. This change also highlights the cross-knitted nature of our projects across all Laboratory organizations. It ensures that the best set of Laboratory skills and abilities is employed in completing all tasks. Specialists come not only from the traditional science and technology organizations, but also from environment, safety, and health (ES&H); facilities; personnel; budgeting; program; and other operational functions. This integration of all the interacting parts of a project, all critical to its success, is defined as "the system approach."

Achieving success has always involved delivering high-quality products to our customers on time. Historically, cost has been important, but not a driving factor. Today, cost has become a very important driving factor. Adopting the system approach allows us to squeeze out redundancies, inefficiencies, shadow organizations, and activities that cause our costs to grow while not adding value or quality to our products. At TA-55 one can see the results of these efforts in many ways. For example, we have turned over the warehouse and property management functions to the Business Operations Division (BUS) professionals. They are employing modern warehousing techniques and beginning to use just-in-time purchasing methods. Their goal is to reduce overall costs, including the cost of maintaining inventory, and to provide timely delivery of materials.

In another example, we are contracting with the ES&H organizations for expertise in the various health and safety professions of importance to TA-55. In the past these professionals were our critics; today they are becoming part of the solution. They are slowly being incorporated into the operations and are improving our safety posture. Other changes include incorporation of the BUS Team Leader and financial team, a security officer, a JCI (Johnson Controls, Inc.) craft coordinator, Audits and Assessments Office professionals, and a development team from the Human Resources Division.

The goal we keep in front of us is to use science and technology including the methodology of handling and disposing of plutonium, to reduce the nuclear danger. Therefore, the management methods we use must be linked with the actual science and engineering functions. The TA-55 management is encouraging increased coordination and integration of the line activities with the program functions so as to better serve the nation's needs and to become more responsive to customer wishes. This will also allow us to raise important issues more quickly. We have recently had program management personnel from Nuclear Materials and Reconfiguration Technologies take up residence at TA-55, and their presence has already had a significant impact on improving our interactions with customers.

Project leaders will continue to identify the very best, properly trained personnel to complete project tasks, whether they are Nuclear Materials Technology Division employees or from other Laboratory divisions. By taking this "systems" point of view, everyone will have a stake in program success, we will become more efficient, and we will continue to deliver on our programmatic commitments to customers.



NMT | LANL | DOE
Phone Book | Search | Help/Info

L O S  A L A M O S & #160; N A T I O N A L   L A B O R A T O R Y
Operated by the University of California for the US Department of Energy

Questions? - Copyright © UC 1996 - Disclaimer 26 June 1996

;