Art of the Possible comes to Whiteman

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Joseph Garcia
  • 509th Bomb Wing
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. --  An innovative idea is coming to Whiteman Air Force Base.


That idea is the Art of the Possible.


Air Force Global Strike Command Office of Logistics and Engineering sponsored an AOP class for Airmen on Wednesday, July 20, 2022 at Whiteman AFB, Missouri.


William Tsao, an Air Force veteran who spent three years with AFGSC, created AOP, a constraint-based management system that takes all of the best practices from other systems, packaging them into one tool-box that anyone can use.


These practices streamline processes by identifying constraints, limiting work-in-progress (WIP), and standardizing the practices in place.


Tsao has implemented AOP successfully at bases such as Barksdale and Minot.


He says the results speak for themselves.


Barksdale focused only on their WIP and saved over 3,000 man hours year-to-date while producing 400 wheels to 600 wheels this year.


Tsao hopes to bring this same success to Whiteman AFB.


Staff Sgt. Robert Crane, a Phase Inspection Craftsman with the 509th Bomb Wing Maintenance Group, took the class with some initial reservations.


“I’m excited to see if it’ll make as big of an impact as their records show, because I feel like we’re working as efficiently as possible,” said Crane. “Just like everyone else that was skeptical and proven wrong, I hope to be too.”


MSgt. Joseph Smith, director of innovation and optimization for the 509th Bomb Wing Maintenance Group, has confidnece that Crane will eventually reap the benefits of this training.


“Art of the Possible will greatly increase lethality and warfighter readiness of Whiteman Air Force Base,” said Smith. “It empowers Airmen at all levels of leadership to create masterpieces.”


These leaps in productivity and efficiency are what Whiteman wants and what AOP strives to provide.