ROI ConsultingROI Consulting
CASE STUDY

Classified Defense Manufacturer — Ejection Seat Velocity Cell

A Lean Six Sigma blitz that synchronized classified warehousing with final assembly, unlocking predictable Takt Time and higher sortie readiness for a defense OEM.

Ejection seat staged in a controlled assembly laboratory
Velocity-cell configuration of a next-gen ejection seat ready for Takt Time validation.

Mission Brief

A Tier-1 defense manufacturer tasked with delivering ejection seats for fifth-generation aircraft faced rising backlog, storage congestion, and inspection overruns. Classified components, explosive cartridges, and serialized hardware were scattered across legacy warehouses, challenging compliance and slowing production.

Lean Six Sigma Event Scope

Over a 10-day Kaizen, ROI Consulting facilitated a cross-functional team of logistics, quality, and production leaders. We mapped the end-to-end value stream from secure receiving through final seat acceptance, removing hidden queues and designing a warehouse-to-line replenishment loop that kept flight-critical material moving.

  • Implemented red/green zone organization, detonator cabinets, and RFID-enabled cages for serialized squibs.
  • Consolidated BOM variants into configurable kits with PFEP (plan-for-every-part) governance and electronic traveler updates.
  • Deployed visual Takt Time management, andon triggers, and leader standard work to maintain flow and rapid problem escalation.

Execution Pillars

  • Warehouse Flow Redesign
    Converted 92,000 sq ft of raw inventory staging into FIFO lanes with visual kanban triggers and MIL-STD compliant traceability.
  • Takt Time-Oriented Build Cells
    Reconfigured subassembly workcells around ejection seat modules, aligning Takt Time to 54 minutes with synchronized kit delivery.
  • Quality Firewall
    Instituted mistake-proofed torque verification, serialized traveler updates, and point-of-use inspection for pyrotechnic components.

Operational Impact

Warehouse Retrieval Time
-58%
Daily Seat Output
+38%
Line Changeover Time
-44%
Audit Findings
0 Class I / II

Sustainment

Sustainment plans embedded SPC for pyrotechnic assembly torque checks, quarterly layered process audits, and a digital kanban system tied into the enterprise resource planning platform. The client now fulfils classified orders with 98% schedule adherence while maintaining zero major audit findings across DCMA and service-branch visits.