(Washington: Army News Service) -- The Army has cut the time it takes to rebuild battle-damaged Humvees with a new assembly-line process at Red River Army Depot, Texas.

Red River was recently one of 12 Army commands to receive the Shingo Prize Public Sector Award for Excellence in manufacturing and achievement, called by Business Week “the Nobel Prize for manufacturing.” Red River was one of only three Army depots to receive Shingo’s gold medal.

In 2004, Red River was overhauling about three Humvees per month, according to the Army Materiel Command. Now an average of 23 rebuilt Humvees roll out of the depot daily.

Lean Six Sigma principles were used to transform business practices at the depot, Red River Commander Col. Douglas Evans told an audience at the “Warrior’s Corner” exhibit at the Association of the U.S. Army annual meeting.

“We could not have accomplished this without the help of every employee,” Evans says, adding that when he arrived at the depot two years ago, he told everyone that he was “all about changing people, or changing people.” Employees embraced the mindset of business transformation and now Evans has staff members with Yellow, Green, Brown, and Black Belts in lean Six Sigma.

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