Materials Management

Van Allen Science Teacher Center (VAST), Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Editor’s Note: In January 2011, I had the opportunity to visit the Van Allen Science Teaching Center (VAST) in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Erica Larson, Science Consultant in the Grant Wood Area Education Agency (GWAEA) and long-time FOSS supporter, invited me on a tour of the facility. Needless to say, I was impressed. The following text is excerpted and annotated from The Linker, a newsletter published by the GWAEA (Summer 2011, vol. 31, issue 4, page 1).

The Van Allen Science Teaching Center (VAST) has experienced tremendous growth in the past 10 years since moving to its present location in Cedar Rapids. During 2001–2002, the staff at the center provided 1,432 science curriculum units to 545 K–6 teachers. In comparison, the staff provided 4,684 science curriculum units to 1,756 K–8 teachers during the 2010–2011 school year. It became apparent early on that the level of growth required some changes in practice and use of resources to maintain high-quality service to schools and keep costs low.

During the spring of 2009, the VAST Center staff embarked on a process to enhance workforce management using lean principles. Lean production or manufacturing principles are used in business models to eliminate waste and enhance value for consumers. As Jeanne Bancroft, VAST Center supervisor, explained, “Routine processes in the VAST Center were identified and studied to determine where changes could be made to offer current services in a more efficient manner.”

The Iowa Quality Center provided support for the training and implementation of the lean process. Gary Nesteby, executive director of the Iowa Quality Center, explained that the process began by defining the VAST Center clients and their needs.

“We looked at current work processes and mapped them,” Nesteby said. “Measurements of the work area were completed, the available space determined, and the amount of space needed to effectively complete tasks was determined.”

Changes in operations and physical layout of the center were implemented during the 2010–2011 school year. “We’ve changed to better meet the needs of our clients,” Bancroft explained. “To be effective, we need to partner with those who use our services. Our goal is not to make more work, but to work more efficiently.”

Many data were collected to help identify areas of waste. Common waste areas included unnecessary motion, too much processing, and several other areas. Nesteby explained that a diagram was created of the work the VAST Center staff completes putting each science kit together. “We also measured the amount of bending and ergonomic motions that staff go through to put the science kits together,” Nesteby explained. “One of the big issues was safety because many of the tubs have to be manually lifted and moved with a two-wheel cart.”

VAST Center technician, Linda Schlicht, uses a template to pack the FOSS Mixtures and Solutions module as a STEM teacher-in-residence observes.

Bancroft explained that each science kit contains hundreds of individual items, all of which must be inventoried before delivery and again upon return to the VAST Center. Through the use of lean principles, VAST Center staff determined methods to enhance the science kit replenishment process. One key change has been implementation of cardboard templates where areas are drawn and labeled on the workstation on which items from the kit are placed when unpacking and repacking a kit. This allowed a quick visual inventory and saved significant time over an item-by-item checklist inventory process.

Another implemented change was the concept of sub-kitting, where items are grouped and pre-packaged in advance of packing a kit to allow for quick turnaround of units. This resulted in the creation of a “rework” area where these tasks are color-coded by when they are needed and stored for the rework team to prepare for the technicians.

An example of the cardboard templates used to organize materials during the unpacking and repacking processes.

Lean principles were used to review the physical space available for organization as well as the processes used to prepare the science kits for delivery to customers. Working with staff, decisions were made to improve the flow of materials through the center. The design was adapted from a cellular approach where workstations and needed supplies are organized in proximity of each other.

“A change process evolves over time,” says Nesteby. “The VAST Center implemented changes that ultimately will allow students to learn more, teachers more time in the classroom, and the science kits to operate even more efficiently.”

Staff at the VAST Center use sub-kits where items are grouped and pre-packaged in advance for quick turnaround.

The VAST Center staff is very much committed to this ongoing focus on improvement; they proudly shared their new processes with the GWAEA Board of Directors on February 16, 2010, by taking them on a tour of the center. You can view the video tour at: https://gwaea.eduvision.tv/Default.aspx. (Go to the “Most Viewed” tab and to “Grant Wood AEA Staff Info” in the pull-down menu.)

“It’s all about keeping our costs down, while maintaining high quality service,” Bancroft said. “We want to be partners with our clients and will do the best we can to continue our commitment to provide outstanding service to area teachers and students.”

For more information, contact Jeanne Bancroft, VAST Center supervisor by calling 319-399-6560 or e-mailing jbancroft@gwaea.org. You can also explore the VAST Center website at http://www.aea10.k12.ia.us/vastscience/materialssupport.html.

Photos by Sue Jagoda