The U.S. Navy recently needed to transform the way it approached the airworthiness of its F/A-18 strike aircraft, which had a history of having too many airships down for maintenance. Faced with a goal of having at least 341 jets ready to fly (up from 260), the Navy embarked on a program that included baseline data collection, better understanding of the obstacles to airworthiness, and clearer accountability and ownership. This program allowed the Navy to exceed its goals — and provides lessons that any organization undergoing a transformation can learn from.

Five years ago, U.S. Navy leaders faced a massive strategic challenge: to get more of its fighter aircraft ready for takeoff.