The use of benchmarking at the U.S. Department of Energy`s Pantex Plant

The U.S. Department of Energy`s (DOE`s) Pantex Plant, located in Amarillo, Texas, is responsible for the assembly, stockpile maintenance, and disassembly of nuclear weapons. Pantex is operated by the Mason and Hanger-Silas Mason Co., Inc. The following summarizes the pilot study that was designed to establish Pantex as a leader in using the continuous improvement tool of benchmarking within the DOE`s Nuclear Weapon Complex (NWC). The pilot study was conducted with Mason and Hanger-Silas Mason Co. and Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) personnel during 1992.