Department of Defense
DIRECTIVE
NUMBER 5010.42
May 15, 2008
DCMO
SUBJECT: DoD-Wide Continuous Process Improvement (CPI)/Lean Six Sigma (LSS)
Program
References: (a) Section 113 of title 10, United States Code
(b) Deputy Secretary of Defense Memorandum, “DoD-Wide Continuous Process
Improvement (CPI)/Lean Six Sigma (LSS),” April 30, 2007 (hereby canceled)
(c) Deputy Secretary of Defense Memorandum, “Establishment of DoD-wide
Continuous Process Improvement (CPI) Programs,” May 11, 2006
1. PURPOSE
. In accordance with the authority in Reference (a), this Directive:
a. Incorporates and cancels Reference (b).
b. Establishes policy and assigns responsibilities to institutionalize CPI/LSS as one of the
primary approaches to assessing and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of DoD
processes in support of the Department’s national defense mission.
2. APPLICABILITY
. This Directive applies to OSD, the Military Departments, the Office of
the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Joint Staff, the Combatant Commands, the
Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Defense, the Defense Agencies, the DoD
Field Activities, and all other organizational entities in the Department of Defense (hereafter
referred to collectively as the “DoD Components”).
3. POLICY
. It is DoD policy that:
a. The objective of the DoD CPI/LSS program is to strengthen joint operational Combatant
Command and Military Department capabilities including making improvements in:
(1) Productivity.
(2) Performance against mission (availability, reliability, cycle time, investment, and
operating costs).
