A642.2.3.RB - Organizing for Innovation
I’ve
work in aviation for 20 years, mostly as a contractor, most on or around Boeing
products. I took a direct position with The Boeing Company 5 years ago. And in
all my time I was more concern with manufacturing or repairing aircrafts then
the technology or innovation that went into creating the wondrous machinery
that I was working on. That was until I took an engineering job at The Boeing
Company.
The success Boeing has enjoyed can be attributed to essential strategic initiatives, adjusting to the whims of the business environment and adhering to its ethos of striving to be the greatest aircraft manufacturer on the planet. From day to day operations, to coordinating with engineers on the other side of the planet, to achieving environmental initiatives, Boeing continues to innovate and compete.
The essential strategic initiatives that Boeing used are factors relative to growth, innovation, network, and having an effective exit strategy. Boeing's growth strategy has included acquisitions which have allowed Boeing to add to its impressive technology arsenal, thus being at the fore front in the aircraft manufacturing industry. Bundling its technological resources with its organizational resources have allowed Boeing to grow internationally. In terms of innovation, Boeing has been the industry leader in innovation, again with the 787, despite the problems associated with it. This the current project that I have been working on the last 10 years. The 787 will allow a single flight to anywhere in the world for regular passengers because of the technological innovations that were central around the development of the aircraft. Regarding network strategy, Boeing has a very large and respectable network with China and Chinese producers. This has allowed Boeing to tap into a market of over a billion people, with many of those people rising to a middle-class status thus, having the ability to fly. This demand for flying will need aircraft and Boeing has nurtured this network and will be one of the first in line to deliver.(Boeing, 2016)
Development of commercial aviation technology is aimed largely at improving airplane operating economics, which directly affect airline profitability. Fuel is expected to remain the largest component of airplane operating cost, so technology development efforts focus strongly on reducing fuel consumption. The latest generation of Boeing airplanes, including the 787, 747-8, and the upcoming 737 MAX and 777X, reduce fuel consumption by double-digit percentages compared with earlier-generation airplanes.
Developments in engine technology made possible by advances in materials, aerodynamics, and manufacturing techniques drive much of the improvement. Advances in wing design also contribute to better fuel efficiency. The use of composites in the 787 and 777X wings permitted aerodynamic improvements that could not be achieved using conventional materials. The Boeing Advanced Technology Winglet on the 737 MAX optimizes the performance of the single-aisle airplane's wing. Improved engines, aerodynamics, and systems also reduce noise by as much as 30 percent in the case of the 747-8.
Customers’ Needs Drive Technology and innovation to meet the customer needs (range, payload, speed, mission effectiveness, availability, reliability, etc.) easy to mod; open system architecture; easy to upgrade non-polluting in production; quiet; non-polluting & fuel efficient in operation; disposable/recyclable at end of life in development, production, operations, and support.
Airlines are also increasingly looking to innovative solutions to improve operational efficiency, decrease costs, improve customer service, and increase safety. Increased communications connectivity and improved mobile technologies are helping IT solutions penetrate every aspect of airline operations, including maintenance and engineering, ground, and in-flight operations.
There are several formal and informal processes that are available to employees of The Boeing Company. One of the formal and informal processes is that all employees are encourage to join and be active in Employee Involvement (EI) teams. It's a concept that's been evolving across Boeing for several years under names such as High Performance Work Teams, High Performance Work Organizations, Accelerated Improvement Workshops, and Lean activities. The practice, with more than 1,600 teams already in place and 18,000 participants, is a major component of the company's transformational goals. It's also a key to making Boeing a better place to work.(Boeing, 2016)
EI teams are where people have the opportunity to be involved in the decisions that affect their work, including ways to improve their workflow and processes. Unlike traditional hierarchical "command-and-control," function-driven cultures, EI promotes collaboration by creating and supporting a team-based workplace, with teams of workers taking responsibility for managing, performing and improving the processes and projects they control.
To accomplish this, teams are provided clear expectations and control of resources, and they have access to the data they need when they need it to perform the work. Employee Involvement also means partnering at all levels, promoting innovation, including everyone in team decisions and using technology to share information. In the end, Employee Involvement is about inspiring the organization toward success and improved business results.
EI ideas can be as simple as eliminated keystrokes of repetitive information. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to find valuable improvement ideas. All it takes is awareness. Even 1,000 employees contributing a 1 percent gain in performance is the same as one improvement contributing a 1,000 percent gain.
But will individual Boeing employees personally benefit from EI? Absolutely, EI really is about the work environment we come into every day. An Employee Involvement culture creates a positive work environment where people feel valued and listened to and know their contributions are key to their organization's success. As part of their function, EI teams support and encourage a safe, secure and healthy workplace and can eliminate or revise frustrating and unnecessary work procedures. Groups involved in EI activities at Boeing have consistently generated higher scores in the Employee Satisfaction Index on the company's annual Employee Survey.
Boeing has taken innovation a step farther at Boeing South Carolina (BSC). With the opening of two new facilities Engineering Design Center (EDC) and Boeing Research & Technology (BR&T) Center. The facilities help Boeing apply new technology and solutions to our products across the entire company faster and more efficiently than ever before.
Beverly Wyse, vice president and general manager of Boeing South Carolina at the time of opening, said both centers will work collaboratively with the others on developing new technologies. It also benefits from having other Boeing operations nearby, allowing employees in those divisions to bring new ideas just up the road for testing.(BR&T, 2016)
As the advanced central research and development organization of The Boeing Company, Boeing Research & Technology (BR&T) provides innovative technologies that enable the development of future aerospace solutions while improving the cycle time, cost, quality and performance of existing Boeing products and services.
As part of Boeing's Engineering, Test & Technology organization, Boeing Research & Technology is clearly focused on technical excellence, enhancing Boeing's growth and productivity, and helping the company operate more effectively so it can provide its customers with solutions that best meet their needs.
The success Boeing has enjoyed can be attributed to essential strategic initiatives, adjusting to the whims of the business environment and adhering to its ethos of striving to be the greatest aircraft manufacturer on the planet. From day to day operations, to coordinating with engineers on the other side of the planet, to achieving environmental initiatives, Boeing continues to innovate and compete.
The essential strategic initiatives that Boeing used are factors relative to growth, innovation, network, and having an effective exit strategy. Boeing's growth strategy has included acquisitions which have allowed Boeing to add to its impressive technology arsenal, thus being at the fore front in the aircraft manufacturing industry. Bundling its technological resources with its organizational resources have allowed Boeing to grow internationally. In terms of innovation, Boeing has been the industry leader in innovation, again with the 787, despite the problems associated with it. This the current project that I have been working on the last 10 years. The 787 will allow a single flight to anywhere in the world for regular passengers because of the technological innovations that were central around the development of the aircraft. Regarding network strategy, Boeing has a very large and respectable network with China and Chinese producers. This has allowed Boeing to tap into a market of over a billion people, with many of those people rising to a middle-class status thus, having the ability to fly. This demand for flying will need aircraft and Boeing has nurtured this network and will be one of the first in line to deliver.
Development of commercial aviation technology is aimed largely at improving airplane operating economics, which directly affect airline profitability. Fuel is expected to remain the largest component of airplane operating cost, so technology development efforts focus strongly on reducing fuel consumption. The latest generation of Boeing airplanes, including the 787, 747-8, and the upcoming 737 MAX and 777X, reduce fuel consumption by double-digit percentages compared with earlier-generation airplanes.
Developments in engine technology made possible by advances in materials, aerodynamics, and manufacturing techniques drive much of the improvement. Advances in wing design also contribute to better fuel efficiency. The use of composites in the 787 and 777X wings permitted aerodynamic improvements that could not be achieved using conventional materials. The Boeing Advanced Technology Winglet on the 737 MAX optimizes the performance of the single-aisle airplane's wing. Improved engines, aerodynamics, and systems also reduce noise by as much as 30 percent in the case of the 747-8.
Customers’ Needs Drive Technology and innovation to meet the customer needs (range, payload, speed, mission effectiveness, availability, reliability, etc.) easy to mod; open system architecture; easy to upgrade non-polluting in production; quiet; non-polluting & fuel efficient in operation; disposable/recyclable at end of life in development, production, operations, and support.
Airlines are also increasingly looking to innovative solutions to improve operational efficiency, decrease costs, improve customer service, and increase safety. Increased communications connectivity and improved mobile technologies are helping IT solutions penetrate every aspect of airline operations, including maintenance and engineering, ground, and in-flight operations.
There are several formal and informal processes that are available to employees of The Boeing Company. One of the formal and informal processes is that all employees are encourage to join and be active in Employee Involvement (EI) teams. It's a concept that's been evolving across Boeing for several years under names such as High Performance Work Teams, High Performance Work Organizations, Accelerated Improvement Workshops, and Lean activities. The practice, with more than 1,600 teams already in place and 18,000 participants, is a major component of the company's transformational goals. It's also a key to making Boeing a better place to work.
EI teams are where people have the opportunity to be involved in the decisions that affect their work, including ways to improve their workflow and processes. Unlike traditional hierarchical "command-and-control," function-driven cultures, EI promotes collaboration by creating and supporting a team-based workplace, with teams of workers taking responsibility for managing, performing and improving the processes and projects they control.
To accomplish this, teams are provided clear expectations and control of resources, and they have access to the data they need when they need it to perform the work. Employee Involvement also means partnering at all levels, promoting innovation, including everyone in team decisions and using technology to share information. In the end, Employee Involvement is about inspiring the organization toward success and improved business results.
EI ideas can be as simple as eliminated keystrokes of repetitive information. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to find valuable improvement ideas. All it takes is awareness. Even 1,000 employees contributing a 1 percent gain in performance is the same as one improvement contributing a 1,000 percent gain.
But will individual Boeing employees personally benefit from EI? Absolutely, EI really is about the work environment we come into every day. An Employee Involvement culture creates a positive work environment where people feel valued and listened to and know their contributions are key to their organization's success. As part of their function, EI teams support and encourage a safe, secure and healthy workplace and can eliminate or revise frustrating and unnecessary work procedures. Groups involved in EI activities at Boeing have consistently generated higher scores in the Employee Satisfaction Index on the company's annual Employee Survey.
Boeing has taken innovation a step farther at Boeing South Carolina (BSC). With the opening of two new facilities Engineering Design Center (EDC) and Boeing Research & Technology (BR&T) Center. The facilities help Boeing apply new technology and solutions to our products across the entire company faster and more efficiently than ever before.
Beverly Wyse, vice president and general manager of Boeing South Carolina at the time of opening, said both centers will work collaboratively with the others on developing new technologies. It also benefits from having other Boeing operations nearby, allowing employees in those divisions to bring new ideas just up the road for testing.
As the advanced central research and development organization of The Boeing Company, Boeing Research & Technology (BR&T) provides innovative technologies that enable the development of future aerospace solutions while improving the cycle time, cost, quality and performance of existing Boeing products and services.
As part of Boeing's Engineering, Test & Technology organization, Boeing Research & Technology is clearly focused on technical excellence, enhancing Boeing's growth and productivity, and helping the company operate more effectively so it can provide its customers with solutions that best meet their needs.
Innovation
may be defined as exploiting new ideas leading to the creation of a new
product, process or service. It is not just the invention of a new idea that is
important, but it is “bringing it to market”, putting into practice and
exploiting it in a manner that leads to new products, services or systems that
add value or improve quality. It possibly involves technological transformation
and management restructuring. Innovation also means exploiting new technology
and employing out-of-the-box thinking to generate new value and to bring about
significant changes in society.
References
Boeing. (2016, October 28). BCA Employee
Involvement. Retrieved from BCA Employee Involvement:
http://bcag.web.boeing.com/employeeinvolvement/
BR&T, B. (2016, October 27). Boeing Research
& Technology. Retrieved from Boeing Research & Technology:
https://brtweb.web.boeing.com/
Canfield, J., & Smith, G. (2011). INtroduce
Process Improvement Skills. In J. Canfield, & G. Smith, Imagine -
Ideation Skils for Improvement and Innovation Today (pp. 29-54). Holland:
Black Lake Press.
McKeown, M. (2014). The Innovation Book. In M.
McKeown, The Innovation Book (pp. 33-58). London: Pearson.
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