April 2008 | Volume VI, Issue XI

www.boeing.com/frontiers

STRONG SIGNAL Boeing’s satellite business has helped change the world—and shown how to best use cross-company knowledge

April 2008 Volume VI, Issue XI BOEING FRONTIERS

ON THE COVER: Boeing’s Satellite Development Center, in El Segundo, Calif. Photo illustration by Brandon Luong; photo by Bob Ferguson

COVER STORY Bob Ferguson photo Among the stars | 14 Deran Bell, a solar array floor supervisor, is one of the many teammates in Boeing’s satellite busi- ness. This business and its people create products that provide essential services and many conveniences—and have demonstrated how Boeing teams can improve their operations by tapping knowledge from around the enterprise. FEATURE STORY A neat trip across Boeing | 22 Thanks to a spirit of collaboration, there’s a traveling Foreign Object Debris exhibit now making its way across Boeing. The exhibit’s organizers hope the display heightens employees’ efforts to prevent FOD.

BOEING FRONTIERS APRIL 2008 3 Contents BOEING FRONTIERS

The buzz builds | 24 You’ll hear Airplane Programs Finance teammates in Commercial Airplanes talk about “buzz”—the energy emanating from Lean focals who have helped Finance people cut waste and create new resource capacity. Here’s a look at some of their many projects. 1,400 and looking forward | 28 Four teammates on the 747 program were there at the start of this program— and are still contributing as Boeing recently delivered its 1,400th 747. This quartet said they’ve seen first-hand the improvements Boeing has made to the airplane and the processes used to build it.

Space for career Lean focals Mike Lozar (left) and Bryant Bonner discuss process improvements during a recent workshop. Lozar 24 and Bonner are two of about 100 focals and facilitators in growth | 30 the Airplane Programs Finance Lean network. Daniel Thompson photo To inspire college students to join the aerospace industry after graduation, Boeing recently hosted about 240 Denver-area undergrads at the Third Space Exploration Conference. Tried and true methods | 31 To finish a long list of tasks before the delivery of Japan’s first-ever aerial refueling tanker, the KC-767 tanker team turned to some “old school” tactics— including Post-it notes on a wall—to increase visibility on remaining work. It helped the team rally to get the job done.

An eye on future growth | 32 The Boeing-developed SBInet system has brought advanced security tech- nology to a section of the United States–Mexico border. It’s intended to help U.S. Customs and Border Protection execute its mission more effectively—and it shows how border security is a new Boeing market for network integration. INSIDE Steve Bowman (from left), Leonard White, Lou Forbush and Don Smith all worked on the first 747—and are still with the 747 program 1,400 planes later. 28 6 Letters 10 Historical Perspective Will Wantz photo 9 Notebook 12 New and Notable

4 APRIL 2008 BOEING FRONTIERS BOEING FRONTIERS APRIL 2008 Contents BOEING FRONTIERS

The 9-90 building at the Boeing Developmental Center in Seattle includes several videoconferencing centers. Boeing is modern- 40 izing the Developmental Center’s interior to create collaborative, user-friendly work areas. Jim Anderson photo

Tag of progress | 36 Looking inside | 40 Since the F-22 receiving team in Seattle implemented a radio frequency identifi- Boeing is modernizing Integrated Defense Systems facilities in the Puget Sound cation (RFID) system for raw metal tubing, they’ve cut costs and eliminated region. The goal: Create collaborative, user-friendly work areas—in response to error. Meanwhile, both Integrated Defense Systems and Commercial Airplanes employee survey results—and support the company’s strategy for better asset are exploring new RFID applications that benefit customers, suppliers and utilization. internal teams.

They can make it Protecting our work | 42 “One of my true joys lies in meeting Boeing inventors,” said Martha Ries, the happen | 38 head of Boeing’s Intellectual Property Management organization. She leads a team that aims to identify, protect and best use the company’s intellectual In St. Louis, you’ll find a team of 95 engineers that design tools—not the kind property to achieve a competitive advantage. you can buy at hardware stores, but unique and sometimes highly sophisticated tools that are used to build Boeing jet fighters.

45 Stock Charts 49 Around Boeing 46 Milestones 50 Spotlight

APRIL 2008 BOEING FRONTIERS BOEING FRONTIERS APRIL 2008 5 Letters BOEING FRONTIERS

Frontiers Publisher: Tom Downey Editorial director: Anne Toulouse Seeking EDITORIAL TEAM Editor: Paul Proctor: (312) 544-2938 a fair hearing Managing editor: Junu Kim: (312) 544-2939 Designer: Boeing execs explain why the company Brandon Luong: (312) 544-2118 Commercial Airplanes editor: is protesting USAF tanker contract award Dick Schleh: (206) 766-2124 iting irregularities with the competition process and the evaluation of bids, Boeing last month filed a Integrated Defense Systems editor: Diane Stratman: (562) 797-1443 formal protest with the Government Accountability Office and asked the agency to review the U.S. Air Force’s decision to award a contract for replacing aerial refueling tankers to a Northrop Grumman– Engineering, Operations & C Technology editor: European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company team. William Cole: (314) 232-2186 During a live March 12 webcast on the Boeing intranet, Mark McGraw, vice president and program man- Shared Services editor: ager of KC-767 Tanker Programs, and Beverly Wyse, vice president of the 767 Airplane Program, answered Mick Boroughs: (206) 919-7584 Boeing employees’ questions about the contract award and the protest—the first Boeing has filed in more Human Resources and than a decade. Administration editor: Geoff Potter: (312) 544-2946 In this special edition of Letters to the Editor, Boeing Frontiers offers an edited transcript of this webcast. Copy editor: Q: I’ve heard that Boeing offered a 777 tanker, a direct competitor in size and payload to the A330 Walter Polt: (312) 544-2954 tanker, and that the Air Force declined. Is this true? ONLINE PRODUCTION McGraw: It’s not true. Back in the early parts of this program before we had the Air Force’s requirements, we Production manager: did extensive studies about which platform we should offer. We looked very hard at the 767 and the 777, and Alma Dayawon: (312) 544-2936 we always communicated to the Air Force that we would proceed based on what they told us they wanted. Web designer: Michael Craddock: (312) 544-2931 As the requirements came out, it was clear to us the 767 was the right choice. If you looked at what they asked Graphic artists: for as far as fuel load, passengers and cargo, the 767 clearly met all the requirements across the board with Brandon Luong: (312) 544-2118 margin. We also knew the 767 had great advantages in that it used less fuel than the A330, it would have lower Cal Romaneschi: (312) 544-2930 maintenance costs, and it would have less of an impact on the Air Force’s infrastructure. These were things we Web developers: thought would be strengths and would make for a great tanker platform. Lynn Hesby: (312) 544-2934 Keith Ward: (312) 544-2935 Q: What were the negatives of our offering? Information technology consultant: McGraw: Typically, a debrief will have a lot of glowing things to say and then will focus on several key weak- Tina Skelley: (312) 544-2323 nesses. The debrief showed we had one weakness that I would characterize as minor: We underestimated the software task, which is very typical. Other than that, we had no major weaknesses. And frankly, our competitor How to contact us: had some significant weaknesses, such as the Aerial Refueling System. E-mail: [email protected] Q: Did Congress or U.S. presidential candidates have any effect on the contract award? Mailing address: Wyse: We want to stay focused on the requirements that the Air Force put in the [Request for Proposals] and Boeing Frontiers our ability to meet them. While we very much appreciate all the support [we’ve received from Congress, Boeing MC: 5003-0983 employees and the general public], our focus at Boeing really has got to be on those requirements: Did we 100 N. Riverside Plaza Chicago, IL 60606 understand them, and did we address them? Phone: We’d like to ask [Boeing employees] to really be careful about what you write and how you represent the com- (312) 544-2954 pany. If you personally want to support the many petitions that are out there, you absolutely have a right to do Fax: that. Just be very careful not to do it on company time or using company resources. (312) 544-2078 Web address: Q: Where does mission effectiveness fit into the protest? www.boeing.com/frontiers McGraw: We were very pleased when [mission effectiveness] was added [to the requirements], because we Send all retiree address changes to felt this was really going to assess how a fleet of these tankers would operate in a real-world scenario. We felt Boeing Frontiers, MC 3T-12 P.O. Box 3707 Seattle, WA 98124-2207 Letters guidelines Postmaster: Send address corrections to Boeing Frontiers, MC 3T-12 Boeing Frontiers provides its letters page for readers to state The opinions may not necessarily reflect those of The Boeing P.O. Box 3707, Seattle, WA 98124-2207 their opinions. The page is intended to encourage an exchange Company. Letters must include name, organization and a tele- (Present addressees, include label) of ideas and information that stimulates dialogue on issues or phone number for verification purposes. Letters may be edited events in the company or the aerospace industry. for grammar, syntax and size.

6 APRIL 2008 BOEING FRONTIERS BOEING FRONTIERS APRIL 2008 Letters BOEING FRONTIERS

Jim Albaugh (right), Integrated Defense Systems president and CEO, makes introductory comments during a recent Boeing live webcast about the U.S. Air Force tanker competition. With Albaugh are Mark McGraw (left), vice president and program manager of KC-767 Tanker Programs, and Beverly Wyse, vice president of the 767 Airplane Program. ThomAS’ Goertel photo

the right-size attributes of our offering would very well [in these situations], and we were backlog. At our current rates, that keeps the really shine. And they did initially. allowed to write a 100-page supplement in production line full until the end of 2011. We Our competitor was concerned about this. I our proposal to talk about these things. are still in discussions with airlines today think they really struggled with their airplane, Even though our competitor maybe needed for both passenger and freighter airplanes. because of its size, to complete some of the slightly less aircraft in these scenarios, There remains a good interest, and we’re still mission [scenarios]. They pushed very hard they always burned more gas. And they focused on keeping that airplane efficient. and at one point even threatened to not com- always took up more bases, so there were The 787 was brought into being to replace the pete any longer. They were able to get changes fewer bases available for C-17s, fighters and 767. When that airplane is fully operational made in the model that, over time, separated other aircraft. and there’s more availability, we will even- the scenarios from the real-world operations We were always promised that this would get tually sunset the 767. But that’s a long way where they started from. factored in with the tail count evaluation for off, and there’s still [customer] interest [in But the Air Force always promised us they an overall fleet effectiveness score. But those the 767]. would consider what they called “Other factors [that we wrote about in our proposal] Q: Did we suffer in past performance? Observations and Insights.” These observa- were downplayed extensively in that briefing tions [covered factors such as] how much fuel and were dismissed. That gets to the fairness Wyse: The Air Force uses a series of past pro- the tankers burned, how many bases were issue here of what was said to us, how this grams you’ve worked on, to help evaluate your used to house those aircraft, and what hap- was going to be conducted, and what was risk in performing the program. The process pens if runways are cut by bombings. It also actually done. takes specific programs and evaluates, across covered what would happen if a country [pro- key criteria, the relevancy of that program to Q: If Boeing does not win the KC-X, what hibits the United States from using] a base or what you’re proposing. We had very relevant will this mean for the commercial 767? limits what can be done from a base. We did programs. But if you look at Northrop and Wyse: We have more than 50 767s in our

APRIL 2008 BOEING FRONTIERS BOEING FRONTIERS APRIL 2008 7 Letters BOEING FRONTIERS

EADS, they don’t have the same relevancy. Now, we did not actually see what programs they were rated on. But we do know that things like the fact that we’ve had 75 years of experi- Protests: ence in tankers, that we’ve built many, many commercial derivatives, that we’re the only company that’s built military derivatives— that experience was not taken into account. The basics If it had—and we talked to [the Air Force] about it—it would be difficult to come up with ollowing the U.S. Air Force’s recent award After the hearing, all parties will be allowed a result that had us as being riskier. of a contract for refueling tanker aircraft to submit written comments. The GAO can Fto a team of Northrop Grumman and sustain or deny the protest. If sustained, the Q: I’m concerned that the protest will delay the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Air Force likely would be required to rebid the the availability of new tankers. How long Company (EADS), Boeing took a rare and ex- program. will the protest take, and will U.S. war- traordinary step of protesting this decision. In fighters be OK with a delay? While protesting contract awards is un- a move that Boeing does not take lightly, the common for Boeing, being the target of such McGraw: That was a key aspect to the deci- company is citing irregularities with the com- protests has become more common in recent sion, and we didn’t take this decision lightly. petition and evaluation process of both bids. years. After the Air Force awarded its contract At the same time, this has been a long pro- Boeing is asking the Government Accountability for the service’s combat search and rescue cess. We’ve been at this latest round of the Office to review the decision and hopes the helicopter—known as CSAR-X—to Boeing in competition for almost two years, and I think GAO will overturn it. 2006, competitors have filed multiple protests maybe [the protest will add] another two or The likelihood of such a reversal is low, but that have delayed this contract. three months. Hopefully the impact will not it is not unprecedented. The key to winning a In addition, following a lengthy protest, be that great because we are very concerned protest is to prove potential inconsistencies the Air Force reaffirmed a $1.1 billion KC-135 about further delays. between the Request for Proposal (RFP) and programmed depot maintenance contract the Air Force’s decision, as well as to prove in- Q: How do we protect against damage to originally won by Boeing Support Systems. On consistencies between the Air Force and fed- our relationship with the Air Force in future March 12, Alabama Aircraft Industries filed a eral regulation, procedure or law. competitions? second protest with the GAO. Boeing has vig- McGraw: One of the things we considered Boeing executives said the company has orously fought these protests. as we went through this process was would strong arguments in this case. First, Air Force The best-case protest scenarios are [a protest] impact our relationship with the evaluators quietly decided in the middle of the wrapped up in 100 days or less. But the re- Air Force. Our competitors protest decisions, process—without informing Boeing and for ality is that protests can take much longer to and that doesn’t seem to have damaged their unknown reasons—to suddenly assign more resolve. For many companies, the stakes are reputations. value to a bigger tanker offered by Northrop- too high not to take every opportunity to try EADS than to the medium-sized 767. Boeing to win these awards—or at least walk away But again, we took this step after a lot of contends that is inconsistent with the RFP. deliberation. And I think we have to do this knowing they made every effort to ensure that not only because we don’t feel like we were Second, the Air Force assigned Boeing the procurement process treated all competi- treated fairly, but to really focus a spotlight on increased development and design risk for tors fairly. the process here—not only for this competi- failing to “reasonably explain buildup of cost.” —Stanley Holmes tion, but all future ones. In so doing, the Air Force failed to comply with federal regulations for the pricing of commer- Wyse: I think the Air Force also recognizes that cial items. Such treatment of Boeing’s cost/ it’s our right to ask these questions. I know it’s price data is contrary to federal law, Boeing difficult in terms of the timing, but they under- alleged. stand the process and fully support it. The other thing I think will help us is the fact that So how does the protest process work? our arguments are very, very compelling. n The Air Force is required to file an Agency Report, composed of contract-related docu- ments, to the GAO in 30 days following the protest notification. At that point, the GAO makes the report available to both parties, and both sides have 10 days to file written com- ments. In some cases, protesters amend their protests, which can have the effect of restart- ing the entire protest process. The GAO may also call for a hearing to resolve factual and legal issues.

8 APRIL 2008 BOEING FRONTIERS BOEING FRONTIERS APRIL 2008 Notebook BOEING FRONTIERS

SNAPSHOT A VIP flight U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney (left) talks with U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus (second from left), commanding general of the Multi-National Force–Iraq, upon disembarking from a C-17 Globemaster III March 17 in Iraq. The C-17 is based out of Charleston Air Force Base, S.C. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jeffrey Allen QUOTABLES “We’ll be able to reach “The Super Hornet is an air- “Unless you try things, you parts of the world that we craft with significant ca- end up using the same old couldn’t have dreamt of pability and [is] more than dirty fuel.” before.” capable of meeting all of —Sir Richard Branson, president of Virgin Atlantic, —Cal Flanigan, a Delta Air Lines pilot, speaking Australia’s defense needs.” about the carrier’s intent to use cleaner fuels, in about the airline recently taking delivery of its a March 3 MarketWatch.com report. In February, —Joel Fitzgibbon, defense minister of Australia, Boeing, Virgin Atlantic and GE Aviation conducted first 777-200LR, in the March 1Atlanta Journal- confirming Australia’s plans to buy 24 Super Hor- the first commercial aviation flight using a sustain- Constitution nets, in a March 17 Dow Jones news service report able fuel from biomass mixed with traditional kerosene-based jet fuel.

IAM PROMOTIONS ETHICS QUESTIONS? No promotions listed for periods ending You can reach the Office of Ethics & Business Conduct at 1-888-970-7171; Mail Code: 14-14; Fax: 1-888-970-5330; Feb. 29 and March 7, 14 and 21 TDD/TTY: 1-800-617-3384; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: http://ethics.whq.boeing.com

APRIL 2008 BOEING FRONTIERS BOEING FRONTIERS APRIL 2008 9 Historical Perspective BOEING FRONTIERS

75 years ago, Boeing introduced the Model 247, the world’s 1st modern airliner n 1933, the world was at the depth of the Great Depression. But standing in stark contrast to this economic crisis was the avia- Ition industry, which was experiencing a period of growth and rapid change as air travel started to become something more than a novelty. New air routes were crossing the United States, allowing coast-to-coast passenger travel as well as the delivery of freight and mail. All that was needed was speed. Advances in the science of airplane structures made it possi- ble to leave behind wood and fabric in favor of stronger all-metal

10 APRIL 2008 BOEING FRONTIERS Historical Perspective BOEING FRONTIERS

It took the Model 247 20 hours, with sev- planes. At the time this huge order was a The first Boeing Model 247 is parked en stops, to fly between New York and Los tremendous boon for Boeing, but it would outside the Boeing hangar on the east Angeles. While that may seem like a long trip quickly turn out to be a miscalculation side of Boeing Field in Seattle the day by today’s standards, it was more than seven that essentially knocked Boeing out of the before it would make its first flight. hours faster than any other airliner. The abil- commercial airplane business until the in-

Boeing Archives photo ity to cross the United States in less than a troduction of the 707. day changed air travel overnight. At the time both the Boeing Airplane Boeing was at the forefront of modern Company and United Air Lines were airplane design and had been a pioneer subsidiaries of the United Aircraft and in the introduction of all-metal mono- Transport Corporation, and it was only nat- plane designs, leading with the Model ural for Boeing to support United in achiev- 200 Monomail and also pioneering the ing an edge over its competition. When first all-metal monoplane bomber for the Trans Continental and Western Air came U.S. military, the B-9. Both of these pro- to Boeing to order the 247 and were told grams, while groundbreaking, proved to be that it would have to wait until Boeing de- interim steps whose lessons learned led to livered all the United planes, TWA instead the development of the Model 247. turned to Douglas Aircraft to see what The design philosophy behind the Donald Douglas’ team could do to chal- 247 was to maximize speed and mini- lenge the new Boeing airplane. mize costs. To do this, it was proposed The result was the DC-1, an airplane by the Boeing development team, led by based on the 247 design but larger and fast- Chief Engineer C.N. “Monty” Montieth, er. The DC-1 was the prototype of the pro- that a small twin-engine airplane, based on duction DC-2, which ultimately led to the the B-9, would be safer and more useful to legendary DC-3. The Douglas DC series the airline customers than the larger three- would go on to monopolize the commer- engine planes already in service or under cial airplane business until the introduc- development. At the time, designers felt tion of the 707. During that 25-year period, that large planes were structurally weak. Boeing would produce only 78 commercial Most pilots felt that they were unstable in airplanes. weather and favored smaller, more maneu- Today it’s still possible to see a 247. The verable, transports. most famous 247, flown by Roscoe Turner While Boeing engineers focused on and Clyde Pangborn in the London-to- speed, there was also great emphasis put on Melbourne, Australia, race of 1934, is on the passenger experience. Even though the display in the Smithsonian Institution’s cabin of the 247 appears cramped and may- National Air and Space Museum in be even a bit treacherous by today’s stan- Washington, D.C. The plane—also known dards (passengers in the forward seats and as “Adaptable Annie”—served as an air- the crew had to be careful while stepping liner with United Air Lines and as a research over the wing spars that ran across the aisle), plane with the Civil Aeronautics Authority the 10 passengers flew in great comfort. The (forerunner of the Federal Aviation Agency) cabin featured temperature controls as well before it was handed over to the care of the as individual reading lights and overstuffed Smithsonian. seats that were 40 inches (102 centimeters) The only flyable 247 was restored by the apart. A great deal of research went into in- Boeing Management Association and is in sulating the cabin from both the cold of high the collection of the Museum of Flight in altitudes and the noise of the engines. Seattle. The airplane currently is in storage The revolutionary 247 was the first and undergoing restoration at Paine Field in Boeing commercial plane to be ordered by Everett, Wash. construction. Fast, streamlined monoplane a non-U.S. airline when Lufthansa ordered A flyable DC-2 has recently joined designs were the look of the future of air two, and one was ordered for a private own- the 247 as part of the commercial air- travel, and Boeing introduced that future er in China. In all, Boeing built 74 247s. plane collection at the Museum of Flight. on Feb. 8, 1933, when the Boeing Model The 247 remained in major airline ser- The future display of these two landmark 247 took to the air for the first time. vice until World War II, when several were planes standing together will remind fu- A star of the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair, converted into Army C-73 transport train- ture generations that Boeing and Douglas the Boeing Model 247 was the world’s first ers and others were transferred to airlines ushered in the age of speed, reliability, modern airliner. It incorporated the latest spanning the Americas, from Avianca to safety and comfort in air travel, building knowledge in streamlined, all-metal mono- Wien Air Alaska, and in Europe to the a tradition of innovation that continues to plane construction as well as retractable Royal Air Force. this day with the 787. n landing gear, variable pitch propellers, wing The early success of the 247 was to be [email protected] deicers, trim tabs and an autopilot. its undoing. The initial order for the 247 came from United Air Lines for 60 air-

BOEING FRONTIERS APRIL 2008 11 New And Notable BOEING FRONTIERS A boost for the planet

In this photo from the fall of 2007, Boeing employees take part in a wetlands cleanup day in Southern California. On April 22—Earth Day— employees will have the chance to take part in company-sponsored environmental events. Photo courtesy of the Bolsa Chica Conservancy Earth Day observations align with Boeing efforts Boeing will also be publishing an envi- ronmental report this year, outlining its ap- to improve performance in environmental areas proach and vision and publishing its perfor- mance on key environmental metrics, such By Ch a z Bi c k e r s a n d Su s a n Bi r k h o l t z collaborate and focus our resources on Earth as greenhouse-gas emissions, recycling Day activities—and a great example of ‘One rates and energy efficiency. ction, education, involvement: Those Boeing,’” said Patrice Mingo, GCC director, are the goals of this year’s Earth Day, Strategic Employee Programs. “It’s a win-win “Whatever improvement Boeing achieves Awhich on April 22 is expected to see the for Boeing, our employees and our commu- will rely on the dedication, inspiration and ex- largest-ever participation globally in an event nities when we leverage the excitement and pertise of its employees, and Earth Day is an that focuses on improving the environment. ingenuity of employee volunteers with philan- opportunity to make linkages and uncover Thousands of Boeing employees took part thropic grants to tackle environment-related ideas for change,” Arvizu said. last year in Earth Day events. This year is ex- needs in our communities.” GCC-initiated Earth Day employee vol- pected to be even bigger, with 50 sites join- Boeing is action-oriented on the environ- unteer opportunities include one in Southern ing in with both new events and those that are ment and sharpening its focus. Since 1998, the California where the Seal Beach site is part- becoming recurring staples, such as Boeing’s company has cut energy use by more than a nering with both the California High Desert 13-year partnership at the Sedgwick County third and hazardous waste by more than half. group and TreePeople, a Boeing grantee, for Zoo in Wichita, Kan., which brings about 9,000 In January, Boeing introduced aggressive new a tree-planting event in areas burned by last students in to learn about local ecology issues. targets for its facilities that will improve energy year’s wildfires. Another example is the Boeing “Observing Earth Day each year highlights efficiency, greenhouse-gas-emissions intensity, site at the Kennedy Space Center, where em- the importance of making real improvements hazardous-waste generation and recycle rates ployees will be participating in a cleanup and checking performance,” said Mark Arvizu, by 25 percent over the next five years. event at the “spoil islands” in the Indian River Lagoon with the nonprofit Keep Brevard the Environmental Health and Safety repre- And Boeing is seeking more transpar- (County) Beautiful, also a Boeing grantee. sentative responsible for helping employees ency and accountability for its performance. learn about and effect environmental change One example is the company’s participation GCC’s Mingo noted that employees are at Boeing. “This day is about making a differ- in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s encouraged to contact their local GCC and ence, and it shows how Boeing, its employees Climate Leaders program this year. By joining EH&S representatives with suggestions for and its communities have a common goal to EPA Climate Leaders, Boeing commits to reduc- environment-related volunteer activities they help protect our ecosystem.” ing its impact on the environment by completing would like their site to consider sponsoring This year, site representatives across the a corporatewide inventory of greenhouse gas and participating in. world from Global Corporate Citizenship and emissions, setting long-term reduction goals To get involved, check with your local EH&S EH&S are teaming to support employees in and annually reporting its progress to the EPA. or GCC focal or your local site or business-unit Earth Day events and activities. “By joining EPA Climate Leaders, Boeing is Web site—and visit Boeing News Now. n “The environment is one of GCC’s five fo- making it clear we must improve our environ- [email protected] cus areas for investing in our communities, so mental footprint,” said Mary Armstrong, Boeing [email protected] it’s a natural partnership for EH&S and GCC to vice president, Environment, Health and Safety.

12 APRIL 2008 BOEING FRONTIERS BOEING FRONTIERS APRIL 2008 New And Notable BOEING FRONTIERS Back in the air Rare Boeing airplane makes 2nd ‘1st flight’—80 years later he world’s only flyable Boeing Model 40 recently took to the skies nearly 80 years after its original first flight—and after eight years Tof painstaking restoration by Pemberton and Sons Aviation of Spokane, Wash. The Boeing Model 40, the first production commercial airplane built by Boeing, was developed in 1925 for a U.S. Post Office competition as a replacement for the converted military de Havillands that had carried the airmail since 1918.

When this particular plane, a Model 40C, was originally deliv- The Boeing 40C flies over the Spokane, Wash., area on its second ered in May 1928, it could carry four passengers plus cargo. Pacific Air “first flight” on Feb. 17, 2008. P hoto courtesy of Ryan Pemberton Transport, a subsidiary of Boeing Air Transport, used it to carry mail be- tween Portland, Ore., and Oakland/San Francisco. In October of that year, the plane disappeared in dense fog while en route from Medford, Ore., to The restoration efforts, aided by information from the Boeing Archives, Portland. The pilot survived a crash landing and was able to make his way took 62 volunteers eight years and 18,000 hours to complete. to a nearby road, prompting a search for the plane to determine the con- Pemberton used as much of the original plane as possible in his res- dition of the flight’s passenger. The body of the passenger was recovered toration. Much of it, including the wings, had been destroyed in the crash several hours after the crash, but the plane was left where it came down. or by exposure to the weather and had to be rebuilt. Pemberton and Sons Aviation specialize in finding and restoring an- Pemberton’s Model 40C is only one of three in existence (the oth- tique airplanes. Addison Pemberton, who is also CEO of Liberty Lake, er two are on display in museums) and the only one in flyable condi- Wash.–based Scanivalve, a Boeing supplier of intelligent pressure tion. “Our 40C is the oldest active flying Boeing airplane in the world,” and temperature instrumentation, said he searched for this plane for Pemberton said. 18 years before finally locating it on a mountaintop in southern Oregon. —Dawsalee Griffin

Boeing plays a major role in two What a blast! successful rocket launches in March United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket (left) car- rying the U.S. Air Force’s Global Positioning ASystem IIR-19(M) satellite launched March 15 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. GPS is a space-based radio-positioning system consisting of a 24-satellite (at minimum) constellation that provides navigation and timing information to military and ci- vilian users worldwide. United Launch Alliance is a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin for government launches. Meanwhile, Sea Launch on March 19 success- fully delivered the Boeing-built DIRECTV 11 broad- cast satellite to orbit from its ocean-based platform on the equator in the Pacific Ocean (right), marking Sea Launch’s fourth successful launch for DIRECTV. DIRECTV 11 is the second of three next-generation satellites built by Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems that are helping to expand DIRECTV’s market by providing the crystal-clear sharpness of satellite- delivered HDTV into millions of households.

Carleton Bailie photo Sea Launch photo

APRIL 2008 BOEING FRONTIERS BOEING FRONTIERS APRIL 2008 13 Cover Story BOEING FRONTIERS

14 APRIL 2008 BOEING FRONTIERS Cover Story BOEING FRONTIERS

Workers at the Satellite Development Center in El Segundo, Calif., work on a Wideband Global SATCOM satellite—a game-changing spacecraft for the U.S. Air Force. To the Help from right of the WGS satellite is a scale model of Syncom, the world’s first geosynchronous communications satellite. Bob Ferguson photo above Have Boeing satellites helped humanity? Absolutely—as demonstrated by their 2,500 years of accumulated service

By De bb y Ar k e l l

surgeon in Los Angeles consults with physicians in Berlin by video conference. Driv- ing home from work, she enjoys her favorite music via satellite radio. She accesses Aher car’s GPS navigation system to locate a new deli and pays for take-out dinner with the swipe of a credit card. Once home she turns on the evening news, catches tomorrow’s weather forecast and settles in to enjoy a live telecast of the Grammy Awards. That convenience is all thanks to satellites, those machines high in the sky that we rarely think about yet depend on daily to keep us connected—and protected. Hundreds of satellites circle the globe today. One-third of the satellites in orbit are Boeing- built, providing commercial, military, scientific and exploratory services. The company has been a major player in the satellite business for 45 years and recently reached an industry milestone of 2,500 years of accumulated satellite on-orbit service. Manufactured at the Satellite Development Center in El Segundo, Calif., by Space and Intelligence Systems, Boeing satellites are more complex, powerful and sophisticated than ever before. “Boeing is a market leader because we use cutting-edge technology in our payloads, and our commitment to program execution and quality ensure that the products we build are reliable and delivered on schedule,” said Craig Cooning, vice president and general manager of S&IS. Inside A market evolves Milestone surpassed: Boeing-built satellites recently The former Hughes Aircraft Company built Syncom, the world’s first geosynchronous topped 2,500 years of accumulated on-orbit service. communications satellite, in 1963, when long-distance phone calls were costly and overseas Page 15 TV broadcasts impossible (see sidebar on Page 21). Back then, a satellite the size of a desk required a ground antenna the size of a house. A primer on satellites: How do they work? What Today, satellites can transmit video signals to an antenna the size of a pizza pan, and does Boeing offer? Page 17 customers can modify from the ground a satellite’s onboard capabilities as mission require- Operational improvements: How has this business ments evolve. become even more successful? Through innovative As satellite technology changes, so do missions, markets and customer expectations. management, Lean+—and tips from the best of “In the ‘70s, customers tended to be national institutions,” said Art Rosales, S&IS director, Boeing. Page 18 Program Services and Execution. “Satellites gave developing countries a tremendous ad- The competition: What companies are going up vantage and were a source of national pride. Accordingly, satellites were built primarily to against Boeing in this market? Page 19 meet national infrastructure needs such as telephone service.” Today—as a result of global privatization of industry—a large part of Boeing’s satellite Satellite teammates: Meet some of the many em- ployees who support this business. Page 20 business is for the private sector. These companies provide satellite-driven consumer servic- es such as direct-to-home TV, mobile telephony, Internet services and digital audio radio. Harold Rosen Q&A: Boeing Frontiers talks with the This shift has changed Boeing’s approach to manufacturing spacecraft. Since businesses “founding father” of today’s satellites. Page 21 are more risk-averse and competitive than governments, Boeing has to be cost-competitive

BOEING FRONTIERS APRIL 2008 15 Cover Story BOEING FRONTIERS

“One of our near-term future business strategies to be able to deliver a flexible payload in a cost-effective manner, and we’re working hard to bring costs down and make that a reality for our customers.” – Art Rosales, Space and Intelligence Systems director, Program Services and Execution

S&IS is working to improve resource control with Engineering pro- cesses, getting mature, stable requirements up front so designers know what they need to do before they begin work. That helps minimize any need for redesign. Toups noted that in the past Boeing tended to begin production work on satellites too soon, which can lead to incomplete designs and expensive manufacturing issues down the line. “It may sound strange to say that starting later is better, but in situa- tions like this it can be,” he said. S&IS has also created a moving line for phased-array antenna production. Since phased-array antennas have thousands of com- ponents, building them on a “pulse” line has meant reductions in Quality is critical for Boeing’s satellite customers. “They’re paying to put a product in the sky that has to work for 15 years and can’t cost and build time. be repaired,” said Charles Toups, IDS vice president of Engineer- A pulse line also is planned for the 12 satellites that make up the ing & Mission Assurance and formerly the leader of Navigation and GPS IIF program, an upgrade to the original GPS system used by govern- Communication Systems. ments and civilians worldwide. Bob Ferguson photo “At the end of the day, our products must be a cost-effective part of our customers’ business plans,” Rosales said. “To many, satellites are money-generating machines in the sky. Our challenge and goal in in the products it offers. a competitive market is to give them what they want: something that’s A customer’s key priorities—whether a government or a private high-quality, simple to operate, and the best value for their market business—are quality and schedule, both strongly tied to cost. segment.” “The quality of the product is the customer’s overriding priority; and for our government customers in particular, mission assurance Shaping the market is critical,” said Charles Toups, IDS vice president of Engineering & Future commercial applications may include altering the use of a Mission Assurance. Toups has worked in the satellite business since satellite while it’s on orbit. A customer may purchase a satellite and 1982 and most recently led S&IS Navigation and Communication wants its signal beamed down only over Southeast Asia, but later want Systems. “They’re paying to put a product in the sky that has to work the signal broadcast over India instead. for 15 years and can’t be repaired, so the quality of that product “The ideal end-state is for the user to be able to reprogram that is paramount. We are continually focused on first-pass quality and pattern while the satellite is in the sky,” Rosales said. “We have this flawless execution.” technology today, but it’s very expensive. One of our near-term future Schedule is also critical. “Satellite launches are huge capital outlays business strategies to be able to deliver a flexible payload in a cost- for our customers, so getting satellites up there on time is very impor- effective manner, and we’re working hard to bring costs down and tant,” Toups said. “The faster you can build a high-quality satellite and make that a reality for our customers.” get it launched, the better the value for the customer.” The government side of the satellite business also is pursuing nearly $12 billion in new opportunities, driven primarily by the Transformational Lean leads the way Satellite Communication System (a secure communications network for To meet quality, schedule and cost requirements, Lean is a big part the U.S. Air Force) and GPS III. of S&IS culture (for more on this topic, see story on Page 18). Its primary “We shape the market with new technologies and by working focus is not manufacturing, however; the vast majority of satellite costs closely with customers to identify product and mission operations are incurred in the design and development phases. enhancements on existing programs. This allows us to stay on the cutting edge while also extending the viability of current products and programs,” Toups said. n [email protected]

16 APRIL 2008 BOEING FRONTIERS Cover Story BOEING FRONTIERS

Here’s a primer on how Satellite these spacecraft work, basics what Boeing offers hat is a satellite? Simply put, satel- a fixed spot on the earth. That makes geosyn- other international data transmissions. lites are objects that orbit a larger chronous orbits ideal for communications and The satellite’s framework, called a bus, is home Wobject in space. They can be natural, Earth-observation applications. to its power systems (usually solar cell arrays like the moon, or man-made. Man-made sat- Once the rocket reaches the desired altitude that convert solar energy into electricity), batter- ellites facilitate communication and connec- and orientation for the mission, the satellite is ies for the times the satellite goes into the earth’s tivity between otherwise disparate locations released from the rocket into its initial orbit. shadow, attitude control systems, temperature or regions. The initial geosynchronous satellite orbit starts control systems and more. Earth stations com- Satellites have a fixed life. Art Rosales, Space out as a highly elliptical orbit. Small rocket municate with computers on the satellite to and Intelligence Systems director of Program motors onboard the satellite fire periodically to monitor these systems. Services and Execution, said the standard life help position the satellite into its final, circular Boeing currently designs and builds two satel- span for a commercial satellite is 15 years, orbit—and help it attain the proper attitude, or lite product lines—the 702 and the 601. and the time from order to delivery varies orientation, relative to a horizon line or other depending on the satellite’s complexity. Rosales frame of reference. The Boeing 702 Satellite is the world’s most noted that customers begin planning their next powerful commercial satellite. It offers up to Once in orbit, the satellite begins to send and 18,000 watts of power and can deliver any satellite acquisition after about seven or eight receive signals. A communications satellite is years, and for a typical satellite it ordinarily communications frequency customers request equipped with multiple transponders—devices via more than 100 transponders. Currently more takes 24 to 36 months from placing the order that amplify and transmit signals at various to launching. than 20 Boeing 702 satellites have been built or frequencies. Transponders are like channels, are on order. Major customers include Thuraya, Boeing satellites are built by a team of employ- and only so much information can go through Hughes Network Systems, XM Satellite Radio, ees in El Segundo, Calif., and uniquely designed a channel at a time. The more transponders a and the U.S. Air Force. to meet a customer’s specific requirements. satellite has the more signals it can send and Satellites then are delivered to the customer receive and the more antennas it can use. The The Boeing 601 series of satellites is smaller and launched into orbit on a rocket. transponders and antennas make up the satel- and less powerful than the 702. With more lite’s payload. than 80 units ordered, the Boeing 601 is the Satellites typically operate in one of three fami- top-selling spacecraft line. The satellite’s basic lies of orbits defined by their altitude above the The transponder receives a signal at a specific configuration features as many as 48 transpon- earth: low earth orbit (100 miles to 300 miles, frequency from a ground station, amplifies it, ders and offers up to 4,800 watts. A higher- 161 km to 483 km), medium earth orbit and then retransmits it back to antennas or power version, the Boeing 601HP, features as (6,000 miles to 12,000 miles, 9,500 km to receivers on Earth (or aircraft or other space- many as 60 transponders and uses additional 19,500 km), and geosynchronous earth orbit craft) on a different frequency. This process of technologies to provide up to 10,000 watts. (22,300 miles, 36,000 km). In geosynchro- receiving, amplifying and transmitting is what Major customers include AsiaSat, DIRECTV, SES nous orbit, the satellite moves with the earth’s enables phone calls around the world, real-time Astra, Intelsat, National Oceanic and Atmospheric rotation, causing it to appear suspended over TV broadcasts of global events, and even fax or Administration, U.S. Navy and MEASAT (Malaysia East Asia Satellite). —Debby Arkell

Solar Panels Antenna

BOEING FRONTIERS APRIL 2008 17 Cover Story BOEING FRONTIERS

Lean Satellite manufacturing team leverages the best from all around Boeing By Bi l l Se i l on me proved from 65 percent five years ago to 95 percent at the end of 2007, ore and more, Boeing businesses, to be successful, are lever- an improvement of 46 percent. On-time delivery of electronic units has aging best practices and ideas from teammates across the reached 97 percent. Mcompany. S&IS also conducts an annual Lean Manufacturing Assessment, and The satellite manufacturing unit of Boeing Space and Intelligence has consistently exceeded its goal. For 2007, the goal for the S&IS sat- Systems in El Segundo, Calif., is one example. Its journey on its return ellite factory was to increase the score from the previous 2.45 to 2.90. to profitability and progress in cost containment over the past five years It achieved a final score of 3.09, meaning that it beat its score-growth can be attributed to many factors. But high on this list are an innovative goal by 42 percent. The improvements are measurable, quantifiable, management team, use of the Lean+ companywide growth and produc- and significant. tivity initiative, and eliciting help from colleagues across Boeing. S&IS began its Lean journey in 2003. Charles Toups, then S&IS vice “The success of the El Segundo team is an excellent example of president of Engineering and Operations, was familiar with the extensive leveraging the best of Boeing,” said Bill Schnettgoecke, vice president work BCA had been doing to bring Lean principles and other efficiency and leader of the Boeing Lean+ initiative. “They began by taking Lean+ measures to its operations. approaches used by Commercial Airplanes in a high-production-rate Toups, now vice president, Engineering & Mission Assurance for environment (jetliners) and applying them in a low-production-rate en- Integrated Defense Systems, attended Renton [Wash.] Engineering’s vironment (satellites). They blended in the right portions of Lean con- “Gemba Day,” where teams discussed how they had applied Lean cepts (such as Six Sigma and Theory of Constraints) and transformed principles. He also toured 737 assembly lines, saw examples of Value their culture into one of employee engagement. The formula worked, Stream Mapping and met with other Lean experts. Soon, Lean person- and they delivered results. That’s what Lean+ is all about.” nel from the Puget Sound region began traveling to El Segundo to lead workshops and get a closer look at the challenges the satellite business Eliminating ‘traveled work’ was facing. In any manufacturing facility, the ultimate goal is to eliminate Assistance also came from Boeing rotorcraft operations in Mesa, “traveled work”—open or incomplete items that continue down the Ariz., and Philadelphia, which were applying Lean to their operations. manufacturing line yet require additional work. The metrics at the S&IS also networked with programs within IDS. S&IS satellite factory underscore the benefits of Lean+, continuous In some cases, best practices learned elsewhere could be applied improvement, and other initiatives. directly to satellite manufacturing. In other cases, ideas from around the For example, incomplete or open qualifications and unit returns for company inspired the El Segundo team to develop its own continuous- additional rework have gone to zero. The cost of repair, rework and scrap improvement approaches. is down 73 percent. On-time delivery of engineering products has im-

Steve Holt (left), a Commercial Airplanes process engineer, and Benny Leppert, a BCA liaison engineer, have been leading Lean workshops in El Segundo, Calif., for several years to support Boeing’s satellite business. The pair is at the 777 moving line in Everett, Wash.

Gail Hanusa photo

18 APRIL 2008 BOEING FRONTIERS Cover Story BOEING FRONTIERS

Kevin Naya, S&IS director, Lean+, said net- ‘A foundation to build on’ 787 Payloads Validation Center. S&IS employees working within the Boeing enterprise has been Steve Holt, a process engineer in have traveled to Puget Sound to benchmark the invaluable. Its diverse range of programs cre- Configuration and Engineering Analysis, center and the way the roadmap is used. ate a wealth of experience. And unlike bench- Commercial Airplanes, said he first met Toups John Herrold, a systems engineer in System marking with other companies, there are when Holt was giving a presentation at Renton Integration Process and Tools, part of BCA fewer concerns about discussing proprietary Engineering’s Gemba Day. This led to Holt trav- Engineering, has made multiple trips to information. eling to El Segundo to lead a two-day class in El Segundo with other members of the The S&IS team members and their BCA Critical Chain Project Management, a Lean+ BCA team to provide Lean+ training and proj- colleagues faced several challenges in shar- tool. Holt and his colleagues continued to offer ect support to Kesselman’s team. ing Lean+ ideas. Some involved differences advice on Lean+ issues. Soon, it became an “It’s a two-way street that has proven to in technology and terminology, and there was information exchange. be mutually beneficial,” Herrold said. “In addi- the tremendous difference between their two “It was wonderful fun; I had a great time tion to assisting other programs, we can lever- product lines—satellites and commercial air- with them,” Holt said. “We gave them a foun- age what we learn from them and bring new planes. In addition, while jetliner manufactur- dation to build on. Then, to develop their own Lean+ ideas back to Commercial Airplanes. ing involves a steady flow of airplanes on the expertise, they brought in their own consul- Our management is very supportive of this production line, only a few identical satellites tants. They were able to come up to speed type of collaboration.” are produced at the same time. very quickly, and we began to learn from Dayde McLaughlin, deputy director of the Still, the basic principles of Lean+ applied. each other.” Lean+ initiative, added that the initiative will Louis Kesselman, manager, Space Systems Holt noted he now shares the pride of soon be offering additional opportunities for Design, S&IS, recognized this in early 2006 the satellite group each time they win a new employees to network and share Lean+ ideas. when a major new commercial satellite pro- contract. These will include enterprise standardized gram was starting. Kesselman benchmarked Two other BCA employees who traveled to training that will encourage the use of com- a number of Boeing programs and found El Segundo at that time were Benny Leppert, mon learning and Lean+ terminology through- some great ideas. As a result, the El Segundo an associate technical fellow and liaison engi- out the company. The Lean+ initiative also is team has successfully leveraged a BCA Lean+ neer, and Kevin Sweeney, a Lean Design/Build upgrading its Web site with new collaboration systems-engineering tool called SLATE/FI, consultant. They led workshops covering Lean tools, including blogs and wikis. which enables systems engineers to find re- processes, including a tool called Design for As the S&IS satellite business continues its quirement errors earlier in the design. This Manufacturing, Assembly and Test (also known Lean+ journey, it will keep drawing from the began an ongoing Lean+ collaboration that as Lean Design). They have since led multi- wide experience of the Boeing enterprise. The soon extended into other projects. ple workshops using the Lean Design/Build S&IS successes serve as a dramatic example Roadmap methodology, a series of Lean+ of the value of information sharing—and how tools that have played an important role in the leveraging best practices can open new paths to success. n [email protected] Also seeking the sky Following are short profiles of some of the world’s other satellite manufacturers. Note: this summary is not intended to be all-inclusive.

EADS Astrium: EADS Astrium is a subsidiary of the European Aeronautic, Defence and Space Company. Astrium Satellites, one of EADS Astrium’s three business units, has produced telecommunications satellites for operators including Eutelsat and Inmarsat, and for other missions. Lockheed Martin: Lockheed Martin’s Space Systems and Technologies division provides space systems capabilities to commercial and governmen- tal customers worldwide. Its payloads include communications and space-science instruments. Raytheon: Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems group is one of seven of Raytheon’s businesses. The group supports military, intelligence and civil customers. Space Systems/Loral: Space Systems/Loral, a subsidiary of Loral Space and Communications, designs, manufactures and integrates geostationary satellites and satellite systems. Thales Alenia Space: A joint-venture between Thales and Finmeccanica, Thales Alenia Space’s satellite payloads can support telecommunications, defense, navigation, Earth observation and other science and observation missions.

—Debby Arkell Shown is an artist’s conception of a Lockheed Martin A2100 satellite.

Lockheed Martin graphic

BOEING FRONTIERS APRIL 2008 19 Cover Story BOEING FRONTIERS Reaching for the sky Two thousand five hundred years of on-orbit service by Boeing satellites is an unprecedented accomplish- ment. And Space and Intelligence Systems employees are responsible for making that milestone a reality. Featured here are just a few of the talented teammates who have contributed to this success.

Job title and description: Subcontracts manager in S&IS Supplier Management & Procurement. “I negotiate and prepare contracts with our suppliers for satellite hardware and I maintain supplier ratings and monitor their performance.” Years at Boeing: 5 The impact of satellites: “The development of satellites has increased our communication capabili- ties across the globe, creating enhanced networks and changing the way we connect. Satellites also have given us the opportunity to expand our scientific research and increase our space mission accomplishments. They are vital in ensuring the success of our national security.” Rosy Rodriguez

Job title and description: Wideband Global Satcom Flight Ops Products Integrated Product Team Lead for S&IS El Segundo in California. “Our team is responsible for the successful delivery of flight products to the Boeing Mission Control Center and U.S. Air Force Customer Operations Center, includ- ing satellite databases, operations procedures, simulators and several other products needed to launch and maintain the bus/platform portion of WGS satellites.” Years at Boeing: 8 Helping Boeing be a satellite-technology leader: “Boeing’s satellite engineers are some of the best in the industry and have a strong desire to develop cutting-edge technologies. The combina- tion of my people, project management and engineering skills, as well as my commitment to team member engagement, is my unique quality. Applying it ensures that we continue to have high-impact teams whose value is far greater than the sum of their parts.” Kaiana Carter

Job title and description: Chief engineer for the GPS IIF Satellite Program. “I’m responsible for the technical integrity of Global Positioning System satellites—ensuring they function correctly and meet all mission requirements.” Years at Boeing: 18 Proudest satellite moment: “My favorite satellite dream is one that motivates me every day: the upcoming launch of the first GPS IIF satellite, where I stand with my team and watch our vehicle head to space and we revel in the satisfaction of transforming an idea into a reality.” Eric —Debby Arkell Watts Bob Ferguson photos 20 APRIL 2008 BOEING FRONTIERS Cover Story BOEING FRONTIERS A proud founding father Harold Rosen, Syncom’s inventor, discusses the past, future of satellites recently talked to Harold Rosen on the tele- the project: getting the company to support the Q: What’s your proudest moment in your phone—a long-distance call made possible idea by funding a prototype and generating Hughes/Boeing career? Ibecause of his initiative. Literally. Not be- national support for its launch and service. Up- A: When I viewed the first broadcast of the cause he chose to pick up the phone and dial, per management was cautious, so the project opening ceremonies of the 1964 Summer but because he is the inventor of geosynchro- did not initially receive the support needed to Olympics [which was] in Tokyo—the first nous communications satellites—the satellite develop and demonstrate a satellite prototype. continuous transoceanic television broadcast. I systems we use today to communicate and (Former Hughes executive) John Rubel is the was at the NBC studios in Burbank (Calif.) when transmit data around the world instantly. one that really made things happen. He was I saw the programming, broadcast via satellite. the one who worked behind the scenes in Syncom, the world’s first geostationary com- At the end of such a struggle it was a moment Washington, D.C., with both the Department munications satellite, was borne of Rosen’s where I was really proud. of Defense and NASA personnel to get us the ingenuity. Launched in 1963 when Rosen was external support we needed. Q: What might the future have in store? an employee of Hughes Aircraft Company (now part of Boeing), it enabled the first overseas Q: Did you have any idea how your invention A: I see the pace of satellite innovation slowing phone call between heads of state and brought would change the world? down. I believe there’s a limit to what we can do and there’s definitely a limit on the band- TV programming to the United States from the A: I’m not surprised how important satellites other side of the planet. width and orbit slots available to us. The hot have become to our lives today. Early Bird, the new area is the Internet. That technology hasn’t His soft-spoken, unassuming voice belies first commercial satellite, derived from Syncom, even reached its adolescence, whereas satellite decades of technological innovation and was a gigantic leap forward. That satellite had technology is much more mature. know-how that many of us likely will never the capacity of all communications cables that understand. Rosen retired in 1993 and currently had been laid to date. Technology has increased —Debby Arkell consults with Boeing on new satellite designs rapidly since then, and there’s been a cumula- and to lend his expertise in problem investiga- tive effect. tion. Following is an excerpt from my conversa- tion with Rosen. Q: What was the genesis of the first geosyn- chronous communication satellite? A: The story of Syncom began at Hughes with the cancellation of one of our department’s biggest projects—an advanced radar for an in- terceptor that was being designed to counter a fleet of high-speed Soviet bombers—and with the launch of Sputnik, the world’s first artificial satellite. My department head challenged me to find a new project that would capitalize on some of our radar technology. I conferred with two colleagues, and both inde- pendently suggested to me the new project be Now retired, Harold Rosen continues a communication satellite. Both pointed out the in an advisory role with Boeing. Behind then-sad state of international communications. Rosen is a photo of him taken during the 1960s, when he was displaying the Telephony was hard to schedule and expensive, Syncom satellite prototype. and transoceanic television was impossible. This excited me. I began to learn all I could Bob Ferguson photo about what appeared to be an important and relevant field, and our work got under way. Q: What was Syncom’s biggest challenge? A: Once I was convinced we had a practical, viable design, the biggest challenge was to get the internal and external support we needed for

BOEING FRONTIERS APRIL 2008 21 Feature Story BOEING FRONTIERS

FOD for thought Boeing comes together to help eliminate debris in airplanes

By Ma r y Jo Be c k e r units—and an open spirit of collaboration to were further distilled into common FOD- improve FOD prevention across the company. prevention messages. ne stray washer, one unaccounted “The value came when we agreed to work The traveling exhibit features 3-foot-by- wrench, one snippet of errant wire. How together on something common,” said Kim 6-foot (91-centimeter-by-183-centimeter) Obest to attack these otherwise innocent Brumble, FOD exhibit integration manager for panels showing BCA and IDS products and items—known as Foreign Object Debris— BCA. “And though it seemed that might be dif- employees, and also features videos and bro- that, once lost in an aircraft, can pose a dan- ficult to do, once we got together, it worked chures exploring each of the four themes. In ger to pilots, passengers and employees? like magic.” addition, real-life examples, such as an engine One team of FOD fighters from across damaged by loose parts and a tire pierced Boeing has been working the past year to raise LEVELING OFF CYCLES by a nail, bring home the dangers of FOD. awareness and strengthen a personal sense of Brumble and Maryfrances Wolf, IDSexec- The exhibit’s overarching theme is one FOD responsibility among employees for prevent- utive sponsor of the FOD exhibit, organized a focals believe employees will remember: “I ing FOD. The outcome of the team’s efforts in- FOD summit in early 2007 in Everett, Wash., Can Make It Happen.” cludes a Web site of shared resources and a to bring together FOD focals from across “That theme of personal responsibility is 15-minute online training program. A travel- the company. Grouped into small teams, the critical and underlies all FOD prevention,” Wolf ing FOD exhibit is well into a year-long tour 50 attendees focused on four themes: said. “We wanted anyone who saw the exhibit organizers hope will draw 25,000 employee performance, culture, accountability and to walk away and know what they individually viewers at multiple Commercial Airplanes and knowledge. These “table teams,” as they could do within the next eight hours to make Integrated Defense Systems sites. were known, met each day of the week-long the FOD situation better.” And all it took to get started was a conver- summit, examining various site process- FOD prevention efforts traditionally include sation between the FOD best practice repre- es and approaches, brainstorming ideas such practices as “FOD walks” and sweeps, sentatives from Boeing’s two main business and summarizing their discussions, which tool control programs and a clean-as-you-go

22 APRIL 2008 BOEING FRONTIERS BOEING FRONTIERS APRIL 2008 Feature Story BOEING FRONTIERS

‘Like a chewed-up ear of corn’ Here’s another tale of how Foreign Object Debris can create tremendous damage. Dave Desmond, chief test pilot in St. Louis, recalled an incident about 10 years ago when one of the two engines on the fighter he was flying experienced a massive, flaming compressor stall. He landed safely, but the engine, destroyed by a stray piece of metal that ricocheted across the blades, “looked like an ear of corn after someone has chewed off the kernels.” “As operators, we are always concerned about potential damage or even catastrophic loss of an aircraft because of FOD,” said Desmond. “But there’s been a long and arduous effort to make people very conscious of foreign object damage. All of us in Flight Operations are Jorge Sanchez, a Commercial Airplanes Flight Test technician, extremely grateful for the many people working examines the damage that can be caused by just one loose part. on and around our aircraft who make FOD This GE engine, destroyed in 2001 by a test instrument ingested control an integral part of their jobs.” during an on-ground test, will travel with a Foreign Object Debris prevention exhibit this year as a reminder to secure all parts and —Mary Jo Becker equipment. Jim Coley photo For more information To learn more about the enterprisewide effort emphasis in work areas so no stray trash or “Being part of this effort has been really to eliminate Foreign Object Debris, visit the new work materials are left behind. But such ap- rewarding,” Stevenson said. He estimated FOD Control Web site on the Boeing intranet at proaches can fall victim to a pattern of cycli- that 600 employees viewed the exhibit when http://fod.web.boeing.com cal attention: When a serious incident occurs, it came to St. Louis. “We had lots of good Among this site’s features is an itinerary of the the attention rises; once it’s addressed, inter- feedback and some we didn’t expect—for in- traveling FOD exhibit. Look for the Events tab est can wane. stance, people in some areas weren’t aware in the left column, which links to the current With a common approach, maintained of their metrics related to FOD.” exhibit schedule. In addition to visiting various awareness campaign and ongoing network- Stevenson placed a sign-up sheet by the Boeing work sites, the exhibit will be at the ing, “we want to level off that cycle,” said Dan exhibit for viewers to note any current FOD Spring 2008 Lean+ Conference in St. Louis Swanburg, FOD exhibit process integration for concerns or issues—another measure to on May 7-9. BCA. “It should never drop off our collective make the exhibit relevant to employees. Each radar screen.” item listed is being followed up for resolution. FOD poses real danger. The FOD focal team is In Wichita, Kan., John Mull, tool control and reviewing such input for future modifications Next summit approaching ground safety FOD focal at the site, incorpo- to the exhibit. To that end, FOD focals attending the next rated items in the exhibit that employees had “There is an intense effort among the summit—which takes place this month in picked up on a FOD walk, including bits of team to make the exhibit relevant, interesting Huntington Beach, Calif.—will break into ta- concrete and metal. and real,” said Dan Jerome, BCA Fabrication’s ble teams once again and delve into new top- “By adding a personal touch to the training Integrated Aerostructures FOD focal in Auburn, ics, Swanburg said. These include policies and we do regularly, the exhibit will really help to Wash., and Auburn host for the exhibit. practices, metrics, systems, and tool services drive a culture where FOD awareness, preven- “FOD isn’t the most exciting concept to think and controls. Focals will once again review tion and ownership are part of everyday life at about when we come to work every day. But it how these are approached at various sites Boeing,” Mull said. becomes pretty exciting when you’re flying at and programs and make recommendations Employees in St. Louis and Wichita also 35,000 feet and 550 miles per hour with your for commonality. shared suggestions to improve the exhibit. family. In the end, our single focus on FOD pre- In preparation for that next step, IDS FOD One recommended an interactive display that vention is critical in providing our customers focals will eliminate 36 different site proce- would challenge employees to find the FOD in with a safe aircraft and preserving Boeing’s dures with the release of one common IDS a work setting. Another suggested that add- reputation of integrity.” n FOD and tool control procedure, PRO-6865, ing more examples of FOD found inside air- [email protected] said Mike Stevenson, St. Louis FOD focal. craft would help drive home the message that

APRIL 2008 BOEING FRONTIERS BOEING FRONTIERS APRIL 2008 23 Commercial Airplanes BOEING FRONTIERS What’s that BCA Airplane Programs Finance team gets Lean By Pa t r i c k Su mm e r s buzz? n Airplane Programs Finance, they call it the “buzz.” • Clear and continuing commitment from Allyne, his leadership team They’re referring to the energy generated by a network of Lean fo- and managers. Icals, facilitators and employees that’s fueled impressive progress in • Grassroots engagement in Lean projects: employees and teams eliminating waste and creating new resource capacity. Much of the ca- from all Commercial Airplanes business units, with active partici- pacity has come in small increments, minutes and hours at a time. pation, teaching and assistance from Allyne and the leaders and Airplane Programs Finance has sponsored more than 360 Lean proj- managers. ects in the past year, engaging 800 people throughout the organization. • Ongoing support from a network of internally developed Finance This work supports the companywide Lean+ and Internal Services Pro- Lean resources that provides the training, tools and coordination ductivity growth and productivity initiatives. needed for successfully creating a Lean culture. “We won’t wait for the perfect plan, but just start trying and practicing For Allyne, leading by example is critical in driving and determining a at a local level,” said Lean Coordinator Linda Clarke. “We work small proj- Lean journey’s success. ects that are meaningful to the individual.” Under the leadership of Vice “This is something you cannot delegate,” he said. “Leaders make a President Jerry Allyne, Airplane Programs Finance accelerated implemen- personal investment and spend time on what they think is important. I tation of Lean principles and practices with a strategy that emphasizes spend at least one-third of my time leading and participating in work-

Airplane Programs Finance Vice President Jerry Allyne (left) and Manager Lonn Sipes review operational metrics on a factory-floor visibility board in Auburn, Wash. The visibility boards are part of a Lean Management System pilot project. Will Wantz photo

24 APRIL 2008 BOEING FRONTIERS Commercial Airplanes BOEING FRONTIERS

Here’s a look at some of the many Airplane Programs Finance was the development of a weekly “box score” to measure the 737 Lean successes. EBU’s operational, capacity and financial performance. Similar box • Supplier Management Finance is tackling 30 years’ worth of ac- scores are now in use in Everett Propulsion’s four production value cumulated, cumbersome processes and systems in designing a streams. leaner Procurement Board to significantly increase the efficiency • The 747/767/777 programs are moving forward in developing com- of transactions with Boeing suppliers. The team is implementing mon financial-planning processes that cut across organizational targeted improvements in phases. These changes are expected to boundaries to increase efficiency and reduce redundancy and waste. cut procurement-approval flow times from the current 180 days to 50. Previously, each organization created its own products, such as rev- Phase II of the project expects to take the number of required man- enue forecasts, cost performance reporting and advanced forecasting. agement signatures from 30 to less than six for most transactions. In a new, Leaner process, cross-organizational teams develop com- • Boeing Supplier Management and Finance assisted supplier TMX mon products that use standard work across all three programs. Aerospace, which provides BCA Fabrication and many suppliers with • In BCA Fabrication, collaboration between Electrical Systems aluminum and titanium, in the design of a more efficient process for Responsibility Center Finance and supply-chain business analysts is receiving and acknowledging orders. A Value Stream Mapping workshop eliminating defects, ensuring accuracy and streamlining the Material identified more than 50 process improvements that will cut the flow time Forecasting process. A major benefit has been a dramatic reduction in of several targeted processes by up to 90 percent. the time needed to identify and investigate deviations from the plan. • A Lean Accounting pilot project in Propulsion Systems’ Renton, —Patrick Summers Wash., 737 engine build-up (EBU) value stream made the transition to a sustaining process and was replicated in the Everett (Wash.) Propulsion value stream. One of the project’s key accomplishments shops, meeting with teams, visiting projects and developing strategy.” The leadership team articulates the Lean vision and mission, encour- ages open dialogue with managers and staff, and takes part in Lean ac- tivities in every business unit. In 2008, 100 BCA finance managers will complete Lean 201—part of the training in Lean fundamentals offered by the Lean Enterprise Office. They’ve also developed Lean plans. An important driver in the Lean plan’s progress is the Lean coordina- tor, who works closely with Allyne to help shape strategy and provides critical visibility for projects across the organization. The coordinator Here’s a look at the Lean achievements of the Airplane Programs Finance keeps segments of the Lean network connected and running smoothly. team of Commercial Airplanes. The network has expanded its resources to include 66 focals, each leading local Lean teams; 35 facilitators in different stages of certifi- Approximate number of Lean projects in work or completed cation to lead Lean workshops; and tools and activities, such as 360 Lean assessments, visibility tools, “Go, See and Learns,” and workshop support. Number of employees engaged in Lean activity “A lot of times people don’t realize how good they are and can be,” 800 said Carl Mason, a manager in the Lean Enterprise Office. “Empowering people at the grassroots level like Jerry is doing can make a big, long- Number of hours of capacity created—much of it term difference.” 60,000 coming in small amounts Airplane Programs Finance will continue with grassroots Lean imple- mentation in 2008 while beginning to align projects for larger cross- organizational solutions. Each director, manager and business unit has developed a 2008 Lean plan. Next steps also include fully integrating Lean goals into performance evaluations and mentoring other leaders to help Allyne articulate and implement the Lean vision. “This is the tip of the iceberg. We’re just getting going,” Allyne said. “We have a tendency to drive too quickly for results. We need to nurture the grassroots engagement. My experience has been if we keep doing the right thing and trust the process, results will come.” n [email protected]

BOEING FRONTIERS APRIL 2008 25

Commercial Airplanes BOEING FRONTIERS 1,400

28 APRIL 2008 BOEING FRONTIERS BOEING FRONTIERS APRIL 2008 Commercial Airplanes BOEING FRONTIERS

By Da n Iv a n i s White, Bowman, Smith and Forbush are ployee engagement,” White said. “Even now, part of that foundation. They were all work- we have some really good initiatives going on t’s difficult to say exactly what Leonard ing on the 747 even before construction of the in 747, and we’re probably getting further into White, Steve Bowman, Don Smith and Lou Everett, Wash., factory was completed. Lean than I’ve seen us go before.” IForbush were doing when Boeing delivered “The thing I remember most is how cold While Forbush plans to retire later this year its 1,400th 747 to AirBridgeCargo Airlines on a it was because the walls weren’t finished,” or in early 2009, the other three men plan to sunny morning in late February. Bowman said. “We came in wearing coats still be working on 747s when the airplane’s Likely as not, each of them was working and long johns, and we were crawling inside next chapter—the 747-8—makes its way on the 1,401st 747. Or the 1,402nd. Or plan- the wings. We were working 12 hours a day, through the factory for rollout, first flight and ning for the 1,450th. That’s what they do: They seven days a week. There were people who first delivery in 2009. The Volga-Dnepr Group, work on 747s. And it’s what they’ve been do- would just sleep here at night and then go the customer for the 1,400th 747, has five ing since before the first 747 rolled out of the back to work in the morning.” 747-8 freighters on order. Everett, Wash., factory on Sept. 30, 1968. Smith began his Boeing career in Renton, “It’s been a good journey,” White said. White, a senior quality manager, Bowman, Wash., on the 727 program. He joined the “I’m very glad to be on the 747. We’re still a quality manager, Smith, a production man- 747 team as an interior mechanic in final as- on top and I think the 747-8 is going to help ager, and Forbush, a quality inspector, have sembly. “We basically helped the engineers de- keep us there.”

andThe 747—and four of its originalcounting teammates—are still going strong

taken diverse paths over the years. All of them sign the plane,” he said. “They had the ideas, “I’m really looking forward to the 747-8 are a bit surprised to still be working on the but they hadn’t done all the final drawings. and I wouldn’t miss the first flight for any- 747 program 1,400 planes later. We were experimenting and building our own thing,” Bowman said. “I’ve been on several “I remember going to change board meet- parts as we went. It was quite a bit of fun.” working-together transition teams trying to ings when we were working on planes in the Forbush started working for Boeing on the get everyone up to speed. New tools, new de- 300s,” White said. “I’d ask about implement- 707 program and joined the 747 program in signs … it’s like starting over again in some ing a process change, and they’d tell me that 1967. He’s left Boeing—by choice or layoff— respects.” we weren’t going to build enough of these to and returned five or six times before staying And who would know better than four men make the change worthwhile.” permanently since 1985. “I just think working who were there at the beginning. n on the largest airplane in the fleet and in the The 1,400th airplane was a 747-400 [email protected] Extended Range Freighter being leased to largest building in the world is exhilarating,” AirBridgeCargo Airlines, a subsidiary of the he said. Volga-Dnepr Group, by GE Commercial Aviation White keeps a photo close at hand that Services. It’s the seventh 747 freighter in shows him among a “tiger team” of tool fabri- the AirBridgeCargo Airlines fleet, joining five cators who followed the first 747 through the 747-200/300 Freighters and a 747-400ERF. factory and worked issues as it went along. “This milestone speaks to the strong He’s spent about half of his 42-plus Boeing foundation laid at the very beginning of the years on the 747, including the last three as 747 program,” said Ross R. Bogue, vice presi- the senior quality manager for the program. dent and general manager, 747 program and “When I came back to the program in Everett site. 2005, it was like coming back to work with an old friend,” he said. Photo White has witnessed first-hand the im- provements made in the plane and the way it Lou Forbush (from left), Steve Bowman, Leonard White and Don Smith all worked is assembled. on the first 747—and are part of the pro- “Productivity and safety have dramatically gram after 1,400 planes. improved with programs like Lean and em- Will Wantz photo

BOEING FRONTIERS APRIL 2008 29 Integrated Defense Systems BOEING FRONTIERS Careers that go places College students at the recent Third Space Exploration Conference ex- Boeing helps attract the next amine a prototype Moon rover developed by the Field Robotics Center at Carnegie Mellon’s Robotics Institute. generation of space engineers AIAA PHOTO

By Ed Me m i Third Space Exploration Conference. Besides dent, Tim Pickens. “As a kid, he built rocket talking with industry and NASA engineers, bikes and trucks. Now, he’s the president of ollege grads often say they want to go the students toured exhibits and listened to an aerospace company! He filled me with en- places with their career. Then, there are a panel discussion on students’ opportunities thusiasm that this line of work can be innova- Cthose who don’t want to go just any in various sectors such as the U.S. Air Force, tive and fun.” place: They want to go to the moon! Or at Boeing, NASA and Orion Propulsion. Orion Pro- Boeing Space Exploration engineer Melissa least, be a part of the industry and organiza- pulsion is teaming with Boeing on the upper Preble, who helped organize the events, said: tions that will one day return us there. stage of the Ares I rocket, which will put astro- “Our goal was to show young engineers that To inspire students who might be lean- nauts on a journey to the moon. there is a future in space exploration, and they ing that way, Boeing recently hosted David Berman (University of Colorado) said can be a part of it.” 241 Denver-area college students at the he was inspired by Orion Propulsion’s presi- The space industry, along with the rest of the aerospace industry, is facing a shortage of engineers. Last year, the United States pro- Thinking about space duced more undergraduates in sports exer- cise than in electrical engineering, and about Boeing recently hosted more than 240 Denver-area college students interested in a career in engi- neering at the Third Space Exploration Conference. Here’s what some of the attendees said about a third of students who enter college to study mankind returning to the moon and Boeing’s part in this mission. engineering switched majors. NASA adminis- trator Mike Griffin cited these sobering statis- “Boeing had a much bigger role than I realized. They are doing some really cool stuff. This was a tics in a speech in January. great way to hear what’s going on in the aerospace field.” Preble said, “Too often we sit and talk —Christopher Welch, Colorado School of Mines about the need to inspire the next generation of leaders. But what we actually do to encour- “Sending astronauts back to the moon and then to Mars is one of the biggest challenges we face. age young people will define companies like The technology to place an astronaut on Mars doesn’t exist, so it would be an incredible achieve- Boeing as we compete for a shrinking pool of ment. A moon and Mars landing would inspire the next generation as Apollo inspired the last.” engineers. Providing opportunities like this for —Brian Dreiling, Colorado School of Mines young professionals and college students is a good start.” “I learned that Boeing has a significant focus on human space ventures for NASA and a willingness to develop young aerospace engineers and connect them with industry.” Boeing’s Space Exploration division plans to host a similar event at the International —Carl R. Seubert, University of Colorado at Boulder Space Development Conference in May in “Boeing plays a critical role in NASA’s endeavor to return to the moon and to travel to Mars. I learned Washington, D.C. n the company’s role in space is to provide new and more capable launch vehicles that further the [email protected] United States’ ability to loft both man and machine into space.” —Kevin Nastas, U.S. Air Force Academy

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Japan’s first KC-767 Tanker arrives in Gifu, Japan, after a 12-hour flight from Integrated Defense Systems facilities in Wichita, Kan. Plain and Boeing photo Old-school process spurs team toward delivery of Japan’s 1st refueling tankers By Fe l i x Sa n c h e z simple he clock was ticking. Pressure was mounting. The KC-767 tanker team faced a mid-February deadline for delivering Japan’s first- The results spoke for themselves. In mid-February, Boeing complet- Tever aerial refueling tanker. “Miles” of Excel spreadsheets outlined ed Federal Aviation Administration certification requirements for Japan’s myriad critical tasks to solve lingering problems on the program. KC-767 Tanker, receiving the FAA stamp of approval in the form of a But spreadsheets weren’t getting the job done. Team members Supplemental Type Certificate. needed to visualize the enormity of the situation and feel individual own- That cleared the way for Japan to receive its first two of four ership and responsibility for the challenge. KC-767s. Japan One was ferried and delivered to the Japan Air Self- So Cliff Hall, International Tanker program director, and his leader- Defense Force in late February. Japan Two was ferried on March 3. ship team went “old school.” They developed a “war room” in Wichita, Following the delivery, Hall said, “The team was walking this high off Kan. There, they plastered a wall with color-coded Post-it notes—each the ground, an indication of how well we work as a team when we’re listing a specific task that remained to be done on Japan One as well as all synced up.” the name of the person assigned to the task. On another wall, labeled And what of those scores and scores of Post-it notes in the “grave- “Help Needed,” team members posted requests for any and all aid they yard of retired tasks?” needed to accomplish their mission for the day or week. “Who knows?” Eno quipped. “Maybe we’ll have a celebration and “It worked,” Hall said. “It’s one thing to see an unfinished task coldly shred ’em.” n noted on a spreadsheet, but when it’s written on a note stuck on the wall [email protected] for all to see—and the name of the person who’s responsible for seeing that task completed is on the note as well—something clicks.” “It was definitely not high-tech, but the visualization it provided really About Japan’s tankers spurred the team,” added Randy Eno, Japan program aircraft delivery Japan has ordered four convertible freighter 767s, providing the Japan Air team leader. “Visually, it kept everyone on the same page.” Self-Defense Force the flexibility to carry cargo or passengers while main- For weeks, team members packed the war room for daily meetings. taining its primary role as an aerial refueling tanker. The aircraft features As a job was finished or a problem fixed, corresponding Post-it notes Boeing’s advanced aerial refueling boom and Remote Aerial Refueling were peeled off the wall and sent to the “graveyard of retired tasks.” Operator II system. Additionally, Boeing is building four tankers for Italy “Again, it was an effective measurement tool, because the team with delivery of the first two aircraft planned for this year. The KC-767 also could instantly visualize progress,” Hall said. “It was such an incredibly was Boeing’s offering in the U.S. Air Force’s KC-X competition for its next- generation tanker aircraft. Since the 1930s, Boeing has built and delivered simple process for an incredibly daunting task, and there was certainly more than 2,000 tankers that feature the world’s most advanced aerial some initial skepticism about it. Who would think Post-it notes on a wall refueling method with the highest fuel-transfer rate available. could create such a dynamic forum?”

APRIL 2008 BOEING FRONTIERS BOEING FRONTIERS APRIL 2008 31 Integrated Defense Systems BOEING FRONTIERS

An SBInet sensor tower stands in the Arizona desert near the U.S.-Mexico border. The SBInet program, part of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Secure Border Initiative, transitioned last year from IDS’ Advanced Systems organization to its Network & Space Systems business unit.

32 APRIL 2008 BOEING FRONTIERS BOEING FRONTIERS APRIL 2008 Integrated Defense Systems BOEING FRONTIERS Always on the lookout SBInet is new market for network integration By Er i c Ma z z a c o n e

a.m.: A U.S. Border Patrol agent peers into the dark, open expanse but also help them identify the safety risks they’re facing so they can of the Arizona desert along the United States–Mexico border. On respond with the right number of personnel.” 2nights like this, when the moon is just a sliver in the sky and shad- ows play tricks on the eyes, it’s difficult, if not impossible, to visually de- A network-enabled solution tect everyone crossing the border illegally. But the agent doesn’t have to In February, after experiencing and overcoming integration challenges, rely on his eyes alone. He also has SBInet, a system developed by Boeing Boeing’s P28 proof-of-concept demonstration of the SBInet security so- that’s brought advanced security technology to 28 miles (45 kilometers) lution—which networks cameras, radars and communications—was of the Border Patrol’s Tucson Sector, known as Project 28 (P28). accepted by CBP. Developed as a proof-of-concept of Boeing’s overall 2:07 a.m.: Radar atop an SBInet tower detects a group of individu- SBInet technology solution, P28 serves as an operational test bed for als illegally entering the United States on foot. As the group crosses field integration of hardware and software technology. the border, an alarm sounds at a nearby Border Patrol communica- “Last year, Border Patrol apprehended more than 800,000 illegal im- tions center. There, a Sector Enforcement Specialist quickly uses Global migrants. But still, others successfully eluded apprehension,” Chenevey Positioning System technology to determine the location of the activity. said. “By providing CBP personnel with a real-time picture of what and Next, the specialist implements SBInet’s long-range video camera to where things are happening on the border, they will be better equipped pan to the location of the crossing. The camera’s infrared technology to plan law-enforcement activities and respond with the most appro- identifies 23 distinct individuals—three of them armed. Location co- priate level of support needed to safely and rapidly deal with illegal ordinates and other essential information are transmitted via secure- border crossers.” wireless network to the nearest Border Patrol agents in their vehicles. SBInet’s real-time situational awareness backbone rests on The agents take control of the SBInet tower cameras, which provide the Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence Common imagery of the border crossers, plus topographical information and the Operating Picture (C3I COP) missions system being developed in location of other law enforcement assets in the area. Boeing’s Rapid Application Development facility in Crystal City, Va. The 2:20 a.m.: Three Border Patrol agents move in to interdict and appre- C3I COP platform will increase situational awareness and safety. hend the 23 border crossers within yards of a roadway they could have “The COP provides a bird’s-eye view to CBP personnel by present- used to escape more rapidly. During processing, the three armed men ing sensor and global positioning data to the operators relative to their are determined to be members of MS-13—one of the most dangerous current locations so that they can actually see what’s happening in real- organized-crime organizations in the world. time from their vehicles,” Chenevey said. Knowing the location of both Although this particular scenario is hypothetical—Customs and suspected illegal border crossers and other CBP personnel is an im- Border Protection (CBP) does not release specific details of Border Patrol portant safety factor. Getting this capability to the operators in the field operations—the potential for a similar scenario is very real. The SBInet provides them with a new level of insight they can use to plan their re- system deployed in the P28 area of the United States–Mexico border sponses more efficiently and effectively. is a force multiplier for agents in that area. During operational testing between September 2007 and February 2008, the system—for which Boeing is the prime contractor—helped Border Patrol agents apprehend Related story more than 2,000 people crossing illegally. How IDS’ Advanced Systems organization played a role “SBInet is a core technology component of 21st century border se- curity,” said Jack Chenevey, Boeing SBInet program manager. “It not in the development of SBInet. Page 35 only will allow our customers to execute their mission more effectively,

BOEING FRONTIERS APRIL 2008 33 Integrated Defense Systems BOEING FRONTIERS

The right tools for the job SBInet eventually will encompass the northern and southern U.S. land borders and the Great Lakes. To respond to the borders’ wide variety of terrain and weather conditions, Boeing employs a flexible “toolbox” approach Pass the baton that allows CBP to customize law-enforcement tactics with regional conditions in mind. To ensure that Boeing’s border-security toolbox contains all necessary components, Boeing Supplier Management personnel are working overtime to review proposals from technology companies. Strategic Development is also expanding its efforts to review next- generation technology that is about to come to the level of full-scale deployment. Using data collected by SBInet technology, CBP will accumulate statistics on detection, identification, classification, response and ap- prehension to speed up the visibility of trends and shifts in migration and adversary tac- tics, thus improving strategic and operational intelligence. “CBP law enforcement personnel face a daunting task,” Chenevey added. “Boeing’s goal is to make that task less overwhelming by providing CBP every advantage possible to predict, detect, identify and classify the il- Members of the SBInet team bolt a sensor payload mounting bracket to the top of an SBInet legal entry of people and contraband across surveillance tower near Tucson, Ariz. In February, U.S. Customs and Border Protection U.S. land borders and the Great Lakes.” n accepted the demonstration of the SBInet security solution. THOMAS GOERTEL PHOTO [email protected] SBInet: A Boeing enterprisewide product Homeland security is a complex and critical initiative that requires Employees from Corporate Offices, Phantom Works, and Integrated advanced and comprehensive solutions. Boeing’s intellectual capital and Defense Systems’ Network & Space Systems and Advanced Systems orga- hands-on systems-integration experience have positioned the company to nizations contributed to SBInet, which achieved full customer acceptance provide effective solutions in this crucial market. of the program’s P28 demonstration task order in February. Today Boeing is managing a high-visibility homeland security program. As “The progress made to date on SBInet would not have been possible the prime contractor for SBInet, Boeing is delivering real-time visibility and without the diversity in employee thought, skills and experiences available situational awareness to improve border security. at Boeing,” Oswald said. “Real-time information sharing is the crux of successful operations for Oswald also lauded the IDS start-up support team established for SBInet. many of our customers,” said Steve Oswald, Boeing vice president and “This team brought experts from across the enterprise to SBInet for the general manager, Intelligence & Security Systems. “Boeing’s venture into sole purpose of getting the program on track and helping to build and the border security market made sense not only from a business perspec- maintain momentum,” he said. tive but from a capabilities perspective as well.” Boeing SBInet Program Manager Jack Chenevey added: “When you’re fac- The capabilities that have made SBInet a reality as a border-security ing a complex problem with an aggressive deadline, as we did on SBInet, force multiplier in the program’s Project-28 (P28) area of operations near you have to work smart. The start-up support team brought expertise to Sasabe, Ariz., were the result of extensive enterprisewide collaboration. the program’s strategic operations and direction, which helped the rest of “Developing complex systems in separate ‘stovepipe’ organizations doesn’t the program team focus on delivery.” work well,” Oswald said. “Success requires bringing the right people with —Eric Mazzacone the right skill sets and resources to bear to create the net-centric environ- ments our customers need to accomplish their missions.”

34 APRIL 2008 BOEING FRONTIERS BOEING FRONTIERS APRIL 2008 Integrated Defense Systems BOEING FRONTIERS Pass the baton

Engineers Lowell Cook (left) and Trevor Batts, working in the SBInet test lab in Huntsville, Ala., moved with the SBInet program when it transitioned from IDS’ Advanced Systems organization. Eric Shindelbower photo For Advanced Systems, execution of programs is as critical as development By Ma r c Sk l a r Bidding for SBInet took place in a very activities that needed to transition and as- short time frame. But even while pulling to- signed them,” she said. “I remained involved hink about relay racing, where triumph gether a best-of-industry team focused on with the program even after program transi- comes from not just speed, but also pre- providing the best offer for the customer, the tion to ensure certain issues were resolved.” Tcise timing, coordination and teamwork. Advanced Systems team also looked at how While planning for the transition, it was A botched baton handoff likely means failure the program would run when it ultimately also important to keep program teammates as competitors pounce on the opportunity. transferred to N&SS. informed. “When employees joined SBInet, ei- Relay racing is a good analogy for how the Focusing on the immediate requirement for ther through internal transfer or external hire, Advanced Systems organization of Integrated a successful bid package was not enough for they were informed that the program would Defense Systems operates. It’s responsible the proposal team. They had to map out how transition at some point in the future,” Bokoles for capturing new business opportunities and the program would move through initial de- said. “I believe this helped the transition go transitioning technologies for IDS. Yet Advanced velopment and become a successful ongoing smoother when the change actually occurred. Systems “passes the baton” to not merely program when they handed over the reins to Employees expected it and were OK with it.” one person. Instead, these program transi- an IDS business unit. That meant coordination Also, strong communications kept em- tions can involve thousands of employees, across all functions as they prepared the offer. ployees informed on the changes. Along multiple Boeing sites, suppliers, partners and “One of the most critical keys to a smooth with direct communications from managers, customers—all running at a full sprint at the transition is early planning that begins well Korte conducted a live meeting with employ- transition. ahead of any actual moves,” said Dan Korte, ees in Crystal City, Va., the headquarters of the “Developing capabilities that meet our former SBInet vice president and program SBInet program. The meeting was linked by customer’s requirements and are ready for manager (he’s now vice president and gen- Virtual TeleConference and WebEx to other flawless execution by the businesses is what eral manager, Global Strike Systems). “It was sites across the United States. Advanced Systems is all about,” said Darryl critical for both the program and the receiving All the preparation for the transition paid Davis, Advanced Systems, president. “If we business unit (N&SS) to develop a joint transi- off, said Lowell Cook, a lead project engineer don’t excel at both, we won’t succeed.” tion road map.” who’s been with SBInet since the proposal’s SBInet—a part of the U.S. Customs and As the move drew closer, functions such as start. “It was seamless,” Cook said. “The cus- Border Protection’s Secure Border Initiative Human Resources and Communications had tomer noticed the name change, but in day-to- to secure U.S. borders—is an example of to remain flexible and closely involved in the day operations there was no impact at all.” a smoothly transitioned program. In August process. Kitty Bokoles, who led the HR com- Along with the SBInet transition, Advanced 2007, the program moved from Advanced ponent of the transition for Advanced Systems, Systems has successfully transitioned certain Systems Integrated Defense & Security said ensuring that Human Resources received ScanEagle Unmanned Air Vehicle services and Solutions (IDSS) to the IDS Network & up-to-date information from the program of- the Tactical Handheld Digital Device to the IDS Space Systems (N&SS) business unit. The fice was a challenge because of the fast- business units and regularly moves advanced U.S. Department of Homeland Security award- paced nature of the program. technology into existing IDS systems. n ed the technology component of SBInet to “I met face-to-face with the gaining HR [email protected] Advanced Systems in September 2006. team over three days. We listed relevant tasks/

APRIL 2008 BOEING FRONTIERS BOEING FRONTIERS APRIL 2008 35 Integrated Defense Systems BOEING FRONTIERS

Thanks to a new radio frequency identification tag system, Barbara Bunker, a material processor requirements facilitator, saves about three minutes’ worth of keypunching—and countless opportunities for error—per individual piece received. Here she pulls up the information scanned from the tag and uses it to cre- ate a transit label for each piece.

Marian Lockhart photo

Tagged F-22 team drags RFID in for the future through the front door to It may sound like basic, day-in-the-life stuff Granted, the RFID-based system might for one small group within a massive global not make sense for every receiving process reduce cost and error aerospace firm. But since the RFID-based sys- across Boeing, but it fits the F-22 tube shop’s tem became the default process three months needs nicely. For one thing, Future Metals is a By Do u g Ca n t w e l l ago with the tube shop, the receiving team has major single-source supplier delivering prod- been saving approximately three minutes per uct directly to the point-of-use. The company hen a batch of raw metal tubing des- transaction. That adds up to 150 hours during precuts the tubing pieces to length in advance, tined for F-22 hydraulic and fuel sys- the fourth quarter of 2007—which, billed at so that the tube shop doesn’t need to perform Wtems comes into the Raptor Assembly $75 an hour, totals $11,250 for the quarter, or additional cutting. All that stands between Center in Seattle, none of the receiving staff $45,000 a year. delivery of the product and its final bending/ has to jump up to greet it. This means the team will have re- machining by the mechanics is the receiving A sensor tower at the door has already de- couped its investment in the RFID technol- process, making it the only bottleneck in this tected and read a radio frequency identifica- ogy at the end of a single year, which is particular supply chain. tion (RFID) tag attached to the cart used by exciting news to the F-22 finance people. RFID tags consist of three parts: tag, local supplier Future Metals Inc. to transport Perhaps more significant, however, is the antenna and reader. Today’s tags contain a the batch. The tag provides all the information thousands of keystrokes the team saved, microchip—about the size of a piece of needed to inventory the shipment and pulls up eliminating a huge potential for human glitter—that can store up to 10,000 bits of the entire contents on the receiver’s personal error. It’s no surprise that Lean practitio- information, far more than the 256-bit chips computer. This enables the receiver to print a ners have taken a great interest in RFID’s currently in use as antitheft and inventory de- bar-coded transit tag for each piece, which possibilities. vices at retail stores. then follows it through the assembly process.

36 APRIL 2008 BOEING FRONTIERS BOEING FRONTIERS APRIL 2008 Integrated Defense Systems BOEING FRONTIERS

The aviation industry also is studying pas- Defense Procurement and Acquisition sive, reader-activated tags. Since these do not Policy, has observed that the Pentagon tradi- A Center of continuously emit signals, they do not inter- tionally has done a poor job of making war- fere with an airplane’s avionics systems. Even ranty claims, even though most equipment it Excellence for RFID better, they can be read without having to dis- acquires comes with some sort of warranty. mantle bulkheads or panels and, depending The call went out for an inexpensive DoD- on the frequency, from as far away as 30 feet. wide identification system that would attach instantly readable acquisition data to capital Ideas reused equipment and not take years to implement. Where did the tube-shop receiving crew In the course of devising a unique iden- come up with the idea, and how did they get tification (UID) system for DoD, Boeing em- it implemented? “We stole the theory shame- ployees naturally considered possible ap- lessly from the Auburn [Wash.] plant,” said plications inside the company. In so doing, C.J. Bentley, Lean focal for the Operations they faced a perennial challenge: Individual Ken Porad, Boeing associate technical fel- Supply Chain at Seattle’s Developmental programs tend to drive technology at Boeing, low who heads the RFID Center of Excel- Center. “Then we put our own systems and which tends to “stovepipe” its application. “If lence, uses a scanner to read passive RFID a program manager sees a cost-savings ad- tags affixed to parts in the landing-gear processes in place.” wheel well of a Next-Generation 737-800. vantage to using RFID on a particular proj- Bentley explained how these things hap- Boeing photo ect,” said Geear, “he or she will likely think in pen at Boeing. “You’re never a Lone Ranger Ken Porad, associate technical fellow for Com- terms of ordering a single $2,000 scanner— here,” he said. “Typically, by the time you mercial Airplanes in Seattle who also heads come up with an idea, 40,000 or 50,000 other or maybe even a half-dozen of them—and the new radio frequency identification Center people have already thought of it.” saying ‘OK, I’m on my way.’” of Excellence, has been immersed in promot- However, Bentley added, it’s not the origi- So it fell to Geear’s AIT group to begin ing and developing new applications of RFID nality of the idea or its magnitude, but what working across the company, finding ways since Boeing began exploring the technology you do with it. “Instead of thinking in terms of to get programs to collaborate, standardize a decade ago. He spends his time looking for one huge process improvement that will save their needs, and leverage Boeing’s purchas- programs and processes—internal as well as megabucks on a single program, we try to ing power on UID and RFID applications. They at customers and suppliers—for which RFID pass along that small improvement you came realized that in order to make this work at the could reduce cycle time or unit cost or defects. up with to a thousand other programs across enterprisewide level they’d need to write stan- While his optimism borders on the fanatical, Boeing. The overall effect is still huge.” dards and start building an inclusive standards Porad is quick to qualify it. “We’re not looking library. Once they’d pulled this body of work Bentley and his team aren’t done yet. He to insert RFID because it’s cool,” he said. “We together, they achieved major cost avoidance explained the Lean+ principle of continu- always start with a business problem to be by specifying standard scanners and RFID- ous improvement: You don’t just introduce a solved.” That can include a process inside the enabled printers and buying them in quantity. new process and leave it at that. You spend company, a customer need, or a way to stream- time evaluating its effectiveness, debugging it, Geear’s AIT organization has hosted sev- line the supply chain. streamlining it, polishing it. eral enterprisewide conferences to update Porad believes the global application of RFID various Boeing sites on the current state of “Any time you think you’re done, you’ve is “set to explode,” with Boeing leading the AIT technology and its possible applications. failed,” said Bentley. “Continuous improve- charge. Most importantly, Geear added, attendees lis- ment is forever.” ten as implementation leaders, such as the “We have all the standards in place,” Porad said. Developmental Center’s Bentley, describe their His group has gained U.S. Federal Aviation Ad- How AIT came to Boeing lessons learned. “It’s not so much the presen- ministration approval, which benchmarks RFID Jeff Geear, St. Louis-based program man- tations we put together as the networking op- as mature for commercial aviation use. They’ve ager for Automatic Identification Technologies portunities these events provide that make the established to the U.S. Department of Defense’s satisfaction that the technology is mature and within IDS, explained how the interest in difference,” Geear said. service-ready. Last but certainly not least, AIT arose at Boeing. Michael Wynne, cur- To date, Geear has 45 potential use cases rently Secretary of the Air Force but then they’re close to demonstrating that the Boeing for AIT on file. As of today, 15 of these have production system can accommodate RFID. Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, proven themselves cost-effective. Of the re- Technology and Logistics, was frustrated at maining 30, a few have been dismissed but Next on the slate is an enterprisewide RFID the Department of Defense’s inability to accu- most are still being evaluated. There has to be shipping label, which Porad’s team will unveil this year. “Consider that in Puget Sound alone, rately identify the capital equipment it owned, a solid business case, Geear stressed, before Boeing receives 50,000 parcels a day from 300 where it was currently located, under which he’ll pursue a new application, but he invites different carriers,” he said. “Add to that the contract it had been acquired, and so on. anyone who’d like to explore the possible “Secretary Wynne’s argument was that 20,000 spare parts we ship each week from application of AIT to a Boeing process to the Seattle spares distribution center, and you data has to have integrity if it’s going to be ac- contact him. n tionable,” said Geear. More recently, LeAntha begin to get a sense of the magnitude” of the [email protected] Sumpter, Deputy Director of Program savings. Development and Implementation for — Doug Cantwell

APRIL 2008 BOEING FRONTIERS BOEING FRONTIERS APRIL 2008 37 Integrated Defense Systems BOEING FRONTIERS

An F/A-18F forward fuselage (in green) is moved from one station in the Forward Fuselage Structure line to the next station. The aircraft are “pulsed,” or moved, every six days at the current build rate of 42 aircraft a year.

RICHard RAU PHOTO

Their specialized craft ensures tactical aircraft get built right

By Ka t h y Co o k to the aircraft, efficiency improvements, ergonomics requirements, or other human factors, we’re always working on something new. For in- hey don’t build aircraft or create state-of-the-art weapons sys- stance, when the design for the F/A-18E/F forward fuselage changed, tems. Most people wouldn’t recognize the products they design. we had to change with it. As the aircraft evolve, so must the tooling.” TThey work primarily behind the scenes. But without them, the jet Tool engineers are always looking for safer, easier and more-efficient fighters Boeing provides for its defense customers wouldn’t exist. ways to build aircraft. Prior to the 1990s, the F/A-18E/F fuselage was This St. Louis-based team of 95 engineers designs tools—not your moved via crane across the factory floor from one tool station to another. everyday variety that can be purchased off the shelf, but one-of-a-kind At the time, this was the best way—but it was a process that was cum- and sometimes highly sophisticated tools used to build some of the fast- bersome, time-consuming and inefficient, and it presented safety risks. est, most agile and aerodynamic vehicles in the world. So in the ’90s the St. Louis team developed a “wagon wheel” jig that “Most people don’t realize the role tooling plays in almost all areas could hold as many forward fuselages as there were “spokes” on the jig. of manufacturing, from the cars we drive to the clothes we wear to the Then, instead of moving the fuselage to individual tool stations, workers toys our kids play with,” said Gary Yenzer, a product integration engi- could bring their tool sets to the fuselage. neering manager who oversees much of installation-tool engineering Tool engineers, incorporating Lean principles, later improved on for Boeing products such as the T-45 jet trainer and the F/A-18 and the wagon wheel when they designed a “pulse” production line. High- F-15 jet fighters. compression air is used to lift air pads located under the fuselage and As one of his former supervisors used to say: “At Boeing, if it doesn’t frame it sits on—weighing as much as 7.5 tons—just a fraction of an fly, it’s probably a tool.” In fact, in the factory where Yenzer works ev- inch off the floor, enabling it to literally be “floated” across the factory erything that’s not an airplane part is a tool. That includes not only drills, floor to the next work station when the production line pulses forward. screwdrivers, pliers and hammers, but also things like jigs—the frames That means no more moving tools to the fuselage. Work now is under- that hold parts in place as an aircraft is assembled. way to replicate a similar line for the F-15E Strike Eagle fighter. Tool design, Yenzer said, is never static. “There’s always a need for One of the team’s more significant innovations was the replacement new or modified tooling,” he said. “Because of configuration changes of an existing, purchased F/A-18 splice tool—a fixture where the