For 787 Engineers (B & subs) Schedule issues.

[DHambley]

This thread is meant as a forum to discuss the issues contributing to the late schedule for the 787. Do you work for a subcontractor or for Boeing? What is your product? What are some of the items causing late delivery. What can Boeing do differently?

 

[rb1957]

i don't work on 787 but anyways to answer "What can Boeing do differently?" ... stop using "partners" ... IMHO its the worst thing ever to happen to our business. partners have their own self interest at heart, are frequently raped and pillaged by the boys from procurment and so are usually not in a happy frame of mind when something needs to change, nearly always play the blame game when things start going "pear-shaped", and at the end of the day it's boeing's name on the plane (so the public associates any of the owes to Boeing, and not to the partner who messed up).

IMHO Boeing (and the other OEMs) should revert to doing the plane themselves. that way they control their own destiny, but have to spend their own money to do it.

 

[GregLocock]

Hear hear. Sorry, I know I have no direct experience with boeing, aprt from sitting in them far too often, but my industry has been going through the same nonsense over the last 15 years. I actually feel a bit sorry for the suppliers, they were weaseled into doing the engineering in my opinion. Sure, here's a big carrot, we'll pay you to do the design. Oh, but here's the stick, you are now committed to making that design work and delivering it on the original schedule. Good luck with that.





Cheers

Greg Locock

SIGlease see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.

 

[btrueblood]

"...<suppliers> are now committed to making that design work and delivering it on the original schedule."


...and how do we define "making the design work"? Well, the engineers will tell you that. Except, the engineers who were to tell you that assumed you know how Boeing does things, all those little details that are in the cracks of the assembly hangars and scribbled in the margins of the design manuals...oh, and most of those Boeing engineers have been re-assigned and won't be available to take your calls as they're busy elsewhere, putting out somebody else's fires.

Biz as usual. That the Big B is not further behind on the 787 is testimony to a very diligent effort at keeping open lines of communication with their suppliers, using new collaboration tools, electronic file sharing, etc.

 

[msquared48]

Resurrect Tex Johnson and Bill Boeing.

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

 

[epoisses]

What can Boeing do differently... well...
- try to sell in Euros
- introduce language problems and conflicting nationalistic feelings in the management team
- maximise government influence in order to have politicians fat fingers all over the business, each pursuing their own national interests
- have a wiring problem on your their new flagship model that should probably not be too hard to solve on its own but that is just the last drop...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbus

 

[Xtal2012]

It is not surprising that there are delays because the 787 is Boeing's first aircraft made mostly of composite materials. The investment in new equipment and processes is huge.

 

[KENAT]

No longer in aerospace but we're having fun with our own outsourcing adventures, and that's on a $1.5 measurement tool, not something the scale of the 787.

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...