The Boeing manufacturing system

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The Boeing Company is a defense and an aerospace corporation that was founded by William Boeing inWashington. It has expanded over many years and merged with McDonnell in the year 1997. Boeing developed military jets for example B-47 Stratojet as well as B-52 Stratofortress bombers in the year 1940s and 50s. The D1-9000 is a Boeing company document which does address their supplier and the internal system. It establishes AQS tools, the supplier quality rating, the basic system and finally the advanced quality systems (AQS, 2000). The company relies immensely in common ground that a quality system is established and hence it forms a platform for a continuous effectual improvement. The Boeing Company which has been the leader of aviation and aerospace is widely known because of its skilled engineers. Millions of the commercial passengers fly their jets. Boeing has providedUSAgovernment with the best fighters and the bombers as well as the systems of missiles. It is therefore imperative to embark on some of the techniques the manufacture systems used in their company.

Computer Integrated manufacturing systems involves the entire integration of all manufacturing enterprises through using data communications and integrated systems as well as other data communications in order to enhance the personnel and organizational efficiency. The objective of CIM is to simplify the entire production design, processes as a major foundation to integration and automation. It integrates the entire productions and also does support all processes using the computer networks, business software and other technologies (Kraebber & James, 2004).

A manufacturing system involves the configuration of the computer controlled workstations where by materials are usually handled as well as machine loaded.  Most of the Boeing employees are familiar with the lean concepts, global manufacturing, and supplier relationships. An efficient and a lean manufacturing operation is the main heart of the Boeing system of production and are very useful to the commercial airplanes as far as the global market and competition is concerned. The company is liable in managing some of the defects as well as continuing to focus on quality in all the production lines in order to remain successful and competitive.

Its production system involves various elements that do work to ensure there is an output of highest quality of the cost effective services and products in the least time. Its principles which involve six sigma, lean manufacturing, value streams, the global manufacturing as well as managing all the supply relationships are some of the elements that are quite critical as far as the competition of the company is concerned.

One of their prospects comes when they are managing their value stream which involves building of the airplane. It does represent the entire production of building the airplane from the raw materials to what we can call as the finished output. One of the main methodologies that help the Boeing Company meet all their challenges is the ‘six sigma’. It helps the manufacturers in their major quest of designing, building as well as delivering perfect products through reduction of variation and defects hence enhancing quality that results in cost savings.

The ‘six sigma’ usually refers to all the manufacturing processes which produce quality at 3.4 defects in a million opportunities (Debby, 2003). For Boeing Company to integrate the manufacturing systems in their company it had to come up with a production model that catered for issues like raw materials, capital, energy and labor. As far as raw materials are concerned, they usually work with other third parties known as TMX who help in logistics that involve the allocation of the raw materials to the subtier and the major suppliers. They work closely with their supplying base in order to get a clear picture of demand across the entire industry. They have strong teams that comprise of the procurement group that belong to their major suppliers (Debby, 2003). It consistently works with their workers and suppliers in order to ensure there is a steady supply of the raw materials that are needed in the vast production.

The company has a labor team that are responsible in implementing and defining the corporate strategies in maintaining and attaining technical excellence that includes enhancing all yields of Boeing’s investments that are technologically related. The aerospace process of manufacturing comprises of a complex scenario that ought to be validated so that manufacturability can be determined as well as low production costs.

The manufacturing processes and systems are combined with the simulation of technology in order to reduce the costs. A flexible manufacturing system is a stable or flexible automation whereby various tools are usually linked together via a material handling system and hence all the system’s aspect is controlled by one central computer.

The manufacturing classification usually depends on the type of product to be manufactured and is classified according to how the merchandise is usually produced in the entire manufacturing system and how customer demand is satisfied by the production strategy. During the manufacturing system classification, the production operations are usually divided in five groups. First the aerospace company has to come up with a project and lay down the strategies that are integral and those that are of benefit to them. Then there is the job shop manufacturing whereby it is a process of production where the manufacturer receives the engineering specifications from customers and then utilizes on the intermittent method of production because of a limited demand by the customers (Kraebber& James, 2004).

The project category under classification is comprised of many parts of a similar kind in order to come up with a similar thing. The other classification is called repetitive which has various characteristics.  It makes sure that the order for the repeated business is 100% and the fact that the orders have a fixed routings on the machine production. The line classification entails delivering at a shorter time than the stipulated time of building it. Finally, the continuous classification of the manufacturing system entails more characteristics like the fact that product is quite predictable.

The strategies of production are based on some factors like the manufacturer pace and time as well as the customer’s. At Boeing Company, the production strategies were used in matching the manufacturer to their lead in order to integrate the raw materials.  They had to accept a long lead of manufacturing since engineering design was also part of the process. That is called the ETO or the Engineer to Order stage.  The other match is the Make to Order which comes after the design and engineering process has been proven. In the Assemble to Order match or stage, all the parts of the final product are carried into a finished inventory and the Company had to determine or verify it. Basically the market underwent market research whereby they lay their options, strengths and weaknesses and opportunities. During market research they analyzed other big companies that were doing well and their competitive strategies.

The second is management review whereby they had to discuss about the entire project and air their views. Design engineering is the third stage, then production engineering, manufacturing and finally the customer use. That was the main product development cycle that they used to come up with competitive products.

In carrying out all these strategies, they had to have some corporate goals, visions and missions in order to perform all the financial functions and also plan. The customers are the main target and they had to watch out on the competitors too.  During the stiff competition they underwent, the company announced in the year 2003 about 787 and the fact that it was to be assembled in its factory which was inEverett.  Instead of having to come up with a complete aircraft, the final assemblies do employ about 800 to around 1,200 people who are to join completed subassemblies and also integrate some systems.

Steps taken in order to realize mass customization is in two areas. One is the Product Design for the Mass customization and then the Mass Customization manufacturing system. Things like aircraft and automobiles are quite complex and the Mass Customization Manufacturing usually faces divergent challenges in achieving critical goals of the reduced production cost and lead time.

The Boeing Company is one of the most successful Companies globally. For it to apply the manufacturing systems it underwent various processes in order to gain acceptance from the customers. It has gone various phases of competition with other successful companies. The manufacturing system is quite beneficial as it offers effective finished output despite the issue of time constraints.  Finally the manufacturing system enables the possibility of the customer coming to the product.