A company in a race against time

A few years ago, three aircraft manufacturers competed fiercely for the most important customer in the industry, United Airlines (UA). As long as it can build a model that United Airlines is satisfied with, it can get a large order. McDonnell Douglas came up with the MD-11 wide-body jet, Airbus competed with the A330 that is undergoing test flights in Europe, and Boeing submitted just a new model, the 777 design pattern. Representatives from the three manufacturers stayed in three separate rooms at United's headquarters for final negotiations, which included two grueling meetings that lasted overnight.

United Airlines manager Gordon McKinzie recalled: "It was like a horse race. We evaluated three aircraft on a variety of criteria and concluded that they The combined score was very close. Why did we end up with Boeing? We love the design of the 777, and Boeing has the ability to help us raise money if needed."

In the end, Boeing got 34 777 jets However, at that time, the company had not yet produced a 777 aircraft, not even a prototype. They were both grateful for their trust in United and also under pressure: Boeing had to design, build, test and deliver the world's most technologically advanced aircraft within five years.

Boeing executives know that five years is tight. Their 767 also took about the same amount of time from design to delivery, but that was the same familiar and reliable production process used on the 757 and 737. This time, the production of the new model aircraft requires a completely new production method that is completely different from the past. In fact, the production of the aircraft had to go hand in hand with the creation of new production procedures.

Scenarios like this mean that the training required to implement new systems and technologies alone can take up to a million hours. Because Boeing is known in the industry for on-time deliveries, United has set a schedule and prepared the infrastructure for the on-time delivery of the 777s. Backorders are unthinkable. United Airlines has also made a commitment to customers. The company's managers have determined the flight plan according to the scheduled delivery date. Once the new aircraft arrives, it will be put into service on transoceanic routes immediately.

Boeing, as always, took up the challenge and decided to pioneer a new concept of a "collective approach," working with United in unprecedented closeness. This new concept permeates all activities at every level of the enterprise, completely replacing the idea of divisional silos and the pursuit of individual ambitions.

The "Collective Collaboration" agreement affects the relevant departments and functions of both companies simultaneously. Boeing opened up operating procedures that had previously been kept under wraps, while United took the initiative to put down the "customer" shelf, get involved, and work with Boeing to solve problems and overcome difficulties.

Breaking down barriers and reinventing old processes

Introducing a new work philosophy in a venerable and established company like Boeing is much more than just creating a novel slogan and putting up beaming propaganda all over the company Painting is as easy as that. It requires bold change, and change is usually bound to meet resistance. Some personnel in the enterprise adhere to the principle of "just push the car without falling down" and question the necessity of the new work concept. Of course, Boeing has not "fallen down". In order to meet the global needs, the company has launched 747, 767, 757 and a new generation of 737 passenger aircraft, which has created a historical record in the number of aircraft production. So many veteran Boeing employees are baffled as to why this new wide-body airliner program has to take a radically different approach than previous, wildly successful programs.

In order to implement the "Collaboration Approach," Boeing's managers must overcome obstacles from all aspects of the company and people's thinking. Not only will there be an unprecedented level of collaboration between departments, but employees will have to be persuaded to minimize their professional egos.

John Monroe, a 36-year Boeing manager, said: "In the past, the divisions were isolated from each other. When the people in the structural division finished the design, they would transfer the plan. Go to the system department. The person from the system department shook his head and said: 'No, this plan is not good.' Then the plan was transferred back. Finally, when the plan was finally passed, it was transferred to the manufacturing department. The manufacturing department will also propose its own amendments. , and then transfer the plan back to the engineering department. The revised plan is sent to the tool engineering department, where it is accepted for modification...and so on, it goes on and on."

Monroe said that if the production of the 777 is to be completed on time , all these procedures must be reformed. However, this requires a lot of mind-transformation and retraining, because "no one knows how to 'group work'".

Knowing everything is the quickest way to solve a problem

Literally and figuratively, "bringing everyone together" is a good starting step, but encouraging those "who don't know each other" It is not easy to communicate openly and honestly. Engineers tend to be very introverted and silent, with a strong sense of self-protection. Management must first create a climate of mutual trust between departments and between departments and senior management, so that there can be public recognition of existing problems. Boeing employees are dedicated professionals, but they are also people. "Telling your secrets" in front of your colleagues and bosses is not an easy task.

Managers must strive to create an atmosphere. In this atmosphere, even the most stubborn people can speak up about problems that the department cannot solve alone. Led by Alan Mulally, one of the founders of the "Collaboration" concept, managers first led by example, stating some of the problems they encountered, and openly seeking help from all those present.

It should be noted that once the "collective collaboration method" is formed, it cannot rely on the supervision of committee meetings and senior managers, otherwise it will not be "collective collaboration". In daily work, we must not convene a meeting of the Coordination Committee or require managers to arbitrate disputes. Ed Callahan from Manufacturing explains: "Collaboration means partnership, it means solving problems on our own level. Because we've got the essence of that philosophy, and we The relationship between them has gone beyond that of ordinary colleagues: we have become friends."

Not all group meetings of various departments are necessarily about solving problems by brainstorming, and the information exchanged is not necessarily all about difficulties encountered. During the five-year plan, numerous frequent meetings were held to keep project participants informed of the progress of the work of the relevant departments. Since most of Boeing's suppliers and United Airlines, a major customer, attended the meeting, many possible problems were prevented before they occurred, which effectively avoided the occurrence of hard-to-return and excessive losses.

This timely summary of the work method solves many long-standing legacy problems, while also avoiding many emerging troubles, not because such a large and complex plan will not have problems, but because Alan ·Malali and his leadership team were able to recognize the problem in time before the situation worsened.

Boeing's managers have succeeded in creating such a productive meeting atmosphere because they have accurately grasped the element of human character. The center of the meeting is always the planning task itself rather than someone's presentation. Inspired by this collective atmosphere, those who are uneasy for fear of being the target of public criticism can also be self-absorbed.

Focus on the big picture and control the schedule tightly

Although the delivery deadline is several years away, a sense of urgency must be established from the first day of the plan, which is the main face of all long-term plans. one of the difficulties. Of course, Boeing's management has some advantages in this area, and their engineering staff understand the significance of deadlines and the importance of staying on track in a large and complex program.

United's Gordon McKinzee recalled: "It wasn't until I got involved with the project that I realized Boeing's strict schedule requirements. Because of the 'collective approach' in the 777 program, I was also able to attend some important meetings. I felt like I was in a war room with progress charts all over the wall. That's when I really understood how hard these people were on progress."

The Boeing Company The schedule for the project is very detailed, and all departments involved in the initial design work are aware that even a day's delay will have a huge impact. Boeing fosters an "early problem detection" attitude that makes all employees aware of the importance of timing.

Boeing executives knew from the beginning that to lead a large group of more than 10,000 employees in multiple departments, it was necessary for all involved in the plan to have a holistic awareness of the overall situation of the plan. have a number in mind.

"Collaboration" not only required breaking down the barriers between different departmental cultures, but also had to redefine the concept of "success" to the exclusion of all other goals, with the on-time delivery of the world's largest commercial airliner as the sole criterion for success. It is even necessary to establish the concept that the completion of individual or partial work tasks is commendable, but when there is a conflict with the goals of the overall task, the overall situation should be taken first.

Ed Callahan said, "Ambitious people abound, but if anyone dares to use the project as a tool for the realization of personal ambition, the attempt has never been and never will be. The spirit of collective cooperation has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people."

Theoretically, if the partial goals can be fully achieved, the overall goal can naturally be achieved. But some departments sometimes must voluntarily sacrifice the interests of their own departments in order to ensure the effectiveness of other departments.

Stage rewards to drive goal completion

One way Boeing managers can keep a five-year program on track Have a celebration. Pizza banquets are often held at work, and elated engineers frequent the nearby bar for a drink. The biggest celebration in history, though, was when the first fully formed 777 was assembled, dismantled and parked in a hangar. The scale and festivities of the banquet were unprecedented, with thousands of children staring at the behemoth.

With more than 10,000 employees participating in this project, the number of people attending the celebratory banquet is predictable. Even so, Boeing invited all its employees and their families to participate. More than 100,000 people gathered around the glittering fuselage. Excited employees of the company proudly explained and pointed out the parts they had personally participated in. Several performances were also held at the weekend celebration.

Boeing's leadership no doubt has deep feelings for all those involved in the 777 program, but this big celebration is actually an operating decision. The celebration after the plan is completed is a reward, and the banquet held halfway through the plan is an effective means of encouragement.

The timing of this celebration is very clever, and it is when the mission objectives have been concreted. The 777 plan is no longer abstract on paper. While there's still a lot of work to be done, the swept wings and rounded nose stand there, showing a sense of can't wait. This situation can't help but make the employees feel uneasy that the plane cannot be put into use, so they encourage themselves to continue to work hard so that the plane can fly into the sky as soon as possible and perform their functions.

In the end, the 777 was finally delivered on time, and while it still took three or four months longer than the 767 was built, more stuff was created than the 767 was built. During this process, the company established a brand-new production system and procedures, which became an example to follow in future production. At the same time, a new management principle was created, which provided a guarantee for the timely completion of various plans in the future. As a final note, Boeing has built a solid reputation with its key customers as well as all potential customers by delivering the world's finest aircraft on time this time around.

Boeing believes that delivery deadlines must not be delayed, but neither must the collaborative spirit of synergy established during the implementation of the plan be lost with the completion of the plan. "We see a mission with a tight deadline as an opportunity to explore lessons for future challenges like this and build a solid foundation for future progress," said Alan Mallary.

Original Reproduced with permission from Deadline! How Premier Organizations Win the Race Against Time by Dan Carrison. The author registered copyright in 2003. Published by AMACOM of the American Management Association, International, New York, NY. Translated by Zhu Xiaofan.

The English version of this book is sold by McGraw-Hill Education (Asia), Singapore.

Dan Carrison is a partner at SemperFi Consulting, a professional sales specialist and a renowned public spokesperson. Co-authored with the best-selling book SemperFi: Business Leadership the Marine Corps Way.