Boeing takes schadenfreude back on itself

From Wall Street Journal, Boeing is scrambling to solve its own delay problem for its new dreamline 787. The memory of the delay of Aribus Jumbo A380 is still fresh. And once cheering furtively, Boeing has to swallow the same bitter pill by itself.

Boeing took a different strategy to develop its new airplane model. In short, it spread billions of dollars in development costs among a large number of suppliers, while also streamling its own manufacturing. But the web of suppliers crisscrossing the globe has contributed to several delays for the twin-aisle aircraft, hitting Boeing's share price and stirring concern among customers.

Boeing, in its new bid to get the 787 Dreamliner back on track, said Friday that it will buy out Vought Aircraft Industries Inc.'s interest in an assembly plant in North Charleston, S.C. The facility, called Global Aeronautica LLC, is a joint venture between Vought and Italy's Alenia Aeronautica.

Dallas-based Vought is a key player in Boeing's attempt to reinvent its production process for the 787 by giving more responsibility to suppliers who design, produce and integrate large sections of the jet. In this case, Vought and Alenia join large sections of the jetliner together before they are shipped to the Seattle area for final assembly.

Some suppliers, including Vought, have struggled with the new responsibilities, contributing to chronic delays in the 787 production process. Boeing is trying to overcome those problems by taking a direct stake in the assembly plant.

The fiasco hitting both Boeing and Airbus reminds me the other giant project stumbling occurred in the Heathrow Airport expansion project and others. It appears to me that the mistakes seems to be inavoidable when the size of the project becomes large. It is like the more complicate the machine is, the easier it will malfunction.

The lessons have been learned:

1.Never make a promise when the uncertainty is too high. Remember, the forecase to the furture could never be correct.
2.Be wary of your innovative idea bears potential risks that will bite at later stage
3.Always do what-if analysis in the project planning. Having a plan B never hurt you.
4.When the schedule is slipping, don’t expect the problem would solve by itself. Jump over it immediately and sort it out before it festers