Boeing 787 Quality Issues
Introduction
Boeing 787 aircraft was introduced into the airline’s first commercial flight in 2011 in the United States. Boeing 787 Dreamliner was one of the biggest and known state-of-art manufacturing hubs, having built one of the most advanced aircraft worldwide. Boeing 787 replaced Boeing 767 and 747-400. The main aim of the production of Boeing 787 was to reduce the number of departures, elimination of small airplanes to reduce congestion in the airport and to avoid point-to-point transit. However, within the last decade, the factory that produced Boeing 787 Dreamliner has been associated with shoddy work and weak oversight threatening the lives of its passengers.
Its recent frustrations seem to be linked to the failure to consider the seven ISO quality management principles. These principles influence the quality management of a company as well as its performance improvement. There are seven ISO 9001:2015 quality management principles, namely: customer focus, improvement, leadership, process approach, engagement of people, evidence-based decision making, and relationship management.
Major Quality Issues
In April 2004, Dreamliner got its launch customer called All Nippon Airways, who ordered 50 planes, which was to be delivered in 2008. In 2007, Dreamliner unveiled the Boeing 787 assembly factory having 677 orders. The aircraft’s main aim was to enter into commercial service delivery in 2008 but was accompanied by numerous problems thereafter.
On fifth September 2007, the aircraft production company announced its first-ever flight delay. This was led by the shortages of fasteners as well as software faults. Additionally, in the following month of October the same year of 2007, the aircraft company experienced a three-month delay to its first flight as well as the first 6-months delay for its first deliveries. This was because of the problems with foreign as well as domestic supply-related issues. Besides, there was an ongoing fastener shortage and problems with the software (Boeing 787 Dreamliner: A timeline of problems, 2016).
In November 2008, there happened another delay which occurred due to the incorrect installation of the fastener as well as the strike by Boeing staff. This led to many airlines to demand compensation from the Dreamliner Company due to delays. In December 2009, another postponing of the flight date occurred eight days after the Boeing announced its 787’s Maiden flight. Boeing cited the postponing of the flight was due to a need to reinforce a section in side-of-body within the aircraft (Pearsall, 2016).
On December 12th, 2009, Boeing completed its high-speed taxi-test, which led to its maiden flight three days after the speed test. However, the maiden flight did not last four hours as it was suggested, but it landed after three hours, citing bad weather. Nine months, another test program was announced (Boeing 787 Dreamliner: A timeline of problems, 2016).
In August 2010, the Boeing decided to do a ground test, but Trent 1000 engine suffered a blowout at Rolls-Royce facilities, which caused other delays. This delay made the scheduled deliveries to the ANA to be rescheduled until early 2011 (Sabat, 2015).
Again in ninth November 2010, Boeing 787 made an emergency landing above Texas after an electrical fire during flight tests. This led to the suspension of all flight testing, which was rescheduled to resume back on December 23 (Boeing 787 Dreamliner: A timeline of problems, 2016).
The delivery that was scheduled to be delivered to ANA in Early 2011 did not happen but was rescheduled again for the third quarter of 2011. This was because of the updates on their software as well as the electrical updates due to the in-flight fire (Boeing 787 Dreamliner: A timeline of problems, 2016).
On August 26, 2011, the Boeing 787 was certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States together with the European Air Safety Agency, and it was cleared to carry away the delivery services. The certification of the Boeing 787 to do delivery option contributed to the first successful Dreamliner delivery to ANA, more than years of failed delivery schedule (Baker et al., 2014).
QMP-ISO9001-2015
By delaying its deliveries due to shortages of the fastener and incomplete software, Boeing 787 did not consider ISO9001-2015’s “customer focus” quality management principal. The problem with the delay of the deliveries, as well as the customer-based services, did not meet the “customer focus” quality management since the customers could not condone the delays that were caused by the aircraft company. Customer focus quality management ensures that the customer is attracted and have confidence with the services offered by the service providers (Kuei et al., 2013). By delaying the deliveries for the customers, the aircraft company fails to add more value to the customers as well as customer satisfaction. This can lead to the loss of potential customers since they could not meet the customer’s expectations. By meeting customer’s expectations, this can lead to an increase in customer loyalty towards the Boeing 787 as well as enhancing a repeat business.
The three-month and six-month consequential delays due to foreign and domestic supply chain could be as a result of not focusing on “Relationship Management.” For avoidances of delays due to the supply chain, Boeing 787 could try and manage its relationship with its domestic and foreign suppliers. Both Domestic and Foreign suppliers are one of the key parties that influences the performance of the production (Kuei et al., 2013). For instance, foreign and domestic suppliers have a great influence on the production of Dreamliner Aircrafts such as Boeing 787. The success in the production can only be attained through the enhanced relationships between Boeing and its suppliers in order to optimize their influence on its performance. By having a good relationship with interested parties such as suppliers, the company is warranted on an easier understanding of the goals and values of the supply chain as well as other interested parties.
The fifth delay from Boeing 787 can be linked with the “engagement of people” quality management principle. If only Boeing could engage experts and experienced people who are skilled in crafts mechanical-related issues, problems such as incorrect fasten installation, as well as software issues, could not have existed. The management of Boing could have failed to engage competent software and mechanical engineers as well as other people from all levels of expertise. Engagement of people of all levels in an organization is important in enhancing its ability to create and delivering values. Involvement and respect within an organization contribute to the efficient delivery of services to the targeted customers. Additionally, for quality objectives’ achievements, the management and administration of any organization or a company must recognize, empower, and enhance competence with all people within it (Kuei et al., 2013).
The delay and aircraft faults might be linked to the process approach quality management principle. If only the leaders in Boeing 787 had enhanced their performances by managing and controlling their processes together with the inputs and outputs that are related to the manufacturing of the Boeing 787, such faults and shame could not have happened. Understanding every activity related to the manufacturing and assembly of the aircraft could enable Boeing to optimize their systems as well as their performance. Additionally, in-process approach quality management principle, it is always important to understand the predictable outcome in order to increase consistency and optimized performance via effective process management, efficient application of the resources (Kuei et al., 2013). This also aids in the reduction of cross-functional barriers. The process approach also helps in enhancing the capability in focusing effort on major processes as well as the improvement’s opportunities (Kuei et al., 2013).
Despite numerous delays and mechanical-related faults Boeing 787, the company kept on repeating the same mistakes now and then. This is linked with the Improvement quality management principle. It seems Boeing had was not reacting on improving their production since the delay did not happen once, but was a continuous series of repeated mistakes. Ongoing focus on the improvement of services and production leads to a successful organization. Improvement is important within an organization in maintaining the improvement levels in their internal and external conditions in creating new opportunities (Kuei et al., 2013). The improvement involves training people within the organization on the ways to use basic tools as well as the methodologies in achieving the improvement goals.
Solutions
In order for Boeing 787 not to lose potential customers such as ANA, it kept its spirit high by trying to convince its customers through promises. The customer could not run away since they were promised efficient delivery quality services. After the continuous disappointment of Boeing 787, the company ordered inspection and repair of all the aircraft in June 2010. In January 2011, Boeing updated its software, and it’s electrical for the first delivery, which was rescheduled for the third quarter of 2011. Boeing tried to include their workers in the consultation on how to resolves the issues of performance since they were making losses when their planes are suspended.
Conclusion
It is clear that from the top management of Boeing to the least staff, there was not Effective Corporation. There were some delays now and then hindering the delivery of quality services to their customers, such as ANA. The process approach quality management principle with the organization was very poor since they took too long to understand the predictable outcome through their production processes. The leaders of Boeing are supposed to focus on improving their planes’ manufacturing/ assembly in order to deliver quality services to their potential customers.
References
Baker, M. D. D., Mooney, M. D. P., Center, D., & Airplanes, B. C. (2014). BOEING 787–8 DESIGN, CERTIFICATION, AND MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS REVIEW.
Boeing 787 Dreamliner: A timeline of problems. (2016, February 05). Retrieved from https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/comment/Boeing-787-Dreamliner-a-timeline-of-problems/
Kuei, C. H., & Lu, M. H. (2013). Integrating quality management principles into sustainability management. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 24(1-2), 62-78.
Pearsall, K. (2016, September). Manufacturing supply chain challenges-globalization and IoT. In 2016 6th Electronic System-Integration Technology Conference (ESTC) (pp. 1-5). IEEE.
Sabat, K. C. (2015). Boeing’s Global Supply Chain for 787 Dreamliner: A Sustainable Competitive Advantage or Lack of Oversight?. FIIB Business Review, 4(1), 32-43.