Boeing is the second largest commercial aircraft manufacturer in the world. The company\u2019s latest marquis product is the 787 Dreamliner, a widebody jet boasting leading edge size, range and fuel efficiency. \u00a0As of 2016, Boeing delivered 500 Dreamliner airplanes, making the jet the fastest in history to hit that mark. The backlog for the aircraft stood at 700 orders as of 2016. [1] However, the program has its issues. Production, initially stalled by production and flight testing problems, is currently below planned capacity and profitability lags that of legacy Boeing programs like the 737.<\/p>\n
The jury is still out on whether the 787 program is truly a success. But one thing is generally accepted, the 787 is a design marvel. Boeing poured $32 billion in developing the model. [2] Crowdsourcing contributed to the development of this game-changing plane. Let\u2019s consider how Boeing managed the process and discuss whether crowdsourcing makes sense for Boeing long-term.<\/p>\n
Historically,\u00a0Boeing tightly controlled the development and design process, employing thousands of engineers and spending between $3.0 billion and $5.0 billion in R&D annually. [1] It outsourced manufacturing to thousands of suppliers, and the majority were build-to-print companies. In other words, Boeing drew up the plans and suppliers executed. Boeing only allowed some tier-1 suppliers\u2019 engineers to collaborate on certain late-stage designing, but it still tightly guarded its crown jewels, such as the wings. When it came to the Dreamliner, this process underwent a shake up.<\/p>\n
Boeing opened up the development of the Dreamliner to engineers from 100 different companies, including materials and manufacturing suppliers. Early in the process, Boeing offered \u201cdesign, modeling, and simulation tools in reach of collaborative teams of all sizes.\u201d It used collaboration software and real-time online applications to allow designs to be compiled and tested. Engineers from different companies can see and edit each other\u2019s work. [3] Boeing had to manage competing suppliers, egos, quality control and messaging of the Dreamliner vision.<\/p>\n
The process illustrates a successful experiment in a sort of crowdsourcing of aircraft design. The development process was a year shorter than what Boeing was able to achieve alone. In the end, suppliers designed more than 35% of the Dreamliner. Japanese companies even had a big hand in designing the coveted wings. [4]<\/p>\n
A Boeing spokesperson told CBS News that “It would be arrogant to think that all of the best ideas and best technologies exist within the walls of Boeing\u2026 There’s no way we’d go back to more traditional methods.\u201d [3]<\/p>\n
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Boeing has since helped fund crowdsourcing tools for manufacturing, partnering with UI Labs’ Digital Manufacturing Design and Innovation (DMDI) Institute as well as with industry players like Lockheed Martin and GE. DMDI Institute\u2019s product, DMC, is described as Git for manufacturing. The product allows \u201cdesigns to be “compiled” and tested like software projects before being prototyped in the physical world.\u201d [5]<\/p>\n
Where does increased crowdsourcing of design and engineering leave Boeing in the future? The company has slowly outsourced manufacturing over the decades and concentrated on designing and engineering. It may seem unintuitive for the company to then turn around and outsource even those capabilities. But I think that\u2019s exactly what Boeing needs to do to remain competitive and to unlock the greatest level of creativity. It also allows it to reduce its engineering workforce needs over time, perhaps achieving a more ‘human capital light’ model. I would argue that this isn\u2019t a shedding of Boeing\u2019s core competency. Rather, I believe Boeing\u2019s true competitive strength is in managing complex projects. It is equipped to navigate complex supply chains, regulatory frameworks, etc. Crowdsourcing aircraft designs won\u2019t diminish that; it\u2019ll only require more of it and bolster its competitive advantage.<\/p>\n