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"The team took lessons from past rate increases
and said, 'We can do this better,' and all indications
are that they have," said Beverly Wyse, vice
president and general manager of the 737 program.
"We owe a special thanks to our partners
in Boeing Supplier Management and Fabrication
who have kept shortages at an unprecedented low
level for this stage in the rate process."
Teams have been preparing for more than a year
in some cases. An example of early preparation
can be seen in the production line where employees
install electrical systems into the newly built
wing boxes. The team eliminated a line where employees
worked on both left-hand and right-hand wings
and moved those employees to extended lines where
they were dedicated to either the right-hand or
left-hand wings, removing variables that slowed
down production. Additionally, in August, improvements
to efficiency such as arranging the work and the
work environment so that employees can more easily
complete their tasks supports a rate of up to
42 airplanes a month.
Boeing has taken a three-fold approach to prepare
for the rate increases on the 737 program. The
company is making production processes more efficient
by working with employee process improvement teams;
increasing the production capacity with capital
investments and making the site footprint more
efficient by moving some production areas and
expanding others; and decommissioning outdated
equipment.
Boeing will increase the 737 rate to 38 airplanes
a month in the second quarter of 2013 and to 42
airplanes a month in the first half of 2014.
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