Stages of Life Cycle Development Raytheon I believe that Raytheon is in the elaboration stage of life cycle development. The elaboration stage is described as mature stage of the life cycle in which red tape crisis is resolved through the development of a new sense of teamwork and collaboration. Raytheon employs a process of Integrated Product Teams. IPTs are focused on improving communication amongst team members. This structure creates an atmosphere where each employee is within close proximity and everyone knows what is being discussed at every stage in their area of responsibility.
IPTs are broken down into four tiers that are integrated but independent with a customer support leader, production program leader, design engineering leader, and value stream leader that keep things flowing smoothly. Through the use of IPT production team’s managers develop the skills necessary for confronting problems and working together. This in turn reduces the need for addition formal controls. Raytheon has achieved collaboration throughout the organization by employing IPT teams.
Raytheon’s leadership employs a Six Sigma business model and is routed within the facets of Raytheon management. This philosophy is embedded within the fabric of Raytheon’s business plan. It is used as a method for increasing productivity, growing the business, and building a new culture. Raytheon Six Sigma is the continuous process improvement effort designed to reduce overall costs. Structure and Control Raytheon Raytheon is one of the largest military defense contractors in the world.
The Raytheon Company designs develops manufactures integrates and supports technological products services and solutions for governmental and commercial customers in the United States and internationally. It is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts and employs about 73,000 people. Raytheon’s leadership employs a business model know as Raytheon Six Sigma is the philosophy of Raytheon management, embedded within the fabric of our business organizations as the vehicle for increasing productivity, growing the business, and building a new culture.
Raytheon Six Sigma is the continuous process improvement effort designed to reduce costs. (Raytheon 2008) Six Sigma was developed by a process of benchmarking other companies and leveraging internal best practices. The philosophy of Raytheon Six Sigma is to bring a goal of making customer success a strategic focus for the company increase productivity transform the culture and grow the business. Raytheon’s employs a business model known as OpenAir which enables all of its partners to contribute and capture value.
It succeeds in bringing together innovators in a range of fields including academia large and small businesses and Raytheon customers. Raytheon’s OpenAir fosters collaboration. One key aspect of the OpenAir concept is competition because the opportunity exists for suppliers of all levels to get involved in the overall design and production effort collaboration and creativity increase. This in turn drives costs down and accelerates time to market. As a result Raytheon’s customers receive best of breed and affordable solutions in a shorter span of time.
The OpenAir business model will be a key enabler in Raytheon meeting or exceeding customer expectations. The concept will be used on all new captures which will allow Raytheon to deliver the most innovative products and affordable prices to different markets. The model can also be applied to existing programs driving Raytheon to higher levels of efficiency than ever before. (Raytheon 2007) The OpenAir concept unites diverse partners and encourages complementary efforts. For example a smaller supplier with an innovative technology may lack the infrastructure to bring the product to market.
Under the guidelines set by the OpenAir model this same company can partner with a larger business that has the ability to integrate the new innovation and then market and sell the solution. (Raytheon 2007) Raytheon also transformed its operating system from a traditional purchasing and supply chain organizations to an integrated supply chain. We intend to link our engineering groups and our performance excellence groups with our supplier base as early as we can in the process when building relationships with our suppliers. We need our suppliers to be an extension of ourselves.
When dealing with our suppliers was focused on costs quality and schedule. (Bernstein 2005) Raytheon employs a process of Integrated Product Teams. IPTs are focused on improving communication amongst team members and keeping them up to speed on their area of concern while also fostering a sense of responsibility for a given function or step. These teams are located adjacent to their production areas and reside in an open room to foster close interaction. This structure creates an atmosphere where each employee is within arms’ reach and everyone hears what’s being discussed at every stage in their area of responsibility.
IPTs are broken down into four tiers that are integrated but independent with a customer support leader production program leader design engineering leader and value stream leader that keep things flowing smoothly and with all of those facets in mind. (Reinke 2007) Raytheon vision strategy goals and values is defined as comment to driving strategic growth establishing an inclusive culture improving productivity and providing our customers with Mission Systems Integration Mission Support and Mission Assurance for each and every product and service we offer. Raytheon 2009) Raytheon. (2008-2009) Raytheon Company, Six Sigma. Retrieved October 24 2009, from http://www. raytheon. com/ourcompany/ourculture/r6s/index. html Bernstein B. , (2005), Worldtrade p36 – 40. Reinke J. (2007, August) August IMPO Lean and Mean p 8-12 Raytheon (2007) Openair Business Model, p 1-2, Retrieved October 25, 2009 from www. raytheon. com Raytheon Company, (2009) Raytheon’s Vision, Strategy, Goals and Values, Retrieved October 27 2009 from www. raytheon. com/ourcompany/ourculture/vsgv/index. html
