Boeing Defense, Space & Security / Phantom Works X-­‐51A Scramjet Engine Demonstrator -­‐ WaveRider I. Program Overview
Organization Name/Program Name:
Boeing Defense, Space & Security / Phantom Works
X-51A Scramjet Engine Demonstrator – WaveRider
Your Name/Position/Contact
information – E-mail, Phone
Joseph T. Vogel / Director of Hypersonics
joseph.t.vogel@boeing.com / 714-372-2639
Customer:
Organization/Name/Position/Contact
information
Note: your customer will be
contacted to verify performance
across the four criteria measured
herein.
Program Category
AFRL / Charlie Brink
X-51A Program Manager
charles.brink2@wpafb.af.mil / 937-255-7611
Program Background: What is this
program all about? (No more than
one page). Describe:
 The overarching need for this
program
 History of the program
 The product that is created by this
program
 Scope of work – original &
updated
 Expected deliverables
 Current status of the program
(Choose One)
o Sub-System R&D/SDD program or project
o Sub-System Production/Sustainment program
or project
o System level R&D/SDD program or project
o System level Production/Sustainment
program or project
The X-51A is an unmanned scramjet
demonstration aircraft for hypersonic flight
advancement. The X-51A has been under
development since 2003 by the Boeing and Pratt &
Whitney-Rocketdyne consortium for the Air Force
and DARPA with a combined investment of over
$250M. The program successfully completed the
first “history making” powered flight demonstration
of an endothermic hydrocarbon fueled scramjet
engine with acceleration from boost (~Mach 4) to a
final Mach of ~5 on May 26, 2010. The X-51A is a
descendant of earlier efforts including the Advanced
Rapid Response Missile Demonstrator (ARRMD)
and the liquid hydrocarbon-fueled scramjet engine
developed under the USAF’s HyTech program. The
scramjet flight test vehicle was designated X-51 on
September 27, 2005 by Congress. Additional X-51A
flights are planned in GFY 2011 to reach the goal
max Mach of ~6 and to further test vehicle/engine
structures and systems utilizing the three remaining
flight vehicles. All the four flight vehicles are
expendable with no plans for recovery and reuse.
There are important operational capabilities/products
2010 AVIATION WEEK PROGRAM EXCELLENCE INITIATIVE
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Boeing Defense, Space & Security / Phantom Works X-­‐51A Scramjet Engine Demonstrator -­‐ WaveRider that will be derived from the continued development
of X-51A including 1st generation hypersonic
weapons, long range hypersonic strike/ISR vehicles
and responsive/reusable space access systems.
Another potential path for X-51 derivative
development includes a recoverable/reusable
hypersonic test-bed that would support critical
hypersonic technology development including
advanced materials, thermal protection systems,
sensor windows, GN&C, communications, sensors
and scramjet engine subsystems. The expected
deliverables from the program include the four flight
test vehicles, extensive flight test data and reports.
I.
VALUE CREATION = 20 POINTS
Value:
What is the value, competitive
positioning, advantage, and
return created by this program
to your:
• Customers – National
interests, war fighter
• Company – Strength,
bottom line, and
shareholders
• Scientific/technical
value (particularly for
R&D programs)
Excellence and Uniqueness:
What makes this program
unique? Why should this
program be awarded the
Program Excellence Award? In
what ways is this a stellar
program?
The value and advantages of the X-51A program to the
USAF and other services is enormous and has significant
implications for future hypersonic capabilities. From a
national interest and war fighter perspective hypersonic
system capability will play a very important part in future
political and foreign policy areas. Platforms capable of
flying at hypersonic speeds will respond almost instantly
to strategic and tactical threats changing the behavior of
an adversary to deter enemy attacks and will ultimately
transform global warfare. For the scientific/technical
community hypersonic research is achieving real
breakthroughs as shown by the recent X-51A 1st flight test
success. We are starting to see the reality of what we can
achieve in terms of hypersonic vehicle performance
prediction, construction, materials and actual flight. For
the Boeing company and the Phantom Works X-51A
team, the recent 1st flight success is a culmination of over
7 years of focused development effort to build and fly a
scramjet powered vehicle for several minutes not seconds,
providing a solid foundation for further X-51A flights and
related follow-on efforts. These follow-on efforts will
lead to potential near-term and mid-term contract wins,
adding to Boeing’s bottom line and shareholder value.
The X-51A program is unique as being the only
hypersonic vehicle development program that provides the
X-51A as a national test asset in support of gamechanging hypersonic capabilities. The extensive X-51A
technical database and “stellar” 1st flight will accelerate
the maturation of practical hypersonic systems.
2010 AVIATION WEEK PROGRAM EXCELLENCE INITIATIVE
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Boeing Defense, Space & Security / Phantom Works X-­‐51A Scramjet Engine Demonstrator -­‐ WaveRider III. ORGANIZATIONAL PROCESSES/BEST PRACTICES: (HOW DO YOU DO THINGS) = 30 POINTS
Strategic:
Describe how you
developed your program
strategy and competitive
advantage in support of
your company strategy,
how you monitor progress
toward achieving this
strategy
Strategic:
Requirements
Management – How do
you define, revise and
control your requirements?
Strategic:
Systems Engineering –
Describe your systems
engineering planning and
management processes.
The X-51A program created a Statement of Objectives
(SOO) to support the specific program strategy of successful
flight tests that will help to create a foundation for competitive
advantage of having the only hypersonic vehicle of this type
in existence for several years. The objective of the X-51A
program is to flight test the USAF Hypersonic Technology
(HyTech) scramjet engine, using endothermic hydrocarbon
fuel, by accelerating a vehicle from boost (approximately
Mach 4.5) to ~Mach 6. The goal is to acquire ground and
flight test data of an operating, actively-cooled, self-controlled
prototype scramjet engine, demonstrate the viability of the
HyTech, endothermically fueled engine in flight, and prove
the practicality of a free-flying scramjet powered vehicle. The
documented X-51A program Vision and Mission Statements
support Boeing business/market capture strategies.
X-51A Vision Statement: Evolve the X-51A demonstrator
team into a Phantom Works organization recognized as a
Boeing leader in capturing and executing demonstrator
programs to meet future Phantom Works business transition
strategies responsive to the BDS vision. Develop and
transition integrated flight vehicle technologies through
affordable, rapid flight demonstrations.
X-51A Mission Statement: Mature scaleable scramjet
engine technology through execution of the X-51A flight
demonstration program.
The X-51A program’s 1st flight success is a first step to
meeting Boeing strategic goals for the future of hypersonic
vehicle applications.
Our requirements development process is a team-oriented
process that manages baselines and changes to requirements
from competing interests.
It Involves iterations in
requirements identification and allocation to aid in the
determination of technical, cost, and schedule validity of
requirements.
It provides traceability to customer
requirements from various levels of decomposition and
extraction to help ensure requirements lead to a balanced
design that meets or exceeds customer expectations.
The goal of the X-51A Program within Boeing was to take
advantage of Lean+ processes. The System Engineering
organization provided the infrastructure and tools that
embedded much of the system engineering processes into the
2010 AVIATION WEEK PROGRAM EXCELLENCE INITIATIVE
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Boeing Defense, Space & Security / Phantom Works X-­‐51A Scramjet Engine Demonstrator -­‐ WaveRider Strategic:
Opportunity Management Describe how your
program identifies
opportunity and manages
this opportunity.
Operational:
Planning, Monitoring, and
Controlling Describe your planning
and resource allocation
processes. How do you
monitor and review your
program’s progress and
make corrections to keep
the program on track
Operational:
Supply Chain
Management -- What
processes, tools and
relationship-building
methods have you used to
develop, refine and
improve supply chain and
stakeholder integration?
This is one of the most
imperative needs of our
industry – please provide
specific details and data
that assisted you in
gauging the effectiveness.
Operational:
System Integration,
Testing & Reviews Describe the activities and
processes used to
various engineering disciplines throughout the program life
cycle. This streamlined approach and common tools allowed
issues to be resolved upfront during the design process.
Near/mid/far-term opportunities associated with the X-51A
program are defined and forecast as part of annual Boeing
Long Range Business Plan (LRBP) development activities.
Five and ten year planning cycles are defined and captured the
most promising X-51 follow-on opportunities based on
internal market assessment and customer discussions to
determine their primary requirements.
X-51A program cost and schedule management is in
accordance with the Boeing Integrated Performance
Management Manual and the specific procedures it references
as applied to a medium-sized flight demonstration program.
The Integrated Performance Management (IPM) Manual
includes best business practices while providing flexibility for
use in managing the cost, schedule, and technical performance
of programs. Earned value management is the cornerstone of
IPM and is implemented to the maximum extent practical.
The X-51A program’s Supplier Management Plan (SMP)
describes the process and approach to be utilized by the
Supplier Management Team, in conjunction with applicable
IPT Leaders, in the management of all acquisition related
activities. It defines the roles and responsibilities of each
discipline on the team. The Program Management Office
(PMO), Engineering, Quality Assurance, Operations, Supplier
Management Financial Organization, Contracts & Pricing,
Configuration Management/Data Management as well as
Supplier Management (SM) are all integral to the successful
implementation of the supplier management process.
In order to achieve early supplier involvement into the
process, key suppliers are frequently fully integrated into the
decision making process as a member of the appropriate IPT.
This allows Boeing and the PMO to fully leverage the
supplier’s unique technical and marketing expertise to
improve the content and quality of supplier statements of
work (SSOW).
Specifically, items such as technical, cost, quality or
schedule performance, through early identification were
mitigated and the risk to program success reduced.
The X-51A program organizational structure is Integrated
Product Team (IPT) based with individual IPT roles on the
program defined in program consortium approved
Responsibility, Accountability and Authority (RAA)
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Boeing Defense, Space & Security / Phantom Works X-­‐51A Scramjet Engine Demonstrator -­‐ WaveRider succeed in your system
design, integration, and
testing. How did you
conduct system design
and technical reviews?
Operational:
Risk Management
Describe the processes
used to identify risk and
avoid future/potential
issues or risks.
Team Leadership:
Team Spirit and Motivation
Describe how you created
your team spirit and
culture, and accomplished
full team integration and
team member motivation.
documents. The RAA documents also defines the IPT
mapping to the Task Description Document (TDD)
Program reviews were held in accordance with the
approved program practices. Between major design reviews
(PDR, CDR etc), Technical Interchange Meetings (TIMs)
were held at appropriate times to review major configuration
changes, significant test data, or analysis results. On average,
there were 3 or 4 such events each year. Weekly telecons
were held between the consortium and the customer to review
technical topics of interest and changes in Technical
Performance Measures (TPMs), or progress in Risk
Mitigation.
Risk Management (RM) is an integral part of the X-51A
program.
RM is the responsibility of the Systems
Engineering and Integration and Team (SEIT). The SEIT lead
is also the chairperson of the Risk Review Board (RRB) that
provides oversight and direction to the risk management
process. Daily activities associated with the X-51A risk
management process are delegated to the Risk Management
Process Owner (RMPO) designated by the SEIT. An initial
list of program risks was documented at the onset of the
program and is hosted by the RM tool. Subsequently, and
throughout the program life, continuous risk management is
applied taking a bottom-up approach while balancing cost,
schedule and technical implications. Only the RRB may
adopt and declare a risk a “Program Risk” and direct it to be
added to the risk watch list for handling by the RM process.
The X-51A program utilizes Boeing’s Systems Engineering
Application and Management System (SEAMS) to manage,
document, archive and control the risk mitigation process.
With this tool the SEIT provides X-51A management with an
overview of the program risks, risks status, snapshot of
program risks and progress of the risk mitigations process.
The X-51A program will archive all retired risks. These
archived risks will be available to use for trend studies,
process effectiveness analysis, and lessons learned to improve
the risk management process and to apply the acquired
knowledge to future similar projects.
The X-51A program is a cutting-edge development
program that recently had great success with the history
making 1st flight of a hydrocarbon fueled hypersonic scramjet
vehicle for over 200 seconds of critical flight data. Prior to
the highly motivating program’s 1st flight success the X-51A
development team supported conceptual/preliminary/detailed
design and fabrication/build program phases.
Program
2010 AVIATION WEEK PROGRAM EXCELLENCE INITIATIVE
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Boeing Defense, Space & Security / Phantom Works X-­‐51A Scramjet Engine Demonstrator -­‐ WaveRider Team Leadership:
Lessons Learned and
Knowledge Management
Describe how you collect
lessons learned and best
practices, and how they
are shared with your team
and company to improve
performance.
Team Leadership:
Leadership Development
How do you develop
team’s skills and build
future leaders
Best (& Next) Practices:
Identify your program’s
specific Best Practices
that you believe are
unique, and could be
shared with others and
become industry’s Next
Practices.
leadership instituted an overall team approach that integrated
all the IPT elements to facilitate open communication and
cultivate team spirit. Several program initiatives involved
one-team related items including a program logo, program
hand-outs including pads, pens, info cards and media support.
Boeing Records and Information Management (RIM)
processes will be utilized as well as the X-51A Electronic
Information System (EIS) web-based/secure portal to capture
lessons learned and best practices. The X-51A EIS is
available to all approved program/team members including
sub-contractors. Any other Boeing program team member
can obtain access to the EIS upon request from the X-51A
program office and also discuss lessons learned with the X51A Systems Engineering IPT if requested.
The X-51A Program Manager defined a suite of required
Boeing training classes for each Boeing team member that
focused on critical skills development. Team members with
responsibilities including Program Management and IPT
leadership were encouraged to expand training to include
Boeing Leadership center training and other leadership type
classes and experiences. Other team members with career
development plans that include future leadership paths were
also encouraged to take additional leadership training as well
as additional on-job responsibilities to obtain critical technical
and people skills experience.
The X-51A program utilized Phantom Works Best
Practices that have been tailored somewhat from the Boeing
standard to better suit a demonstration/X-plane type of
program. Best practices included Affordability, Baseline
Management, Customer Communication/Contact Plans,
Earned Value Management, Help Needed, Integrated
Planning, Integrated Schedules, Issue/Action Management,
Information
System
Management,
Organization,
Requirements Management, Risk Management, Supplier
Management, Technical Performance Measures and Use of
Independent Reviews. The most unique best practice involves
the application of the Electronic Information System (EIS) to
support many program best practice elements listed above.
The EIS is a centralized “place-holder” for all key program
information and processes with one database that is controlled
and managed by the Systems Engineering IPT.
2010 AVIATION WEEK PROGRAM EXCELLENCE INITIATIVE
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Boeing Defense, Space & Security / Phantom Works X-­‐51A Scramjet Engine Demonstrator -­‐ WaveRider IV.
ADAPTING TO COMPLEXITY: (HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH YOUR PROGRAM’S UNIQUE
COMPLEXITIES) = 20 POINTS
Identify the Program’s
Market Uncertainty level
– How new is your product
to your market and users,
based on the definitions
below. Then describe how
you deal and address this
specific uncertainty:
- Derivative – an
improvement of an
existing
product/system.
- Platform – a new
generation in an existing
product line.
- New to the Market – a
product or system
adopted from another
market
- Breakthrough – new to
the world product or
system.
Identify the Program’s
Technological
Uncertainty using the
definitions below. Then
describe how you deal and
address this uncertainty:
- Low-tech: application of
mature, well-established
technology
- Medium Technology:
existing technology
modified to meet new
design requirements
- High-Technology:
recently developed new
technology
- Super HighTechnology: nonexisting technology that
needs to be developed
during the program.
Identify the level of your
System Complexity using
the definitions below. Then
explain how you are
dealing with this level of
The X-51A vehicle’s recent 1st test flight success represents
a breakthrough relative to market uncertainty level. The
X-51A vehicle is completely new to the world system through
the recent history making first successful demonstration to
Mach 5 by an air-breathing hydrocarbon fueled scramjet
powered vehicle in free-flight. The capability of hypersonic
cruising at over 4,000 mph on hydrocarbon fuel for distances
forthcoming of 600-1,000 nm (or more) is a game-changer for
several military and commercial operations and system
planners. Boeing Phantom Works has invested IRAD funding
to support the development of X-51 follow-on system
concepts including fast response hypersonic weapons, long
range strike systems, commercial transport horizon planning
and reusable/responsive space access opportunities. These
options have been briefed to several potential customers
resulting in great interest and continuing discussions. It is
expected that further successful flights of the remaining three
X-51A flight test vehicles will lead to several near/mid-term
follow-on hypersonic platform development opportunities.
The X-51A program’s technological uncertainty is
identified as high technology. The X-51A fully integrated
airframe and hydrocarbon fueled, thermally balanced scramjet
engine system is a recently developed new technology. USAF
officials called the recent X-51A flight an unqualified success.
The program is planning to fly three additional X-51A
vehicles to further study and advance scramjet engine
technology and application potential. Each flight will provide
significant flight test data to be analyzed by program
engineers. Depending on results, there could be vehicle
improvements/changes incorporated between flights that will
either solve unexpected technical issues or improve/expand
flight performance capabilities. Updates are expected to be
limited to secondary structure elements, minor subsystems
and/or flight control inputs. Any vehicle changes will be
discussed and approved by the X-51 program consortium
team and the Air Force program office. Follow-on planning
has included a X-51 based recoverable hypersonic test-bed to
support technology development and advancement.
The level of the X-51A system complexity is identified as
a system due to the myriad collection of subsystems
performing multiple functions. The X-51A is comprised of 4
major subsystem elements including the Cruiser, Scramjet
2010 AVIATION WEEK PROGRAM EXCELLENCE INITIATIVE
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Boeing Defense, Space & Security / Phantom Works X-­‐51A Scramjet Engine Demonstrator -­‐ WaveRider complexity:
- An Assembly performing
a single function.
- A Sub-system fitting
within a larger system.
- A System – a collection
of subsystems
performing multiple
functions.
- An Array – a “system of
systems”; a widely
dispersed collection of
systems serving a
common mission.
engine, Interstage and Booster. Each major subsystem is
comprised of a collection of subsystem assemblies including
structures/thermal protection, guidance/navigation/control,
electrical/power, fuel, instrumentation and others. The entire
X-51A system is defined and documented within a secure 3D
CAD database and web-based Electronic Information System
(EIS) that is accessible by all approved program consortium
members. An overall program Systems Engineering and
Configuration Control process is in place for all technical
information including drawing controls/approvals/release,
change requests, overall interface controls, fabrication and
manufacturing planning. A total of 4 vehicles have been built
successfully through utilization of the various program control
systems from inception through final assembly and flight test.
Identify the Pace and
The X-51A program team’s efforts pace and urgency was
Urgency of your team’s
generally time critical with several absolute and critical-toeffort using the definitions
success deadlines including major program milestones
below. Then describe how
including PDR, SRR, CDR, FRR and 1st flight. The overall
you deal with the
program’s key milestones and tasks were defined within a
program’s pace
requirements:
consortium approved master program schedule. A weekly
- Regular timing – no
Program Management Review (PMR) with key consortium
specific time pressures.
and customer team members was held to track/discuss key
Fast/Competitive – time
to market is important for program tasks, schedule milestones and budgets. Several
internal IPT coordination/planning/status meetings were also
competitiveness.
- Time Critical – there is
scheduled to provide close oversight and continued
an absolute and criticalcommunication across all program IPT elements.
An
to-success deadline.
approved
Earned
Value
Management
System
(EVMS)
was
- Blitz – there is a crisis
element driving the need also utilized throughout the program to track engineering
development progress, also with weekly status meetings.
for immediate response
Meeting schedules were adjusted appropriately to
accommodate the different program development stages.
Several other complexities and uncertainties were faced
Other Complexities &
by the X-51A program as it evolved from vehicle design focus
Uncertainties to vehicle fabrication/manufacturing and flight test phases.
Describe other
complexities and unknown Availability lead times (over one year) for critical need
materials including titanium and tungsten created planning
factors faced by this
program and how you
challenges. The overall program schedule was successfully
address them.
modified after extensive consortium discussions and interface
with key suppliers to accommodate material availability dates.
Later in the program, B-52 carrier/launch aircraft availability
and reliability lead to overall program schedule delays which
put significant pressure on overall program schedules and
budgets. The program consortium and the USAF customer
worked through several program re-plan options that allowed
first flight success within GFY 2010 budget constraints.
2010 AVIATION WEEK PROGRAM EXCELLENCE INITIATIVE
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Boeing Defense, Space & Security / Phantom Works X-­‐51A Scramjet Engine Demonstrator -­‐ WaveRider V. METRICS (HOW DO YOU MEASURE PROGRAM’S PERFORMANCE) = 30 POINTS
(Note: We are not looking for $ results, but the relative percentage achieved. In particular indicate what specific metrics
and data you are using that drive the program beyond standard measures of schedule, budget, and performance, and
which have contributed to your program’s focus and its success.)
Customer - How do you
measure the impact of
your program on your
customer and your
customer’s satisfaction?
Include a description of
your metrics, as well as
numerical evidence.
Performance - How do
you measure your
program’s performance
in traditional terms such
as schedule, budget,
requirements, and
business results?
The X-51A program’s customer satisfaction is formally rated
quarterly via the Boeing Performance Assessment Report (BPAR).
The BPAR is a Boeing program initiated performance evaluation
generated by programs not receiving an official Government Contractor
Performance Assessment Report (CPAR). BPARs are shared with
Government program counterparts seeking concurrence/comments and
signature. BPARs utilize the same evaluation and dollar threshold
criteria as defined by Government CPAR policy. BPARs help strengthen
customer communication, support the Integrated Business Acquisition
Process (IBAP) relating to maintaining and growing business, be a part of
Business Excellence (a way of doing business), an element of Program
Management Best Practices (PMBP). BPAR metrics include technical,
cost/schedule, quality, management, commitment to customer
satisfaction and overall assessment as shown below.
The X-51A program utilized Earned Value Management (EVM). It
is a performance management technique that integrates work scope,
schedule, cost and performance policies, procedures, and processes by
which Boeing programs manage work. Individual programs authorize
work, integrate budget with schedule requirements, evaluate, and
report program cost and schedule performance against a baseline plan.
EVM data and status is reviewed by X-51A program upper
management and IPT leads on a weekly basis. Additionally, a weekly
2010 AVIATION WEEK PROGRAM EXCELLENCE INITIATIVE
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Boeing Defense, Space & Security / Phantom Works X-­‐51A Scramjet Engine Demonstrator -­‐ WaveRider Program Management Review (PMR) is scheduled with program and
customer leadership to discuss program technical, financial and future
status, any important near-term milestones and overall program issues
that need immediate attention by program leads.
Preparing the Future How do you measure
and assess the long-term
contribution of your
program to the
corporation/organization?
Team - How do you
measure and assess the
impact of your program
on your team
development and
employee satisfaction?
Unique Metrics Describe any unique
metrics you are using to
measure your program’s
progress and focus it
foroutstanding success
The X-51A program incorporated future planning/forecasts (followon and derivative options) into the existing Boeing Long Range
Business Planning (LRBP) process within the Phantom Works
organization. The LRBP serves the following purposes: 1. Sets the
direction for the company over a one to five-year planning period. 2.
Describes the business environment, including market opportunities.
3. Identifies the planning assumptions (i.e., programs, projects,
ventures) used in the business plan. 4. Identifies significant corporate
concerns and identifies strategies to address those concerns. 5.
Identifies broad market strategies. 6. Delineates the financial
commitments of the company. Primary X-51 follow-on and derivative
options have been defined. Future revenue stream forecasts are
assigned for each potential option and are used to focus Boeing
internal funding resources to support near-term development efforts.
Boeing utilizes two methods of team development and employee
satisfaction assessments. The first is the annual Boeing Employee
Survey/Action Survey that is an important opportunity for all
employees in Boeing to express their opinions to management about
the company and how to make it more effective. The goal is to assess
company-wide issues and work group level issues. Business Units
and work groups can assess their status in key areas, such as
Employee Engagement, recognition, quality, cost, scheduling, safety
and health, and ethics. The second is Performance Management (PM)
that provides a process through which each employee's business goals
can be aligned with Boeing's strategic goals. Performance against
those goals is tracked and communicated using a common web-based
tool. PM also includes Performance Values for non-managers and
Leadership Attributes for executives and managers. Performance
Values and Leadership Attributes describe expected behaviors for
executives, managers, and employees as they work toward meeting
their Businees Goals and Objectives. Also as part of the PM process,
managers and employees are expected to discuss development goals
and document this discussion on the PM web-based tool.
Several unique metrics to measure the X-51A program’s progress
and to help assure success were utilized as part of two extensive
Boeing internal X-51A program audits (Corporate and Mission
Assurance). Both audits included an exhaustive review of all program
processes/procedures by an assigned audit team. Out-briefs were used
to capture and report any issues that required program attention.
2010 AVIATION WEEK PROGRAM EXCELLENCE INITIATIVE
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