An Application of Design Structure Matrix Methods to Explore Process Improvements in Aircraft Flight Line Operations By Eli Grun B.S. Aerospace Engineering (2008) University of Colorado at Boulder Submitted to the System Design & Management Program In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY JUN 2 3 2015 LIBRARIES ARCHIVES Master of Science in Engineering and Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology June 2016 C 2016 Eli Grun All Rights Reserved The author herby grants to MIT permission to reproduce and to distribute publicly paper and electronic copies of this thesis document in whole or in part in any medium now known or hereafter created. Signature of Author_ Certified by Accepted bySi Signature redacted _____ Eli Grun M.I.T. System Design and Management Program 2016 3ignature redacted / I (- 7 -, /-M.I.T. yst gnature redacted e Patrick Hale Thesis Supervisor n Design and Management Patrick Hale Director M.I.T. System Design and Management
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An Application of Design Structure Matrix Methods to Explore
Process Improvements in Aircraft Flight Line Operations
By
Eli Grun
B.S. Aerospace Engineering (2008)University of Colorado at Boulder
Submitted to the System Design & Management ProgramIn Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of
MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTEOF TECHNOLOGY
JUN 2 3 2015
LIBRARIESARCHIVES
Master of Science in Engineering and Managementat the
Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyJune 2016
C 2016 Eli GrunAll Rights Reserved
The author herby grants to MIT permission to reproduce and to distribute publicly paper andelectronic copies of this thesis document in whole or in part in any medium now known or
hereafter created.
Signature of Author_
Certified by
Accepted bySi
Signature redacted _____Eli Grun
M.I.T. System Design and Management Program2016
3ignature redacted
/ I (- 7 -, /-M.I.T. yst
gnature redactede
Patrick HaleThesis Supervisor
n Design and Management
Patrick HaleDirector
M.I.T. System Design and Management
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An Application of Design Structure Matrix Methods to Explore
Process Improvements in Aircraft Flight Line Operations
By
Eli Grun
Submitted to the System Design and Management ProgramOn May 2 "d, 2016 in Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science inEngineering and Management
Abstract
The complexities around building, testing, and flying aircraft span many different domains.Some of these domains include processes, people, and tools, of which affect the way work isperformed on aircraft. In this thesis, communication tools and the organizations involved introubleshooting and readying aircraft for flight at an aircraft manufacturer's flight line wasanalyzed using Design Structure Matrix (DSM) methods.
Mapping the two DSMs together into a larger multi-domain matrix (MDM) providedinsight to the ways information is transferred, and clarified ways to streamline availableinformation to the various stakeholders, while reducing effort and increasing informationquality. One recommendation to streamline flows was to design a system that leveragesexisting responsibilities of Manufacturing, Quality and Engineering and applying them in anelectronic format by utilizing computers (a tool found at every level of employee) to capturelive data in an organic fashion.
The proposed solution would provide valuable information to other stakeholders at areduced effort, translating to savings. Savings in the form of interaction reductions could rangefrom 235 to 117, at a 50% reduction in interactions across all organizations. It would alsoprovide a method by which to share information at faster speeds, ensuring all stakeholders areengaged with the latest information. Information quality and speed would further help reducethe risk of flight delays, and improve the customer experience. Overall, reductions in effortsfrom all organizations and an improved customer experience through rapid and accurateinformation dissemination, will ultimately reduce cost and promote business and growth.
Thesis Supervisor: Pat HaleDirector of M.I.T. System Design and ManagementSenior Lecturer, Engineering Systems Division
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Acknowledgements
I want to thank my wife, Cally, for standing by me through this whole program. You supportedme through this entire program, and I couldn't have done this without you! And Casey, my son,who was born during my first year in the program. You taught me how to manage emergencein a whole different way. I am looking forward to seeing what comes of you in the years tocome!
I also wanted to thank Boeing, Harry Ayubi SDM 06', Larry Surdyk, and Brian Johnson.Your support and dedication was pivotal in achieving my life and career goals of attending MIT,and I couldn't have done it without you.
And lastly but certainly not least, Pat Hale and David Erickson. Thank you for giving methe chance to join the SDM program. You provided me the opportunity to grow and become amore successful leader. The things I learned from this program are priceless, and will carrythem on forever.
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Table of ContentsChapter 1 - Introduction............................................................................................................................... 9
1.1 Problem Statem ent ..................................................................................................................... 11
1.2 M otivation and Background .................................................................................................. 11
1.3 Thesis Objectives and Scope ................................................................................................... 13
2 .1 .2 C o st ..................................................................................................................................... 1 6
The commercial airline industry continues to grow with unprecedented speed. With thisgrowth, an increase in complexity of the entire system must be managed. From manufacturersto operators and from consumers to regulators, a large spectrum of people make up thevarious stakeholders of this system. With 1,400 commercial airlines operating 25,000 aircraft toover 3,800 airports, operating over 36 million flights [1] per year, the pressure on aircraftmanufacturers to deliver more aircraft, faster, and at a cheaper price becomes increasinglymore important [2]. There are three main reasons aircraft are built at increasing rates. First,they are made to replace older airplanes that are required to retire (past their design serviceobjective). Any aircraft that continues to fly beyond their model design service objectivesrequire additional support from the manufacturer to ensure safe operation [3]. The supportmay include additional inspections and maintenance, and consequently any and all of thoseactivities increase the overall cost of operation. Secondly, typical operating costs are heavilyinfluenced by the cost of fuel. New technologies incorporated into new airplanes (such as theBoeing 787 and Airbus A350 claiming 20-25% fuel savings over previous models [4][5]) cansignificantly save on operating costs. Thirdly, market growth is driving demand for moreairplanes to be in service. According to Boeing's Current Market Outlook in 2015, there will bean additional 150-170 million expected passengers over the next few years, which isapproximately a growth rate of 4-4.5 percent annually of the current installed fleet [6]. Higherair traffic demands coupled with the advantages of aircraft upgrades will undoubtedly drivemore sales to aircraft manufacturers.
Coming from the aviation industry with experience in manufacturing and airlineoperations, and understanding a company's desire for growth, there is an inevitable need forchange in the way flight lines process and handle airplane deliveries. Currently, The BoeingCompany delivers airplanes out of three sites. The 747, 767, 777, and 787 are delivered out ofEverett, Washington [7], the 737 out of Seattle, Washington [8], and supplemental 787airplanes out of Charleston, South Carolina [9]. The logistics alone in manufacturing airplanesat this rate in so many locations are impressive. For example, parts of the 787 come fromCanada, Japan, Australia, Italy, among others [10][11] shown in Figure 1.
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787 Dreamliner structure suppliers
Part name Movablermpan(cr.ountry) trailing edge
'U.S., Canada.Wingtips Aust rlaK,!AA, KorIRear fuselage
Fixed & movableleading edge Wing-to-bodyLoi 1u)S I fairing
Wing o U S
!apa n
Centre fuselage
Forward fuselagepo t (U' I
r Isaki Japa Enginenacelles
Centre wing box a e Ls
Landing gear structure EngineSni I D Rls-Roce (U
Lithium-ion batteries GeneraiGS '. Js J Di Electric (U.S.)
Sources Boeing. Reouers:1 1 f4 m
Horizontal Tail finstabilizer Bcreing
Alenia (U. S.t y
Passengerentry doors
Lithium-ion batteriesG5 Yu-a 'a 1 apar-
--- Main landing gearwheel well
Kawaski Japan)
Fixed trailing edge
OTHERSWing/body fairing
K.)Cargo access doors5 a 0Sea
L REUTERS
Figure 1: Part Suppliers and Location [11
As these parts come together at their respective manufacturing plants, they undergo
complicated and complex processes, and with each product model comes with its own
challenges. In some cases, the issues that make it complicated are its sheer size such as the
747, or complex system integration with the increased electrical interfaces on the 787. The
effects of any upstream discrepancies are not always realized until much later, when the
airplanes are tested out on a flight line. A flight line is where the final stages of a commercial
jet are tested and prepared for first flight, perform customer demonstrations, and are finally
delivered.
The flight tests associated with new airplanes hold their own set of challenges, with aircraft
readiness and final checks of the entire system as a whole. Additionally, outside stakeholders
such as the customers and regulatory agencies, introduce yet another and interesting layer of
complexity to the delivery of an aircraft. Simply put, schedules, organizations responsible for
the final stages of an airplane delivery, and outside stakeholders all have direct influence on the
way a flight line operates. Therefore, it can be inferred that there may be opportunities to
review the links and processes associated within those elements, and possibly improve upon
them.
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1.1 Problem Statement
As the organizations that deal with airplane technical issues become larger at an airplanemanufacturer, coupled with a growing number of communication methods such as email andtext messaging, there is an inadvertent increase in complexity around troubleshooting anddisseminating information to all stakeholders. The communication across all functions andstakeholders, from customers to technicians is a critical component to a successful solution.Whether it's communication with technical information in support of troubleshooting orcommunication with information about scheduling or flight status for a downstream customer,there may be opportunities to reduce complexity and effort, while achieving the same level orbetter level of information transfer across all stakeholders.
Using Design Structure Matrix (DSM) methods, we can explore the flows of informationfrom organization to organization, as well as the methods by which the information istransferred to find possible process improvements.
The intent will be to qualitatively analyze the interactions between groups responsiblefor solving technical issues, and develop actionable recommendations for any aircraft flight lineoperation.
1.2 Motivation and Background
Upstream and downstream customers can be impacted from technical issues. In the airlineindustry, a technical delay may impact the airline's ability to recover any subsequent scheduledflights, causing discomfort for the passengers on connecting flights or those who have meetingsor other important schedules that depend on on-time performance. An airplane's schedule issequentially planned, so that its connections and turnaround times optimize the utility of theaircraft as well as generate revenues for the airline. Similarly to the initial airplane schedule,the airline's ability to perform a schedule recovery is also sequential and highly dependent onmany variables. Performing an optimized schedule recovery from irregular operations can bevery complicated. For the airline, consequences of these delays have financial ramificationsand can cause passenger discomfort and degrade customer satisfaction [1]. Impacts fromtechnical delays on a flight line at an airplane manufacturer share similar schedule impacts fromtechnical issues. These technical issues can delay a flight test, potentially translating into adelivery delay, putting the downstream customer (in this case the airline) at risk of missing itsfirst scheduled revenue service. This sort of unknown emergence in a system has financialimpact to both the manufacturer and the airline, while also affecting the manufactures'reputation.
Some of the motivation behind this thesis can be attributed to the emergence of thesystem within itself. As once reported by Boeing and news agencies following the JapanAirlines battery thermal runaways, technical issues emerge and caused delivery delays [12],impacting the airline's business as well as the manufacturers reputation. While Boeing wasworking around the clock to resolve the issues, carriers were subject to re-planning their routes
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based on these new aircraft with the unknown timeline to resolution. The final solution was a
battery box design to contain any thermal runaways, with an indication and venting system in
the case the battery did fail [13], as shown in Figure 2.
- I~aLP
S
Pressure Burst Disc IndicatorMain Battery Pressure Burst Disc Indicator shown,APU Battery Pressure Burst Disc Indicator is the same
Pressure Burst Disc Indictor-
Actuated
Pressure Burst Disc Indictor-
Not Actuated787 Ballery Event 1 5
Figure 2: 787 Batterv Box Solution [13]
Having experienced firsthand the emotions and pressures from technical delays, both as
a passenger and out in the industry, I can also relate to the frustration of pilots as well as other
related functions and stakeholders. The added pressures from schedules increase the
unfortunate risk of inaccurately solving the issue or providing incomplete information to other
members of the troubleshooting organizations. Inaccurate solutions caused by poor
communication and incorrectly executed processes can even sometimes propagate into other
technical issues, furthering the delay. An article published by the Naval Safety Center's Aviation
Magazine released a story about that very scenario. In "Yep, It Is My Fault," an aircraft was
scheduled for a mission, but at the last second when the pilots got to their last minute checks,the flaps did not operate as expected.
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Figure 3: E-2C with wings folded, US Navy Photo [14]
Calling a line maintenance person over to the aircraft, they troubleshot the aircraft byspreading the E-2C wings and extended flaps to 30 degrees. However, indications showed theflaps deployed only to 20 degrees. Without immediate success coupled with frustrations by thecrew as they were now delayed and approaching crew time limits (time limits that wouldrequire them to rest and void their mission), they called in additional help with the collateralduty inspector. With time running out on their mission and crew time, they began usingshortcuts in hopes to resolve the airplane issue more quickly. Additionally, with more peoplebecoming involved and all requiring communication, information was most likely degraded as itwas passed on from person to person. With broken communication and deviations fromdocumented processes, they extended the flaps in an alternate mode at an inappropriate time.
Shortly afterwards, another maintenance person approached and informed the first maintainer,collateral duty inspector, and air crew that they inadvertently "crunched" the starboard flap[15].
The natural growth of any large company or organization operating aircraft, coupledwith evermore focus on on-time delivery and increased frequencies as a metric for success [16],there are many opportunities to improve efficiencies of communication. The number of timesan employee must interrupt their task at hand and each time a particular detail of the airplanestatus must be passed on from one individual to another, there is an opportunity to lean outthe communication stream, and optimize the roles and responsibilities of each acting memberof an organization.
1.3 Thesis Objectives and ScopeThis thesis will review an organizational structure, the interfaces each organization has to one
another, their communication methods, and review their geographical proximity using Design
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Structure Matrix (DSM) methods. The organizational domain DSM will be developed fromexperience and sources available to the public. The communication methods DSM will beinferred through by experience and list typical office tools readily available and used by thepublic, such as smart phones and email. Proximity and geospatial information will be inferredthrough by experience and inferences made from natural separations of any aircraft flight line.The value a DSM will provide, are the visual trends of information transfer and interfaces ofeach domain. The flow of information may provide insights on how to best utilize functions ofvarious communication methods through the use of a Domain Mapping Matrices (DMM) and aMulti-domain Matrix (MDM). The overall intent is to find opportunities in communicationtechnologies to help streamline the flow of information as well as strengthen the importantcross-functional interfaces of various organizations.
1.4 Thesis Structure
These topics will be covered in the following chapter format:
Chapter 2 will describe the situation and areas of focus in which this method is beingapplied. A discussion around typical flight line operations, what types of issues are seen duringflights, and other factors that affect the way we troubleshoot. A decomposition of anorganizational breakdown structure will be reviewed, followed by a description of thecommunication methods typically used in a troubleshooting situation.
In Chapter 3, a DSM will be constructed for each of the domains chosen for this thesis.First a review of the organizations and their interfaces, followed by locations, and finally areview of the communication interfaces and interdependencies. Once the interfaces areestablished in each domain, a multi-domain matrix will be built by using similar information,mapping across organizational and communication tool domains.
Chapter 4 will highlight the results from the DSMs, and begin to infer on how to makeflight line operations leaner.
Chapter 5 develops actionable recommendations for the flight line operation studied inthis thesis. The final recommendations would need to be reanalyzed using applicable futureorganizational structures, as this recommendation fits only the profile detailed in this thesis.However, the intent is to provide guidance on areas of focus to help improve communicativeinterface instances and improve field operations, anywhere.
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Chapter 2 - Factors in Flight Test and Manufacturing
2.1 Challenges of Airplane Maintenance
Flight line operations carry many challenges when maintaining an aircraft. The challenges can
be attributed to the inherent complexity of an aircraft, such as the complexities around various
electrical and other sub-system interfaces and structures. And thus, finding the exact solution
to any technical issue can be a challenge in itself. However, adding a time component tofinding solutions introduces another layer of difficulty that must be accounted for in the
system. A simplistic way to restate this difficult balancing act, is that a flight line must balance
cost, schedule, and scope while maintaining quality, sometimes called the "Iron Triangle," [17]as shown in Figure 4 below.
Schedule
Cost Scope
Figure 4: Iron Triangle
While it is important to note that there may be other factors omitted by using the
project management model presented, it does help simplify some of the main parameters
considered with respect to the objectives of this thesis.
The high level scope of a flight line and the problem statement being analyzed is fairly
straight forward. The airplanes must be properly built per engineering definition, and delivered
in a certified configuration to a customer. The schedule, as will be discussed later, becomes a
fixed point and is typically bound by contract once the airplane enters the final phases of flight
tests. Cost is the most volatile function out of the three, since quality must be maintained as it
typically includes a component of safety. As problems occur, more resources may be poured
into resolving them, resulting in higher costs. By reducing the impact a problem may have on
the overall system and necessary resources, or preventing them from happening, may provide
an opportunity to reduce costs.
2.1.1 ScopcThe stakeholders of an aircraft flight line spans the employees of a company including pilots,manufacturing, engineering, and quality, as well as other stakeholders such as federal
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regulators and customers, just to name a few. The physical aircraft scope spans from thesuppliers building components, to the airplane manufacturer delivering the final product. Forthis thesis, the scope will be limited to the operations on a flight line at a manufacturer,meaning anything upstream (such as the factory) of the flight line will not be considered.
The flight line scope is then defined as a semi-completed aircraft from themanufacturing or assembly area and moved to an airport setting, but not further than the finalscheduled flight (such as a delivery or fly-away). Focusing on the activities on a flight line, anaircraft on a flight line must be built per engineering definition, maintained per approveddocumentation and personnel, and dispatched airworthy and certifiable. While on the flightline, and to achieve dispatch and airworthy states, the aircraft must pass various tests and / orinspections prior to flight, which will be further explained in the "Schedule" section of thisthesis.
Throughout this process, people interact and make decisions, and authorize work to beperformed. Therefore, the scope of the organizations included in this analysis aremanufacturing, quality, engineering, air crew, and support organizations, as well as thecustomers. Regulators and other stakeholders such as the general public and governments willnot be included, as they were determined to be out of scope for the purposes of this analysis.To summarize, the scope of this thesis focuses on the timely and accurate resolution oftechnical aircraft issues from the time it enters flight operations from the factory, throughdelivery, and focuses on the people and functions that work in this part of the aircraft process.
2.1.2 CostCost is a volatile component in this problem scenario, and also of major interest to any aircraftoperating business. Without actively working to improve the efficiencies within the operationsaround aircraft, revenue and profit margins enabling growth wouldn't be realized or capturedto their full potential. Without controlling costs in a production flight line operation,
investments to create relevant and desirable products for the future would be at risk. The maintwo components in a business that allow it to capture value, are to drive a high willingness topay and maintain a low operating cost. Ensuring that customers are willing to pay a premiumfor the products and services being offered, while creating it at the lowest cost possible, allowsthe company to maximize revenue potential, which in return can be reinvested to helpperpetuate and drive new business and growth.
2.1.3 ScheduleRequirements for an aircraft's flight departure schedules are defined by the respective industryand organizational goals. For example, an aircraft's ground time scheduling for an airline isdependent on the metrics for on-time departures from a gate at an airport. Or, the groundtime scheduling for an aircraft manufacturer is dependent on the on-time delivery metrics foran aircraft delivery.
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In this thesis, various flight line operations such as airlines and airplane manufacturers
will be used to develop the components of a flight line and their interactions, and thus will be
reviewed at a higher level of detail to adhere to proprietary information policies at The Boeing
Company. However, the primary focus will be on new airplanes from an airplane manufacturer.
Figure 5 outlines a timeline that depicts a typical airplane flow out of a factory and into revenue
service, compiled from a public Boeing magazine called Frontiers.
SFeco, Fhwh
Figure 5: Timeline of the Delivery Process, data interpretedfrom The Boeing Company [18]
Once the airplane rolls out of the factory and onto the flight line, an airplane's delivery
date becomes the anchor for the activities that lead up to delivery (also known as fly away).
Along this path to delivery, various tests are performed to verify system functionality and that
the airplane is airworthy. These steps include fueling, engine runs, avionics check-out tests, and
final quality assurance checks [18]. Once the plane is deemed ready for flight by manufacturing
and quality, the pilots perform ground checks and finally take it up on its first flight. Challenges
with this sequence of events are further amplified following the first flight. Avionics technicians
who are part of the manufacturing organization and other supporting organizations such as line
engineering have a limited window of opportunity to resolve any flight related discrepancies
between the time it goes into paint and the day before it prepares for its second flight (if
deemed necessary).
These condensed timelines can sometimes put pressures on the organizations
performing the troubleshooting and ensuring that the aircraft issues are resolved. If the
problem is not solved within the window of opportunity, time must be added to the schedule.
Any additional days required beyond of the normal scheduled flow days (defined when the
aircraft enters the flight line), ultimately pushes the delivery date outwards.
2.1.4 Summary of Flight Line OperationsComplexity of an airplane system can be best illustrated when natural influences from
aerodynamic forces in flight expose structural or system issues, or when runway vibrations and
rapid accelerations fail various internal components. These system interactions are on a higher
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order, and can sometimes result in anomalous behavior resulting in a flight squawk (also known
as a flight discrepancy). These flight squawks can be difficult to solve, because they can
occasionally only be induced in the same in-air or ground condition in which they were created.
Typically, an airplane can be tested on the ground through a set of prescribed induced flight
simulations. However, there are instances where the airplane must be put in a unique
undocumented configuration to troubleshoot and resolve the technical issue, or ultimately
flown again.
In every flight line operation, an aviation maintenance technician (AMT), who is part of
the manufacturing organization, is responsible for many tasks. The AMT replaces and repairs
aircraft parts, diagnoses and repairs mechanical and electrical systems, as well as performs
testing and verifying performance standards while also keeping records of all maintenance and
repair work [19]. There is typically an AMT that is designated as the inspector that reviews the
work performed. In manufacturing, this is performed by an organization called Quality
Assurance [18]. When additional support is required to assist with troubleshooting, line
engineering is called to help. Line engineers have experience in all aircraft systems, and can
provide guidance utilizing a holistic approach to aircraft troubleshooting. If the issue remains
unresolved, line engineers can confer with design engineers for additional information about
system specifics, or help review data for anomalous behavior imbedded within the design that
would then result in an engineering explanation rather than maintenance action.
-7
Figure 6: Everett Factory and Flight Line, courtesy of Boeing Media [20]
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Communication between all of the multi-disciplinary organizations take time.Organizations are not always co-located, for example design engineering is in an office buildingaway from the aircraft situated on a flight line. As seen in Figure 6, it is likely that manymembers of supporting organizations are not located immediately next to an active airplane.Because of the added travel times and effort to communicate, time becomes even more of aprecious commodity.
Time is immediately consumed when the initial assessments are made by technicians.The inevitable risk is, if not immediately resolved at the AMT level, it takes more time to includeand bring in a line engineer. If the issue is not resolved at the line engineering level and designengineering is already involved, the solution simply requires more time. This added flowultimately delays the final preparations for customer checks and delivery.
2.2 Organizational Breakdown Structure
The organizational breakdown structure of a flight line is one that spans across manyorganizations. Starting from the working level, an AMT is a certified person to work andtroubleshoot airplanes [21], and is labeled Manufacturing as shown in Figure 7. An inspector,belonging to the quality organization and often designated as QA, checks and verifies the workperformed by the AMT is done per approved manuals and engineering drawings [22]. LineEngineers can help the AMT troubleshoot, providing guidance, however their value resides intheir ability to authorize deviations from manuals and drawings through a documented process.In production, Line Engineers utilize Design Engineers as a resource to get specific informationabout a particular design commodity, such as specific interface questions on a type of radioaltimeter. For example, if there was an issue with a flight deck fault message annunciatingduring a maneuver when there wasn't one expected, and troubleshooting found no defects inthe aircraft components, a Design Engineer can help decipher if there was an abnormalanomaly that set the message and could consider the specific fault event a nuisance. Each ofthe three basic tiers of operations including Manufacturing, Quality, and Engineering have theirown respective chain of commands up through senior leadership of the company.
Additionally, there are other disciplines involved on a flight line that supplement thebasic organizational structure of the working level, each also having their own respective chainsof commands through senior leadership. These include the pilots, flight engineers, and flyingtechnicians (all combined and named Air Crew), Customer Support, and Schedulers. The AirCrew are certified for the aircraft type they are working on and responsible for testing andverifying the plane operates as intended. Pilots are trained in executing various maneuvers,and can be considered experts in the limitations of the aircraft and the resulting annunciationsor airplane responses as a result of the maneuvers. Flight engineers and flying technicians arealso expected to have a full understanding of the aircraft's limitations, and support the pilotswhile flying. Customer Support hosts a wide range of duties, including managingcommunications between the Customer and the manufacturer, managing contractualobligations, and communicating the current schedules from aircraft activities [23]. Scheduling
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handles the aircraft flying schedules, but more importantly, schedules and aligns the work
required in preparation of all the upcoming flights. The scheduling group ensures that the pre-
flight work and milestones are completed and achieved on-time for each individual airplane,
while managing all other airplanes on a flight line at the same time. This ensures that
appropriate resources are allocated to each airplane at their most appropriate times.
As shown also in Figure 7, the various functions discussed earlier tie into a hierarchical
structure, but also depicts customers next to the executives. While all organizations are
connected to the leadership structure, the customer is not because they do not belong to the
same company. Customers maintain their position near the top of the work breakdown
structure, because of their vested interest in the activities surrounding the airplane they are
about to purchase, and the company's reciprocated interest in maintaining a strong business
relationship.
Seio C stinor
Senio Serior
Man e et a g nt ana enmanag eeM ant Management Mn n
manemn nagement Management - M aaement ManagementManfacurng ualty1.ie EgieerngAir CrewSp r Scheduling
Figure 7: Organizational Structure
Each organization is expected to work together ensuring aircraft safety, and readying
the airplane for passengers and revenue flights. When something out of the ordinary happens
to an airplane, each organization steps in and acts within their individual capacities to rectify
the issue. If the issue is remains unsolved in a timely manner, each organization begins to build
a recovery plan with all stakeholders. During this critical time, the methods by which
communication is disseminated across each organization is of particular interest. Each instance
of communication can either cause or prevent iterative work, and each instance of
communication can also impact the quality and integrity of the information that is ultimatelypassed on to the customer.
The customer's perception and satisfaction of the resolution depends on many factors
related to communication. Their view of the company can originate from the manufacturers
reported actions to the airplane or by the frequency of progress being reported. Ultimately,
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their interest is when they can expect to have their airplane delivered, and how each issue wasresolved.
2.3 Decomposition of Communication Methods
In any large corporation, there are various tools used to communicate issues and status acrossall organizations. There have been numerous studies done on how interactions betweenorganizations are performed, also known as a social network. A social network analysisdescribes patterns of interactions among people as a graph, with persons within a networkbeing called nodes and relationships between actors being called ties [24]. However, in thisthesis, the communication tools and methods will be separated from the people and theirrespective organizations, in order to expose new insights on how they can help or impede thespeed of resolution.
Using a Design Structure Matrix, the various communication tools available toemployees of a flight line are reviewed. They include typical office devices such as computers,desk phones, and instant messaging, but also looks at how cell phones and mobile internetenabled devices impact the communications across a flight line operation. In all, seven toolswill be used in this analysis, including the following: Voice - desk phone, Voice - cell phone /smartphone, Text - Cell phone / smartphone, Email - Smartphone, Email - Computer, Face-to-Face, and Instant Messaging. There are obvious relationships within this grouping, such ascomputers being instant message capable, but it is the ways the employees use each that wasof interest.
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Chapter 3 - Design Structure Matrix Methods (DSM)
3.1 Domain MappingA Design Structure Matrix (also sometimes known as the dependency structure matrix) is a
modeling technique that has been used for some time, to help simplify and analyze complex
engineering systems [25]. The DSM in this thesis application brings the advantages of simplicity
and conciseness in representation, by highlighting important patterns in the system
architecture [26].
The various DSM methods have evolved quite extensively since the 1960's, beginning
with a systematic approach to solving a system of equations [27] shown below, then into the
design structure systems across various domains.
a b C
FFi(xG) 0 1 X
F2(x,,z) = 0 2 X X
=
(e , x,) 0 3 X X
Figure 8: Stewards System of Equations DSM, from On an Approach to Techniques for the Analysis of the Structure of Large
Systems of Equations [27]
Shown in Figure 8, the first DSM methods described information flow from a set of
equations. Where the set of equations on the left are represented on the right with a functional
illustration. The application of these methods were advanced later by NASA and the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), into other domains such as static models of
organizations and products [26]. Work by Eppinger and Browning [25] explored and compiled
DSMs using these newer methods across many domains in various industrial applications.
The value of using DSM, is its inherently easy to read format. The method, alternatively
to network graphs, node-link, and other table forms, is that DSM is intuitive to understand, and
is easily scalable [25].
E -'':__ _C"~E E E E E E
Element 1 1 0 e e C
Element 2 2 0 \
Element 3 3 *Flement 4 4 5 0
Element 5 5 e
Element 6 * * 6
Figure 9: Example of binary DSM and its equivalent node-link diagram, as shown in Design Structure Matrix Extensions and
Innovations: A Survey and New Opportunities by Tyson R. Browning [26]
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The N 2 matrix is helpful in visually finding component to component relationships and
dependencies. The matrix shows symmetries and asymmetries in a system, while in other
design methods such as node-link figures as shown in Figure 9, relationships can become
convoluted and difficult to analyze. Symmetries are valuable sources of information because
they can link similar activities, and can in some cases, identify opportunities to couple multiple
iterative process into one activity simplifying and improving processes. Asymmetries, as we will
explore in an organizational analysis, can show flows of information, and elude to the different
kinds of information being transferred or lack thereof. The DSM also has the potential to
describe which organizations are receiving the correct and most valuable information from
particular individuals, and passing that information onto others in different levels of the
organizational structure.
A multi-domain matrix is a further expansion of the DSM, showing relationships across
different domains. A periodic table helps identify the various types and applications of various
Product- Product- Product-Product Process Organization Tools
OSM DMM DMM DMMdx d dxp dxo dxt
Process Process- Process-Pcs Organization ToolsDSM DMM DMMPpxP pxt
Org.-Organization
DSM TMM
oxt
ToolsOSMtxt
Figure 10: "Periodic table" as shown in Design Structure Matrix Methods and Applications by Steven Eppinger and Tyson
Browning [25]
With the ability to map various domains together, the combined matrix provides an
opportunity to help organize data in other beneficial configurations for analysis. For example,
Product to Process mapping shown in Figure 10, can help an organization determine their most
23
1
efficient work breakdown structure with respect to the tasks they perform. In the problem
being analyzed in this thesis, the organizational breakdown structure is mapped against the
tools used in communication, shown in the bottom right of the matrix. This combined matrix
may highlight opportunities within the strong and weak links between employees and
organizations for future improvement ideas.
3.2 About the DataIn order to obtain the necessary data to input into a DSM, a three question survey was created
to collect information from employees on a Boeing flight line. The questions captured
information about their personal interactions and the communication methods they used when
solving problems. The surveys were given to randomly selected individuals at a particular
Boeing site. Of those randomly selected, the individuals represented various locations along
the flight line value stream. The data was intended to capture a broad spectrum of worker
responses, in a sense to try and normalize any outlier responses.
The first data set collected from the survey were the communicative frequencies
between organizations. Beginning with a question asking; what organization they aligned
themselves with, they were asked to fill in a table with a value corresponding to a frequency.
The frequency captures what the surveyed employee best felt represented the number of times
they would communicate with other titled organizations and positions on a flight line. The
frequency choices they were able to make were as follows:
Table 1: Communication Frequency DSM Value
blue'Time Frequtncy
0 None
1 Rare, but occasionally
2 Weekly
3 Daily
The way the data appeared in this thesis may not reflect the exact naming conventions
used in the surveys actually given. The naming conventions and structure changes were
intended to protect any proprietary value the operational work breakdown structure has at The
Boeing Company. Using the values shown in Table 1, each subject would document what they
perceived as a typical frequency that they would communicate with other organizations and
positions (such as management and senior management). The collected data showed
consistent, although not always identical, results from person to person in the same position
and organization. Because of the standardized survey layout and questions, employees were
also able to mark frequency values for their own peers (in their own organization). In all
instances, the data came back as expected, with a value of "3," the highest frequency.
It should be noted that even though identical surveys were given to various employees,
the randomly chosen subjects may have all provided misguiding information as the questions
24
were naturally subjective. The subject's answers were based on their own experience level and
other work-environment influences, of which may have influenced the way they answered each
question at the time of the survey. Essentially, the survey did not take into consideration
seniority at the company and could have captured responses from employees. It was possible
that surveys were given to employees who do not typically involve themselves in problem
solving situations, but rather only perform maintenance activities which may not require a
frequent communication with other organizations. Had the survey been given and filled out on
a different day or to a different set of people, the surveyed employee may have provided
slightly different answers. Additionally, some data was not obtained directly from the source,but rather through interviews of supporting organizations. For example, while limited data for
executive management was obtained from some, most of the values were supplemented byinterviews that work closely with that level of organization. As for the data on the customer,because they were not confronted directly, the data was compiled from interviews with
employees that interact with them on a more daily basis and were able make a determinationon their behalf.
The surveys then asked the employee which communication method they typically used
to communicate with the documented organizations and positions from the previous question.
The choices offered in the survey were typical office technologies such as a desk phone, cell
phones or smart phones, face-to-face communication as described in earlier sections, as well as
internal company instant messaging and email shown in Table 2. Each surveyed employee
could choose none, one, or all of the above. In rare cases, the surveyed employee chose not to
include this information. Otherwise, for the most part, employees chose modes of
communication that were considered appropriately matched with the function and location
that they worked. For example, a Design Engineer would not typically use a cell phone since
they are more likely to be at a desk with a desk phone, and a Quality Assurance inspector may
not have or use a smartphone to communicate with any of the other organizations since they
are on the airplane and are typically communicating face-to-face.
Table 2: Communication Methods Used During Interaction with Other Organizations
Commeunication Method
Voice - Desk Phone
Voice - Cell Phone / Smartphone
Text - Cell Phone / Smartphone
Email - Smartphone
Email - computer
Face-to-Face
Instant Message
The survey did allow the subject to add their own form of communication, however
almost none of the surveyed employees added any other significant form of communication.
The survey also asked to see if the employees had any recommendations on what future
25
__M
technology could be used to improve communications across organizations, of which wereseldom filled out, and not worth noting in this analysis.
Having personally worked on various flight lines and using my own domain expertise,the data was cleaned to the best of my ability, resources, and information available. As will bediscussed later, some interesting results emerged from the various stakeholders involved inproblem solving on the flight line. The survey was able to capture data that described a flow ofinformation as well as the perceptions of communication from complement organizations theyinterface with the most, but lacked the ability to differentiate the types of information beingtransferred.
3.3 DSM on the Flight LineCompiled data from the surveys resulted in two DSMs, one mapping interfaces organization-to-organization, and the other mapping communication technologies available at the company.The flows of information in the organizational DSM provided insight as to the perceptions ofcommunication frequencies across organizations and their hierarchical levels of management.The communication technology DSM provided minimal insight, as those relationships arealmost intuitive and very basic. However, the cross domain DSM information relating to theflows of information and the types of technologies available did provide insight as to possiblerecommendations to improve efficiencies and productivity around solving flight line problems.
3.3.1 Organization DSMThe collected data from surveyed employees were compiled into an N 2 matrix. The initialmatrix was filled in by row, inputting the values provided by the subject's communication withother organizations and positions shown in Figure 11. The sequential ordering of individualorganizations listed in the rows under the title "Organization," were not placed in any particularorder for this initial DSM. In total, there were a total of 235 connections across allorganizations that reported they communicated on a weekly or greater frequency basis.
The resulting matrix was found to be asymmetric. This asymmetric trend comes fromconflicting values of reported communication frequencies between the surveyed individuals.This would indicate that one individual's perception did not match their counterpart'sperception of communication frequency, which will be discussed in more detail later.
The matrix shown in Figure 11 was enhanced using colors to portray a "heat map,"
intended to visualize intensities of communication frequencies. Values of zero and one were
not highlighted with any colors, showing no communication or rare communication. A yellow
color was given to values of two, corresponding to a weekly frequency of communication, and
red for values of three showing daily frequencies.
Two significant conclusions can be inferred from Figure 11. First, there are stronger
correlations around the diagonal. While it was stated that there was no particular order to the
list of organizations under the title column, they were grouped by discipline. The groups of red
boxes along the diagonal can be attributed to strong communication within an organization and
discipline's own hierarchical positions. For example, lines 11 through 13 in Figure 11 for Line
Engineering shows frequent communication between each member in that organization. This
would indicate that there is a fair amount of dialogue on a regular basis about the technical
issues and resolutions happening on the flight line. The communications within this group
could include information from the engineer working the problem to the senior manager
responsible for disseminating information to other organizations and leadership. The second
most interesting attribute of this figure was the asymmetry found in the remaining spaces of
the matrix. The lower left portion of the matrix does not match the upper right, indicating
either an inconsistency in the perception of how often each organization communicates with
each other, or it may indicate that some organizations seek only particular information for
27
status. When seeking status, they may be only reading emails from other members from other
organizations and not necessarily responding or contributing to the problem solving (such as
the Schedulers in lines 20 through 22).
The format of row outputs correlating to column inputs is an acceptable form of DSM,however, for analysis purposes and consistency with industry standards [25], the inverse of the
row input matrix in Figure 11 can be seen in Figure 12. The inverse orientation of the row input
is organized such that data from each participant from various organizations describe the
communication frequency from the columns and into the organizations in each row. For
example, the data from Quality (column 7) on their perceived communicative frequencies are
compiled vertically, noting that they believe they communicate very frequently (a value of 3)
with Management - Manufacturing in row 3, and very often (a value of 2) with Line Engineering
Figure 12: DSM of Cornmunications across Organizations and Highlighted Inconsistencies
The color scheme of the DSM helps visualize the intensities as stated before,additionally however, 35 connections were found to have a difference in reported
communication greater than two, depicted by a green box border. This indicated a larger than
expected difference in reported frequency of communication to the perceived frequency of
communication. From the data presented above, Manufacturing felt that they communicated
28
to the Air Crew Managers rarely, indicated by a value of zero in row 15 column 4, while the AirCrew Managers believed that they communicated to the Manufacturing on a weekly basis.
This example could be accounted for by the fact that there are many moreManufacturing technicians on the flight line, while there are only a handful of pilots. Theimbalance of personnel (or organization size disparity) on the field coupled with a luck-of-the-draw when the surveys were given, resulted in an instance when perceptions of communicationfrequencies did not match. The differences in frequencies, however, are not always explainedwith the same rationale.
Looking at the communication path between Customer Support and Quality in Figure12, the variance of reported frequencies greater than two cannot be explained by a differenceof organizational size. This particular instance shows evidence of an imbalanced connectioncaused by a directional flow of information. In these cases, there may be opportunities toimprove the information flowed to the Customer. For example, if Quality and QualityManagement provided more frequent communication to the Customer Support organization,Customer Support would not (or less frequently) be required to request information from theQuality organization.
In essence, the application of this method thus far with an unsorted DSM, providedinsight as to the opportunities available to share more information across two very differentorganizations, improving the effectiveness of their job functions with respect to the customer.For example, if an airplane is having technical issues and increasing the risk of being delayed,Customer Support should become more aware of the situation to help convey the process moreclearly to the Customer, so that the Customer themselves can help make the necessaryarrangements for support.
Sorting the titles of each element in the DSM (as shown in Figure 13) by coupling levelsof employees with similarly reported frequencies of communication resulted in a similargrouping within each discipline, as shown previously. However, in this matrix, the organizationsthat deal most with the technical side of the troubleshooting moved up in the matrix,meanwhile other supporting groups moved downwards.
29
OrganizationManufacturingManagement - ManufacturingSenior Management - ManufactunngLine EngineeringManagement - Line EngineenngSenior Management - Line Engineering
QualityManagement - QualitySenior Management - QualityAir CrewManagement - Air Crew
Senior Management - Air CrewExecutive ManagementCustomerCustomer SupportManagement -Customer SupportSenior Management - Customer Support
Figure 14: Organizational DSM - Sorted using Expertise
Similarly to Figure 13, the re-sorted DSM in Figure 14 exhibits coupling around the
different disciplines, such as Customer Support and Design Engineering. However, coupling was
re-manipulated for Manufacturing, Quality, and Line Engineering. This coupling was arranged
such that the problem solving members from their respective technical organizations are
coupled and grouped, followed by the necessary levels of management. Moving management
into their own couplings ensure the information transferred between themselves are relevant
to the resource and planning needed to get the job done. Again, a dark blue square was added
to highlight the larger group containing the stakeholders involved in the technical aspects of
airplane troubleshooting. The specific elements within that dark blue group remained mostly
the same, except for the addition of the Executives and Customer. While the customer may not
always be actively troubleshooting the aircraft with the technicians and engineers, they have
enough of an influence and "need-to-know" that they are included in the troubleshooting
group.
The Customer Support organization and Scheduling organizations were moved out
towards the edges of the matrix. While these organizations are critical in the operations of a
31
flight line, these are known to be in a support role to the problem solving efforts rather thanperforming or providing a technical input to the problem itself. Additionally, moving these twoorganizations closer together and away from the technical problem solving group, exposed afair amount of cross-organizational communication. Shown by the brown dashed boxes inFigure 14, the Customer Support organization and Scheduling organization are receiving andpinging for updates from the group responsible for providing a technical resolution. Theyexhibit similar patterns seeking input from members within the organizations represented inthe dark blue box. Coincidently, this was also the only instance that the number of perceivedimbalances in communication (or inconsistencies highlighted by the cells in green) weregrouped in a way that could provide insight as to a possible improvement area.
Many of the inconsistent frequencies reported, (as highlighted in the outer parts of theDSM), began to cluster together and appear as though these were naturally occurringdiscontinuities with respect to their roles and responsibilities. The support organizations, suchas Customer Support and Scheduling, only need to receive information about the technicalresolution progress, but do not have any information to provide back to the technical teams.For example, if a valve was failed in flight, and was required to be fixed prior to its next flight fora customer demonstration, Manufacturing may not necessarily report their current actions andfinal troubleshooting progress to Customer Support or Scheduling, but Customer Support andScheduling will report that they get updates often. In this example, the support organizationsare receiving their information in passing or through second hand information throughforwarded emails reported by Manufacturing, whom are updating their management with thelatest information.
The solution to achieving a greater balance while reducing effort, all while ensuring thateach organization is receiving value added content, means that the recommendedimprovement or tool would be required to consider the specific needs of the distinct groupingsshown in the DSM. Each stakeholder in a particular grouping should be able to access dataeither at will, or be provided information pertinent to their function and responsibilities.Finding a solution that reduces the effort from sharing information from one person to thenext, and the effort needed when sharing across large organizational gaps, would ultimatelystreamline the communicative processes around a technical issue on the flight line.
3.3.2 Communication Tools DSMThe communication DSM is an intuitive map showing the technologies readily available at mostcompanies and offices.
32
Communication Method 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Desk Phone 1
Cell Phone - Voice 2 x x
Cell Phone - Text 3 x x
Email - Smartphone 4 x
Email - Computer 5 x
Face-to-Face 6
Instant Message 7 x
Figure 15: Communication Tools DSM
The relationships shown in the communications DSM describe whether or not the
technologies co-exist in their own space. For example, cell phones typically have text
messaging and smart phones have voice capabilities, but all smart phones have text and voice
capabilities as shown in Figure 15. Additionally, a desk computer is synonymous with instant
messaging, of which also has email capability (assuming the computer is connected to an
internet connection).
3.4 Multi-Domain MappingA multi-domain matrix, or MDM, shows interfaces and relationships across two different
domains. Taking the organization DSM and communication tools DSM from the previous
sections, a combined matrix was compiled in Figure 16. In the upper right, rows containing the
positions of various organizations are mapped against the inputs of the tools in the columns.
This portion of the multi-domain matrix is intended to show how the employees within those
organizational positions are contacted. On the opposite side of the diagonal in the lower left,
communication tools are in the rows with inputs from the organizations in the columns. This
portion of the matrix illustrates how employees from each organization communicates out to
others from other organizations.
The types of communication tools readily available to individual employees are related
to their job function and position within their respective organization. Counter intuitively, a
landline phone (or desk phone noted in this analysis) was one of the least commonly used tools.
Landline phones are typically used for conference calling or used out at a common work area
such as a crew station near the aircraft, where a manufacturing manager and their employees
involved with aircraft maintenance and inspection personnel all work out of.
The AMTs in the Manufacturing organization do not need to communicate with other
organizations as often, but when they do, they utilize instant messaging, email, the phone in
the common work area, and sometimes communicate through the manufacturing manager.
Otherwise, communications are typically done in close proximity to the airplane and rely on in-
person communication (also noted as face-to-face). For example, an AMT from Manufacturing
will communicate with the inspectors in the Quality organization very often, as was explained in
33
Section 3.3.1 "Organization DSM," and in some cases the Line Engineers and pilots (Air Crew),all which can happen on or near the aircraft. Similarly, the inspectors in the Qualityorganization do not necessarily sit at a desk, as they are actively working the issues with
Manufacturing, and conforming the products to their specified requirements (verifying the
quality and work performed). The Line Engineering organization typically gets called into action
where ever they are, whether it is at their desk or elsewhere on an airplane working another
issue. Because this organization is typically infused in other locations solving problems and
working with counterpart organizations, the cell phone / smart phone was the more valuable
and most used tool.
The Air Crew personnel are typically found on the airplane flying, in debriefs, training,
and not always at a desk. They perform their functions in a more mobile fashion. Customer
support functions are also out at the airplane reviewing paperwork or the physical airplane, and
also not necessarily at a desk. This makes the Customer Support organization rely more heavily
on their cell phone / smart phone as well. The Scheduling organization do not interact in great
deal with any of the other organizations, other than the Executives or Senior Management. The
Scheduling organization relies more heavily on the desk phone and computer than the rest of
the organizations. The one tool and behavior all of these core organizations have in common
however, is they all use and have access to a computer, and use it to communicate or receive
information.
Computers and their usefulness as a communication tool have been a part of daily
activities in most office areas for some time, but ever since airplane definition and manuals
became predominately electronic, and accessed now through computers [28], email and instant
message capable machines can be found everywhere on a flight line. This computer centered
form of work has evolved into the use of email as the basic and most common form of
communication. Therefore, all of the working members of the flight line as defined in theorganizational breakdown structure (Figure 7) have access to some form of internet enabled
communication device.
The smartphone was the next most commonly used tool next a computer. The
smartphone was found to be a common tool because of its voice and internet capabilities,
enabling multiple forms of information to be received or sent from any location. This tool,
undoubtedly has helped increased the frequency and value of information transferred between
groups, as can be seen by the higher level of frequencies highlighted in yellow in both sides of
the matrix.
Texting can also be seen as common tool. This tool however may not always reach the
members of the workers on the airplane at all times. Not all AMTs or Quality members are
provided a company issued phone. Therefore, texting does not achieve a consistent method to
contact all working personnel on the airplane. Interestingly enough, however, it can be
concluded from the MDM that the more tools used to communicate resulted in higher levels of
information and communication frequencies, exhibited in Figure 16.
4 7 10 3 6 9 2 5 8 1 231615141312111918172120 22 a b c d e f g
4 221 2 2 2 20 0 0 0 1 1 x xx
7 2 12 2 0 1 0 o-2 22 2 2 x x x
10 3 3 1 1 2 2 2 0 1 1 1 2 1 1 0 0 0 x x x x x x
3 33 3 3 1 2 22 2 1 1 1 1 22 x xx x x x x
6 2 2 2 2 0 0 0 on 2 2 222 x xx x x x
9 1 2 2 222 2 1 2 2 0 1 2 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 x x x x x x
2 1 1 21 210012 22 x x x x
5 0 112 22 1 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 x x x x x
8 01 1 1 2 2 2 2 21 1 2 2 1 1 1 0 00 xx x x x
1 1 11112 1 2 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 2 2 1 x x x x x
23 2 1 12 1 1 2 2 222 1 1 1 1 1 0 x x x x x
16 1 122 2 2 2 21 1 12 0 1 0 0 0 x x x15 0 1 1 0 0 1 2 1 1 2 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 x x x X x
14 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 2 122 0111 0 0 0 00 X x x x x
13 0 1 2 0 1 2 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 2 1 0 00 0 0 x x x x x
12 1 1 1 1 0 2 0 0 1 11000 1 0 00 0 0 x xx x x x
11 0 1 11 2 2 12002 1 1 0 0 02 1 0 0 0 0 0 x xX xx19 1 1 1 2 1 2 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 1 00 0 0 j x x x xx
18 0 11 2 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 22 0 C 0 0 0 x x x x x x
17 0 1 0 0 1 2 1 1 2 2 2 003: 0 00 xx xx _ I21 0 1 0 1 0 1 2 2 1110 0 3 2 0 x x x x x x
20 0 101 1 0 1 2010 112 0 01 0 00 210 x x x x xx
22 0 1 l 0 1 2 1 2 012 1 1 00 Oil 2 1 ' x x x x
a x x I x x x x x xxI x x x x
b x x x x xx xxx x x x x x~x x x x x x xx
c x x x x x x xx x I x x xx x x x x
d xix x xx x x x x x x x x x x xxx x
e x x xx x xx x xx xlx x xx x xx x xlx x x x
fx xxx x x x xx x x xx xIx
g x x xj x x x x x L x x Ix x x x x
Figure 17: Domain Sorted MDM
Manufacturing and Quality both share the same workspaces and tools, while the
respective management levels share other communication tools. Line Engineering can be
considered the bridge of these two organizations (highlighted with a brown dashed box in
Figure 17). In times when communication needed to be sent out immediately, for example on
the plane during the actual troubleshooting, they utilize their tools as necessary. The Air Crew,and the follow on organizations such as Customer Support and Scheduling all share trends in
their use of communication tools as well as illustrated by the densities around the specific tools
used by the organizations in the rows and columns.
In some cases, observed communicative frequencies in two different organization
disciplines matched the same available tool patterns. For example, Air Crew and Customer
Support had consistent gaps in reported communication frequencies with each other, and both
reported they did not utilize desk phones or instant messaging (outlined by blue dashed boxes).
For this case, their responsibilities do not require frequent transfers of information, and would
otherwise be a waste of effort if information was reported for the sake of reporting. The fact
that they both do not use a desk phone or instant messaging only highlights a similarity in their
general communication preferences.
36
J
Chapter 4 - Discussion
Mapping the data in a DSM format for each domain provided insight as to which organizationscommunicate the most with one another. The color shading helped highlight the flows,frequencies, and patterns. Frequent communication took place within each organizationaldiscipline, such as those found in Senior Management - Line Engineering through the LineEngineers themselves. These close coupling patterns were illustrated as blocks of red aroundthe diagonal in the matrix, and aligned with what would be expected from a well-connectedand co-located organization. There were also many instances of matching communicationfrequencies between the Executives, Manufacturing, Quality, and Line Engineering, exhibitedwithin the applicable rows and columns of the matrix in Figure 16 and Figure 17. Additionallycustomer appeared to be well connected throughout the company with most communicationtools at their disposal.
The surveys used to develop the DSMs in this thesis were kept at a very high level,intended to prevent from inadvertent release of proprietary information on the actual activitiesbeing performed on the flight line. However, in retrospect the data would have been enhancedby capturing some parts of the content and types of information being transferred betweeneach surveyed employee. More specifically, the questions and data collected did not delineateinformation reported which was technical in nature from a status update (with an estimatedtime to finish fixing the airplane issue). While there were instances where the information wasvery important to the aircraft issue, such as technical information passed from Quality toManufacturing about the product definition requirements, there may have been various subjectitems relayed in other interactions that may have only slightly contribute to the problemsolving effort but answered anyways as part of the communication in the survey.
More often than not, the information passed from person to person on a flight line wasalso pertinent information to the customer, regardless of where it lied on the spectrum oftechnicality. The instance of communication may have contained information on the health ofthe aircraft, and the possibility of it impeding on the final delivery schedule. In some cases, theinformation could have helped the local customer representative relay important informationto the airline's headquarters for further guidance (possibly to delay their own scheduling forrevenue flight). Other stakeholders in the business are looking for status so that they can helpbuild a plan that meets the objectives of the customer, a core value of the business.Engineering uses the information regardless of technicality to possibly help prepare discussionsaround a customer concern item, or Quality can help prepare the necessary documentation asneeded to review the final configuration. All of these activities in reality and from a holisticview of the system, help all of the stakeholders of the company make the best decisionspossible to support the business.
The current organization and tool architecture requires information to be gathered atthe airplane working level. Even if the communication can be quick, through the use of cell
37
phones and smart phones as presented in the multi-domain matrix in Figure 16 and Figure 17, itstill takes time and can cause interruption. Furthermore, email was the most commonly usedtool to convey the information requested or to receive information, as discussed earlier. Eventhough it can be perceived as a hindrance to the worker to update from a computer in acentralized location (such as a crew shelter near the airplane), all of the work performed on theairplane must be documented from a centralized location, regardless of convenience, driven bydocumentation requirements. There should be guidance or a method that reduces the effort ofwriting the emails and updating their work progress by leveraging the required documentationprocesses.
Each time a problem solving contributor is required to provide an update to anotheremployee in a different organization but also update their documentation on work performed,takes additional time away from troubleshooting. The multi-domain matrix in Figure 17highlighted opportunities to help organically disseminate information without interruption,using an online tool discussed further in Chapter 5. Streamlining and reducing the number oftimes troubleshooting needs to be interrupted could save overall flow time out of the schedule(referenced in Figure 5). Assuming that information from the working level is flowed upwardsthrough management to the executives and finally to the customer, creating a system thathandles the flow on the left side of the diagonal in the DSM, will reduce the instances on theright side. Ultimately, a total reduction of iterative communications may reduce the total efforton the entire flight line organization. As stated earlier in the organizational DSM section, therewere 235 connections between organizations and the employees. For analysis purposes, if anassumption was made that 10% of those connections contain repetitive information, and issimply being passed on from organization to organization or from manager to manager, thiswould result in a reduction of 23 interactions.
Varying the impact, using 10% to 50%, has a potential to reduce interactions by up to117 instances. For every interaction instance that is reduced at the lowest levels, would assistin ensuring a technical working employee stays on a value added task. This reduction, at thelowest levels of the communicative chains result in time savings from each contributorthereafter. The savings in reduced interactions may also increase information quality. Wheninformation is passed from one individual to the next, information can become degraded and insome cases, evolve into something incorrect. While cell phones and mobile email have reducedthe risk of passing misinformation through the consistency of a written and forwarded email,there could be tools that help capture the actual work performed and reduce the number ofinstances information is repeated. This could also improve around the clock informationtransfer, for example shift-to-shift tie-ins in Manufacturing. The application of such a toolwould not only improve the time it takes to resolution by allowing workers perform their dutiesmore efficiently, but also ensure all stakeholders higher in the hierarchical work breakdownstructure are efficient at providing their internal and external customers with the best data andservice possible.
38
Chapter 5 - Recommendation and Conclusion
5.1 Recommendation
With the overarching goal to improve efficiency and reduce cost and effort through a reductionin the number of communication instances, it became clear that there were opportunities toautomate some of the communications that are currently performed by other more timeintensive methods. The solution would leverage the normal roles and responsibilities of eachjob, by performing them through an electronic database system rather than some of the otherdocumentation processes currently used on the flight line. The end product, derived from thesolution, would disseminate valuable information and updates to targeted audiences, byutilizing the relationships highlighted in the organizational DSM and the multi-domain matrix.
The end product would potentially relieve the employees from having to perform aduplicate task. Employees performing their troubleshooting would remain uninterrupted fromhaving to repeat or explain the troubleshooting plan to someone who may not even be in aposition to provide technical feedback. The employees seeking progress on aircraft releases forflight, or updates to flight squawks, would be able to follow milestones through the system.The customer would also be able to obtain real-time data about their aircraft as well as theoverall progress the plane is making towards delivery. The system could also have the ability toallow the customer to raise concerns along the way for immediate attention.
While this recommended tool may sound simple, the integration and implementation ofit would benefit from a systems engineering approach. Beginning with a system problemstatement, a goal with definitive actions needs to be established. The system problemstatement for this tool, in this thesis scenario, would be the following:
To capture and distribute progress of routine maintenance, aircraft flight status, andengineering activities by leveraging stakeholders' access to computers using an internetbased tool.
Using the system problem statement as the guiding objective, system designrequirements coupled with documented needs from each stakeholder would lay thegroundwork to establish a simple high level architecture. Architectural decisions enable thedevelopment of a realistic tool, using current technologies, while achieving the needs andwants of the stakeholders. These decisions consider the different attributes of the system,which eventually evolve into more detailed requirements, upon which the development teamwould utilize in the product architecture definition.
The architecture would need to be simple as implied earlier, which would later expandinto how the final product interacted with the users. When a tool is too complicated at theuser-interface level, it requires more time from the employee to either access or input data. Ifthe employee spends excessive amounts of time accessing the online tool, then any potentialtime savings elsewhere would be lost, and could even adversely increase the cost of
39
information distribution. This would be especially true if the information could have beenotherwise transferred through a face-to-face conversation or a quick phone call.
Any of the distributed data would also need to be of value to the receiver. While certaindetails and information can be important to one group, that same level of detail may notalways be of value to the other stakeholders at the same time, as discussed earlier in the DSManalysis. The system would need to handle requests from different users. The correctapproach to manage this type of system behavior would be to have a modular interface duringsetup of each user account. The final product would then document the required informationby the technical worker, but allow particular elements of the data to be compiled anddistributed to fit the needs of the receiver stakeholder.
A systems engineering approach would ensure that the tool has the ability to scale [29].Scalability in this instance would be to ensure that the tool can accommodate changes to theproducts and processes it serves. For example, if this tool was to manage one product line,such as the 747 at The Boeing Company and interface with all of the organizations noted in thisthesis, it would be important to make sure that the electronic tool was also capable of handlingthe 737, 767, 777, and 787 product lines, with the same organizations. The product may alsoneed to scale by location, expanding out into new work areas, and integrate similarly achievingthe same results, as illustrated in Figure 18.
System boundaries shown in the illustration (Figure 18) are drawn to show an exampleof how customers must be considered in the overall architecture. While customers have animportant role in the delivery process, they do not work for the company. Proprietary andother intellectual property rules must be considered when developing the system, and as such,any outside stakeholders would need special privileges and / or the system would need toprevent information from being inadvertently sent to unapproved users.
40
System Boundary "..n"
System Boundary 2
System Boundary 1
Scheduling Mxct n
e iginr Location "I" Location "...n"
Li Engineering
a-1
Figure 18: Proposed System Architecture for a New Electronic Troubleshooting Tool
Additionally, a scalable and modular tool would also ensure that it would keep up withthe natural technological advancements of computing, and evolve with the users ever-changingneeds. For example, if sometime in the future, portable electronic devices such as iPads ortablets became a standard tool given to every employee noted in the work breakdownstructure, the system would need to be able to accommodate those changes, and integratewith existing back-end architectures.
The development of this tool would also need to be realistic in terms of developmentcosts. While it is certainly possible to design a software system loaded with intricate
capabilities and special features, the intent of the tool is to reduce cost at the working level.
The preliminary assessments for the tool would need to consider the potential savings fromeach employee, and the possible savings from not having to manage other documentation
methods. Also, each flight line may operate slightly differently, and therefore the cost savingscan also differ by location. Comparing those savings with the cost of designing and
implementing this new tool, may help provide guidance as to how many features would beincluded in the product.
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5.2 Future Research
The data gathered in this thesis remained at a very high level, such that the analysis performedcould be improved with more detailed data. The fidelity of information gathered from theparticipants across various organizations, could be improved by asking additional questionsrelated to their job function. For example, obtaining information on the kinds of information orcategories would help further understand the current situation of the flight line operations andinsight into where more specific improvement opportunities lie with respect to informationflows. Categories could include: information that is technical in nature, status on progress ofthe technical resolution, and finally normal aircraft maintenance activities pertaining to flightreadiness. These important pieces of information would assist in defining a more accuratesystem architecture.
Future research would also benefit from asking the questions in reverse (changing theperspective of the survey questions given in this thesis). In this thesis, surveyed employeesreported their interactions with other people. If the survey asked which employeescommunicated with them about various activities on the flight line, or even which employeesthey felt should communicate with them, the flows of information may change slightly from theDSMs constructed in this thesis. With this data, the system architecture would then be able toincorporate the various kinds of information sought by different users. Capturing simple anddetailed information about the kinds of information desired, would increase the likelihood thatthe future recommended tool captured the right information and transferred them to the rightstakeholders.
In this thesis, only a small percentage of surveys were captured when compared to themany employees that work on the flight line. Additionally, only one location was surveyed.Expanding the dataset into other operations would provide complimentary data to support thetrends captured in this thesis, and also provide the ability to contrast organizationalinteractions from different operations in different locations. It is clear that, without supportingdata from other flight lines, it is difficult to directly apply this recommended solution to otherflight line operations.
5.3 Conclusion
The complexities around building, testing, and flying aircraft span many different domains. Thedomains include processes, people, and tools, among others, that affect the way work isperformed. In this thesis, communication tools and the organizations involved introubleshooting and readying aircraft for flight were analyzed using DSM methods.
Individual DSMs were developed for each domain, one for the organizations andanother for the communication tools used on the flight line. The domain for organizationalinteractions included Manufacturing, Quality, Line Engineering, and supporting organizationssuch as Scheduling, Customer Support, and Design Engineering. The list of organizations alsoincluded hierarchical positions within each discipline. In the second DSM, typical
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communication tools, such as email enabled phones and instant messaging, were mapped ontoa tools matrix.
Surveys and interviews provided data for communication frequencies between eachorganization. The data was then used to evaluate the flows and trends of information in theorganizational DSM. The surveys and interviews also captured the tools used to accomplish theinteractions, providing insight as to the most favorable communicative devices. Mapping thetwo DSMs together into a larger multi-domain matrix provided insight into a likely successfulproduct, which could save effort while improving information quality.
With the anticipation that flight line operations will be working and delivering moreaircraft in the near future with similar time constraints, improving the efficiencies ofinformation dissemination became a common theme in this thesis. Developing a product toolusing a systems engineering approach, would provide a simple solution that could deliver real-time, value-added, and accurate data to stakeholders at any time, without causing interruptionanywhere in the value stream. The architecture and final product would utilize Manufacturing,Quality and Engineering's device preference and natural dependency on computers. The finalproduct would also leverage existing documentation requirements typically done offline, to beperformed in the system. The information would be organic in the sense that no additionalwork would be required from the technical employee, but automatically convert theinformation being added into the system into valuable insight and information to the supportorganizations.
The savings, in the form of reduced interactions using an internet based tool such as theone proposed, could potentially reduce the number of interactions from 235 to 117 at a 50%reduction. Providing valuable information at a reduced effort is a cost reduction. Additionalbenefits would include quicker access to information and automated reporting, all of which canhelp reduce the risk of delaying a flight or delivery. Overall improvements like this, cancontribute to an improved customer experience, ultimately driving business growth.
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