Under provisions of its military contract, there’s no public tour program at the Boeing site in Long Beach, Calif. Even family members have to wait for the biennial family day to get a close look at its inner workings. But despite the restrictions, a long track record of major customer events and frequent third-party visits make IDS Long Beach ...

A Site to See

BY RICK SANFORD

When Ron Marcotte took over in late 2004 as Integrated Defense Systems site leader in Long Beach, Calif., one of his first orders of business was to share some disappointing news. He had to tell his Airlift and Tanker Programs team that they would not be rare back-to-back winners of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.

Just qualifying for a site visit by Baldrige examiners is a significant accomplishment for those bold enough to apply for the prestigious award.

But in Long Beach, not winning has become the exception.

"Recognition is important," Marcotte explained, gesturing to one of the award-filled trophy cases that grace entryways to the C-17 factory and the Airlift and Tanker Program executive offices. "But the value is in the hunt, not the trophy that may or may not come with it."

Those "hunts," often called third-party assessments, are key elements in the Boeing Long Beach quality-driven culture. In Long Beach, quality is a journey, not a destination.

Long Beach programs—particularly the C-17 Globemaster III—have scored very well on these assessments over the years. In the overflowing trophy cases are Collier Trophies, State Quality Awards from Airlift and Tanker facilities in California, Washington, Georgia and Missouri; two "Best Plant" Awards from Industry Week magazine; the California State Governor's Award for Performance Excellence (the first time any organization received this special honor); the U.S. Senate Productivity Award; and more.

"When we won both the California Governor's Award and California Awards for Performance Excellence (CAPE) Gold award on the same day in 2003, it was a monumental day for the C-17 team," said Dave Bowman, vice president and C-17 program manager. "Receiving both awards validated our efforts."

These third-party evaluations are key to the continuous cycles of improvement inherent in an effective Quality journey. Long Beach teams welcome the "prying eyes" of frequent evaluations with unabashed pride—and it shows. In mid-October, examiners completed a week of intensive interviews, all part of a CAPE site visit to Boeing Air Force Systems business segments, including the Long Beach site.

Customer events mean VIP visitors

Long Beach also hosts its share of customer visits. As the Customer Relations focal in Long Beach, Lynne Jungers also is responsible for event planning, which at times easily qualifies as a full-time job.

In 1992, the site had its first major customer event, hosting  Gen. Colin Powell, who was then chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff. Since then, the site has welcomed heads of state, military leaders, elected officials and celebrities—including secretaries of the U.S. Air Force; former U.S. President Bill Clinton; and the United Kingdom's Duke of York, Prince Andrew. "Showcasing our site really motivates our team," Jungers said. "And it fires up the work force."

During Prince Andrew's visit, his escort, Charlton Heston, drew the most attention and—in recognition of the actor's role in the film "The Ten Commandments"—even shouts of "Welcome, Moses!" 

Arguably the biggest event since Globemaster IIIs started rolling off the line came in 1997, when then 94-year-old Bob Hope took part in a major celebration in front of 4,000 employees and the U.S. Air Force Band, unveiling a new C-17 bearing the legendary entertainer's name.

But not all customer events in Long Beach are large. Most C-17 deliveries involve a simple early-morning recognition breakfast shared by the delivery official—usually an Air Force general—and about 20 employees nominated by their supervisors for the honor. Key supplier partners are also selected to take part.

"The employees just love hearing from the customer in this informal setting," Jungers said. "And the generals are equally enthused to take questions from employees and hear what's on their mind."

On average, the site receives 10 requests each week from groups that want to visit the Long Beach site. But before any are approved, the on-site customer—the Defense Contract Management Agency—is contacted and must agree to the exception.

"We could be Disneyland, no question about it," Jungers quipped about the site's popularity. "But we've got a job to do and can't afford to interrupt our production team that's busy building airplanes."

What's up next for C-17 and the Long Beach site? In January, the Air Force plans to dedicate a new C-17 to the "Spirit of Ronald Reagan." There are likely to be ceremonies at the C-17's new Air Force home near Riverside, Calif., and of course a sincere sendoff from the gang in Long Beach. 

rick.sanford@boeing.com