8.3. Two Case Studies

Douglas Aircraft Company. We had the opportunity to help the Douglas Aircraft Company (a division of McDonnell Douglas Corporation) design and implement a companywide performance improvement effort. The top management team was determined to fight the 'j ust another program" (BO-HICA) attitude and to implement a quality and productivity effort with teeth.

They began by identifying what they called the company's Significant Business Issue: "SatisfyYour Customer Through First-Time Quality." They set up a structure in which natural work groups, which are either vertical (work-unit groups) or horizontal (cross-functional groups), meet regularly, assisted by line people who are trained as full-time facilitators. The teams went ...

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