Philip Condit and Boeing 777

Philip Condit and the Boeing 777

1. Brief background of project management issue in each case.

Boeing was looking for ways to be more competitive against Airbus. Philip Condit (EVP) was assigned to lead the 777 project. 777 project was the first project in which Boeing listens to its customer and employees and employs entirely new methods (both tools, CATIA, and communications) in the project.

1. Identify the leader of the overall project.   What was their management style and organization structure of the major firms involved in each project?

The leader of the overall project is Philip Condit. In the 777 case, Boeing uses matrix structure and breaking down the bigger projects into smaller projects taken care of by either Boeing or subcontractors. Even in the smaller projects, there is an individual leader which clearly shows the matrix structure.

1. What were the original scope, cost, and schedule of project?   And what were the final scope, cost and schedule of project?  Explain the differences and how these were addressed.

Both the original and final scope and schedule are the same with the scope is to deliver the most efficient commercial wide body passenger airplane within 5-6 years. The cost on the other hand is estimated to have increased beyond the original due to CATIA requires significantly more engineering resources to develop and maintain.

1. What is the Project Management Maturity of this team according to the PWC Article ?  

Per the PWC article, the project management maturity of this team is level 3. Boeing is reusing the same method it has been using to build airplane. However, Boeing is introducing new computer aided design instead of paper mockup and also opening up communication among teams.