Boeing India
Boeing is betting big on the Indian market. The global aerospace giant recently bagged their biggest order yet from an Indian airline when SpiceJet awarded them a contract worth $22 billion. But that is not all. The company is also investing heavily in the country; they set up the 42,000 sq-ft Boeing India Engineering & Technology Centre (BIETC) in Bengaluru this year.
In keeping with these plans, they are also improving their local supply chain network. In 2016, Boeing India provided technical training and execution support to supply chain professionals in multiple ways. Training/support was given on robust risk management processes, in addition to on-site technical support where needed. Qualifying processes, including special process, were put in place. Suppliers were trained on 30 fundamentals for manufacturing. Also, a fleet of expats with technical experience were brought to reside in India, to help suppliers understand Boeing’s requirements.
Boeing helps suppliers with Boeing-enabled price for certain materials; best practice sharing and conducting a production readiness review; removing waste and reducing cycle time by using Lean Six Sigma; signing long term contracts – enabling suppliers to plan for the long term; and the incorporation of JV operations in Hyderabad with TASL.
“High variety/small lots is always a big challenge for any supply base. However, the supply base is able to innovate and manage cost by way of modular/common tooling for production of parts and standardising the manufacturing process,” says Bhargava.
