Boeing can't afford to have anything go wrong with its groundbreaking 787 Dreamliner aircraft. The 787 program represents the company's best bet for regaining competitive territory lost to arch-rival Airbus, which, in 2001, surpassed Boeing as the world's largest manufacturer of commercial aircraft. Even before full production, the relatively light, fuel-efficient 787--which is designed for long-range, point-to-point travel and sells for $160m per plane--has attracted 514 orders from airlines around the world, making it the fastest-selling commercial airplane in history, according to Boeing.
The success of the Dreamliner hinges on a new business model and a multi-tier, collaborative global supply chain network. Will these massive process changes hold the new aircraft back or allow it to soar?
Source: Managing Automation, http://www.managingautomation.com