Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems (Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company) - Fort Worth, TX:Integrated Product Development

	Best Practices Surveys: Survey Reports

List of Best Practices Surveys | Table of Contents

Previous Page | Next Page

Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems (Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company) - Fort Worth, TX

Original Date: 08/07/1995
Revision Date: 01/18/2007

Best Practice : Integrated Product Development

Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems (LMTAS) has been applying Integrated Product Development (IPD) since 1991 when an IPD team was established for the Block 50D update to the F-16. This IPD philosophy teams functional disciplines to integrate and concurrently apply processes to produce an effective, efficient product that satisfies a customer's needs, and it requires a strong partnership among contractor, customers, and suppliers.

At LMTAS, Business Area Managers or Program Directors/Managers identify program-unique procedures and processes required for IPD, and prepare and document IPD implementation and management plans. They work with the affected functional organizations to determine team tasks and coordinate team and functional organization plans and schedules to support accomplishment of these tasks. They appoint team leaders and IPD teams, empower team leaders and teams to meet tasking to allocated budgets and schedules required to meet customer requirements and business objectives. The Program Director/Manager, team leaders, and team members monitor accomplishments as they relate to the team plan, and provide reports and status information. Functional Organizations develop departmental plans and procedures for implementing IPD in support of Business Area/program requirements. They assign and empower personnel to meet program requirements, and develop, maintain, and provide technical expertise and functional processes that support IPD. The IPD team develops a team plan, and the team leader ensures that the plan describes the operational concepts, required resources, and schedules. The Program Manager, team leader, and Functional Organizations set performance objectives, participate in the performance appraisal process, provide recommendations for training and development, and ensure that training is accomplished to achieve IPD goals.

At LMTAS, IPD supports a wide spectrum of programs – from small, one-of-a-kind, short duration programs to large multicompany, multiyear, complex design programs. Thirteen F-16 IPD Programs have been worked since 1990 with ten teams in place.

Some important lessons learned were realized from the IPD implementation:

Centers of excellence must be maintained.

Organize IPD teams early enough to participate in setting requirements and submitting proposals.

Customers should be integrated in the IPD Team structure.

Make suppliers members of the IPD Team as soon as the selection process is complete.

The functional department should commit to not replace any IPD Team member without consent of the IPD Team Leader.

IPD Team Members need to maintain a strong link to their home functional department, and know they have a place to return to when the IPD program is completed.

Keep the number of "Management" positions to a minimum.

Training for the functional departments should be provided to educate them on the benefits of IPD, interfaces with IPD, and support of IPD.

Allowing teams to make their own decisions had great potential for simplifying and expediting the development process.

Team members should be empowered to make necessary decisions in their assignments.

Serious consideration should be given to collocation for all full-time team members. Collocation should occur at the earliest practical phase of the program.