Original Date: 08/20/2001
Revision Date: 12/14/2006

A web-based Employee Suggestion Program is providing employees at Lockheed Martin Naval Electronics & Surveillance Systems-Surface Systems with a renewed interest in submitting beneficial suggestions. The program’s comprehensive tracking system provides ease of entry, and utilizes extensive security measures to ensure the accuracy of the data without limiting the users.

In 1991, a formal employee suggestion process was implemented as part of a major effort to help reduce costs and improve products, safety, quality, facilities, operations, and sales. This process was the typical paper-based, carbon- copy system suggestion box that required manual handling for collecting, evaluating, and tracking employee suggestions. Looking for a new approach, Lockheed Martin Naval Electronics & Surveillance Systems-Surface Systems (NE&SS-SS) implemented a web-based Employee Suggestion Program in January 2001.

The Employee Suggestion Program features a Suggestion Tracking System that operates as a comprehensive tool for inputting, storing, evaluating, and communicating suggestions throughout the organization. Suggestors can submit their ideas on-line as individuals, co-suggestors, or in teams. The Suggestion Tracking System facilitates ease in submitting ideas via a fill-in-the-blank electronic format. The system automatically generates e-mail to notify the various functional departments. The goal of the Employee Suggestion Program is to answer each suggestion quickly, fairly, and accurately within 20 days. Once a suggestion is initially evaluated and selected, it goes to a Suggestion Review Board comprised of cross-functional members including management and union representatives. Every suggestion receives feedback of disposition and an explanation of the evaluation decision. Successfully implemented ideas can earn an award of 25% of the first-year savings for a team effort or 15% for an individual effort.

The Employee Suggestion Program’s comprehensive tracking system takes advantage of the company’s Intranet to ensure the accuracy of the data without limiting the users. Since implementing the program, Lockheed Martin NE&SS-SS has received an estimated 30% to 40% increase in the number of suggestions. The following represents year-to-date metrics for 2001: