Original Date: 05/08/1995
Revision Date: 01/18/2007

In the early 1990s, McDonnell Douglas Aerospace (MDA)-St. Louis developed and deployed Process Based Management (PBM) as a centerpiece for meeting TQM and PROCAS initiatives. PBM includes all enterprise-wide activities and actions for managing, maintaining, and improving the manufacturing of MDA products. This program is deployed systematically throughout the company in support of the following four principal goals: (1) Maintain control of processes; (2) Understand the process capabilities and how well they are performing; (3) Improve process performance; and (4) Predict process outcomes and trigger corrective action.

MDA-St. Louis executes this PBM through focus areas of an Enterprise Process Model, Enterprise Coordination, Approaches, General Improvement, Enterprise documentation, Common Tools, and Enterprise Measures. The Enterprise Process model is the foundation of the PBM strategy by defining the hierarchy of all processes and establishing the framework for how MDA-St. Louis conducts business. It provides a structure to prioritize improvement efforts by identifying critical processes. In support of Enterprise Coordination, a Strategic Quality Council is responsible for implementing PBM at MDA-St. Louis and coordinates improvement strategies and activities with other MDA councils.

This program is deployed systematically throughout the company and is based on an Enterprise Process Model which defines the framework for how MDA-St. Louis does business. It prioritizes improvement efforts by identifying critical processes. Responsibility for implementing PBM rests with the Strategic Quality Council which coordinates improvement strategies and activities with other councils and boards. Proven strategies and methods are used to improve processes and are supported throughout the enterprise with documentation to provide common tools, techniques, and structures. These facilitate learning, interfacing, and process improvement. Enterprise level measurement systems are used to gain an understanding of the health and performance of the company from an overall perspective.

Continuous improvement requires a disciplined and focused process to address gaps that must be filled between the current state of operations and a desired end state. At MDA-St. Louis, this effort supported the PBM concept and the effective use of teams. Many tools have been developed to help implement this philosophy. Regular assessments and reports are produced to help management in its decision-making and budget allocation process.

The key elements that make MDA-St. Louis’ total quality management system work are the thoroughness and rigor with which it is pursued and the dedication of management in using the information provided by TQM assessment tools in making business decisions. The internal self-assessment uses the Malcolm Baldridge criteria. Each company under the MDA-St. Louis umbrella prepares a yearly report on its quality efforts and achievements.

A team of eight examiners evaluates each report and conducts a site visit. A real-time feedback report is presented to each company’s senior management, and this feedback is used by senior management to focus the improvement efforts.

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