Original Date: 09/14/1998
Revision Date: 01/18/2007

To remain competitive and at the forefront in tactical missile design and production, Raytheon Missile Systems Company (RMSC) recognized that its traditional stovepipe ideology had to be discarded. The company needed to expand its mode of thinking, share ideas, and capitalize on the ever-growing wealth of business opportunity information from such sources as the news media, trade shows, and DOD’s Program Objectives Memorandum. As a result, RMSC developed the Strategic Planning War Room, an innovative process for strategic planning at the enterprise, mission, and program levels.

The Strategic Planning War Room integrates product lines, functional organizations, suppliers, and customer groups, as well as develops Technology Roadmaps for future warfare trends, customer needs, and business opportunities. This approach uses a dedicated room where a Program Council of senior managers meet bi-weekly to interact (e.g., share ideas; consider proposals for areas of future focus and business growth; develop strategies for capitalizing on cost-saving opportunities). The Program Council also assesses customer requirements and expectations that are obtained from such sources as published statements, official documents, and occasional customer participation. This information, coupled with data gained from industry experts on commercial technology trends, are used to develop a matrix of possible opportunities for future business in the near-, mid-, and far-terms as well as the domestic and international arenas. The walls of the war room are used to post graphic information for use in developing company strategies. Data and information are arranged in sequential fashion, so that the thought process is lead in a strategic planning direction.

The Strategic Planning War Room successfully breaks down long-standing barriers in communication between programs and functional groups. This approach facilitates the establishment of plans for technology, manufacturing, and personnel development. Analyses of Technology Roadmaps are used to make strategic decisions in various areas including make/buy, core competency retention/development, supplier partnering decisions, and Internal Research and Development. Attesting to its success, this strategic planning methodology and process are being mimicked by several DOD entities.

For more information see the Point of Contact for this survey.