How Boeing Lost Its Way

Boeing is an American institution. But one year after the grounding of the 737 Max, the company's stock has fallen by almost 50% and its future is anything but certain. So what were Boeing's failures in the aftermath of two tragedies in which the flawed plane crashed, killing 346 people, and can Boeing regain its elite status in U.S. aviation once more?

#Boeing #Aviation #Transportation

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[awannagannaful]

It's pretty simple: an engineering company cannot be run by accountants.

[sprogg]

This is what happens when you replace CEOs with engineering backgrounds, and 100 years of engineering excellence, with Accounting and equity CEO's, outsourcing and stock buybacks.

[yuanhu]

Who is here after Alaska's 737max-9 door incident?

[Jdalio]

This is what happens when the accounting department designs an airplane.

[derrickwright]

Boeing is learning a hard lesson. Profits before safety = no profits.

[phoenixxena]

I am Indonesian who lives in Singapore, and I traveled back and forth between Indonesia and Singapore like once every 2~3 months. After the accident in 2018, I add new routine to my booking process, checking what type of the aircraft for that flight. I will only book if it is airbus plane. Once someone/something destroy my trust, it would be hard for me to trust again.

[spacecadet]

The big problem was the managers thought that they knew more about engineering than engineers. Modern management works on the principle that management is the prime asset of a company and the workers are an expense, when in reality the workers are the prime asset of a company and the management team is the expense.

[nonelost]

My dad, Cliff Curtis, was at Boeing for 36 years, with an 11 year hiatus to go into his own law practice. He worked both in engineering and legal capacities as he had both an engineering and a law degree (as well as a business degree). Hence I called him "Mr 3 degrees". At his retirement party in 2012, we viewed a DVD called "Cliff Notes", a series of memorable memos that he posted through the years to fellow employees. It also included footage of him in a meeting, where he stated in his classic understated non-dramatic style, "Inevitably, there will be downstream costs to pay" (TRANSLATION: "Planes will crash."). I was never quite sure of the context. But after seeing this video, I'm even more convinced he was referring to the cultural change from engineering excellence to cutting corners.

[JustinLHopkins]

My grandpa was an engineer for Boeing for 50 years. He’s the reason I love aviation so much. He died in 2017 and I know he’d just be heartbroken over all of this. We were a proud “Boeing family”, but these accidents are inexcusable and someone should be in prison.

[iVince]

It doesn't take 22 minutes to tell you why. I'll sum it up it one word: greed.

[jmmahony]

I remember a year or so before the 737 Max crashes, seeing videos on youtube about safety concerns at a Boeing plant (not in the Seattle area) where a new Boeing jet was being built. I think it was the 787 Dreamliner in the South Carolina plant. Employees were complaining about shoddy practices, and being pushed by management to overlook these issues. Even safety inspectors were quitting in protest because they were essentially being told to not do their job.

[ukironman]

“How Boeing’s greed killed hundreds of people” fixed the title for you!

[ChrisParayno]

Having worked for Boeing, there was a significant shift once Mullaly left. Mullaly was an engineer and knew the products. The CEO's and Commercial presidents were bean counters. Right before I left, there was significant shift in hiring more administration than engineers. Very top heavy company for no apparent reason.

[OmarDelawar]

*"As long as greed is stronger than compassion, there will always be suffering"*
~Rusty Eric

[ThompterSHunson]

_"Designed by clowns, overseen by monkies"_ It would be funny if people haven't actually died in the result of this.

[KristopherDick]

We know Boeing is on the wing course so long as they're headquartered in Chicago. Move back to Seattle so management and engineering can communicate. That's the legitimate first step. All else is lip service

[crustyoldfart]

It's been my experience as a practicing design engineer that it is almost axiomatic that when the bean counters take over management of a successful high-tech company that is the beginning of the end for the company.

[gelasio]

aljazeera called it years ago. They cut corners on safety, they even had employees on camera saying they wouldn't fly in it.

[matt]

Boeing didn't lose its way...American schools of business and management did.