Boeing operations fleet support: A case study in integrated workplace design

Abstract

To investigate ways to improve organizational performance, The Boeing Company designed a pilot workplace for an engineering group in Everett, Washington. The concept for the project was to deploy physical space and technology in a manner that both mirrored core work processes and provided an environment facilitating complex teamwork and collaboration. The Future@Work, an experimental laboratory in Seattle, Washington that explore emerging trends in the workplace, significantly influenced the project design concept. The methodology used to support the design process was influenced by the workflow principles used in Boeing’s airplane design and manufacturing processes; these processes draw heavily on the Lean Enterprise Model developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in conjunction with a consortium of private enterprises. This paper documents the concepts, goals, planning methodology, resulting design, and subsequent performance of the pilot space.