Tech_Issue 1 2009_0127_Final:TechToday_012709 ... - Raytheon

COTS
On Hand
MCOTS
Prototype
Function
New
Design
Hardware
Store
Design
Reuse
A serious pitfall is waiting at the start of
the creation process — the plan. Funding,
manpower and schedule: all are rolled up
into a program plan intended to accomplish
something that hasn’t been done yet. Toorigid
plans are a common mistake. A good
plan for the creation of an innovative solution
accepts that there are many unknowns
that will need to be sorted out quickly
along the way. Plans should be flexible
enough to accommodate these changes.
Do your homework. Raytheon has produced
extremely satisfied customers, in short
order, by understanding their problem,
doing the research, and proposing that the
customer go to another company to buy
an off-the-shelf 85 percent solution. Little
business is generated for us on those cases,
but it fosters relationships with customers
who subsequently bring us a lot of business,
because they trust the Bike Shop as
an honest broker for their interests.
The final required piece of the creation part
of our process is a dedicated group of artisans
who not only have a high level of skill
in their craft, but also the confidence and
communication skills necessary to be a significant
contributor to the creative process.
On Hand
Vendor
Controls
COTS
MCOTS
Accomplish
Feature
Configuration Management and
Data Management Controls
New
Design
Prototype
Function
Production
Traditional Prototype Model Quality Prototype Model
Design
Reuse
Quality
Assurance
and SCM
Hardware
Store
What a particular project accomplishes is
clearly a product of the intent and scope
of the work. The Bike Shop delivers two
primary products: special testing setups and
services for existing programs, and prototype
systems (see figure above). The
panacea of prototype systems is the new
product that goes into production and
feeds the product lines. Here again is a pitfall
to be understood. If one in 10 or 20
prototypes ends up as a product, when is
the right time and what is the right amount
of effort to put into documentation and
configuration management? The Bike Shop
has learned, by trial and error, a few general
guidelines to help answer that question.
We identify two distinct but related versions
of the prototype: the traditional prototype,
and the quality prototype. Virtually every
project starts out building the traditional
prototype through design, vendor-part
identification, and understanding existing
hardware. As the prototype evolves, and
customers’ and Raytheon’s awareness of it
develops, an unquantifiable sense of applicability
and relevance takes root and the
potential for more than a one-off product is
realized. As soon as this starts to take place,
Continued on page 16
ENGINEERING PROFILE
Daniel Charlin
Innovation
Advocate, SAS
Innovation Advocate
Daniel Charlin’s 26
years at Raytheon are
just a part of his lifelong
dedication to
science and innovation.
“I took apart
toys at a very early
age,” he remembered.
“I became more creative
as a teenager,
and since then solving problems and developing
new ways of doing things has been a way of life.”
Working in the aerospace industry has helped
Charlin follow this path. “I’ve been allowed to use
my inquisitive nature to work in chemical, physical
analysis, electronic, RF, and opto-mechanical laboratories
— solving problems and finding new ways
of doing things.”
At Raytheon, Charlin has rotated through engineering,
quality, manufacturing, supply chain, and
program management roles. “Each of these roles has
developed a different facet of my career,” he said.
For Charlin, “Innovation occurs at the intersection
of preparation and opportunity.” As an innovation
advocate, he helps others prepare and focus their
vision so they can identify opportunities. “I help
unlock their creativity; guide them to potential
sponsors, champions and customers; and help put
their ideas in a place where they can become solutions
to real problems and provide value to Raytheon.”
One of the biggest challenges to innovation,
according to Charlin, is time. “Ideas need to be to
be nurtured and developed and funding found.
Going from need, to idea, to a funded innovation,
to a marketed product can take years — but we
often only have months.” He added that while it’s
possible to educate people on the time it takes to
innovate, it’s important to also find creative
approaches to shortening cycle time.
Another challenge is ensuring that we can tap into
the ideas of innovators from across the company.
“We have made great strides in a number of areas,
but we still haven’t fully tapped the thousands of
innovators across SAS. There is still much to be
done to unlock the innovators’ creativity and
connect them to real needs and real customers in
order to grow the Raytheon business.”
Innovation often requires taking risks, according
to Charlin. And sometimes this, combined with
tight deadlines, can mean a lot of stress. “I sometimes
wake up at night and wonder how we will
meet the deadlines and manage all the risk. But
then I see the goal, and realize that it’s worth the
risk and this is the most exciting job there is.” In
fact, he added, “These same risks and deadlines are
what make this job so exciting.”
RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGY TODAY 2009 ISSUE 1 15