2009 Issue 1 - Raytheon

and products from across industry to form
innovative solutions. More than 100 architects
across the company are RCAP-certified.
Independent Research and
Development – Raytheon has a long
history of funding Independent Research and
Development (IRAD) to develop the next
generation of technology ahead of customer
requirements. This has enabled us to maintain
our technical excellence and challenge
our technologists to always consider innovative
approaches to hard problems.
Advanced Technology Organizations –
Chartered to work with our customers and
programs to develop and mature revolutionary
new technologies and products, our
Advanced Technology organizations execute
research and development programs under
contract to our customers. We look to team
with small businesses, universities and
commercial partners to leverage external
technologies; we understand that innovation
can come from anywhere.
Raytheon Innovation Challenge –
The enterprisewide Raytheon Innovation
Challenge (RIC) exposes employees to customer
problems with the belief that they
already have, or could readily conceive of,
new solutions to these difficult problems
when given the opportunity.
For the past two years, Raytheon has sponsored
the RIC. Last year’s targeted five key
challenges of one of Raytheon’s customers:
the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Reviewers received 230 white papers from
engineers in all six Raytheon businesses.
Authors of the most compelling white papers
attended a workshop to foster dialogue on
new ideas and stretch their concepts to further
enhance their approach. From the workshop,
eight ideas were selected for further
refinement, analysis and troubleshooting to
move them from an idea to a product concept.
Future plans for the RIC include formulating
additional challenge topics, increasing the
emphasis on constructive feedback and
encouragement, and broadening the pool of
innovators beyond the engineering community.
The challenge format focuses innovators’ attention
on known problems — if these problems
are solved, it immediately benefits our customers
and new product or service offerings.
Identify-Develop-Expose-Action:
Raytheon’s IDEA program – The intent
of the corporate IDEA program is to identify
novel ideas of value to the business, develop
them to a point where other funding is
appropriate, expose the idea to appropriate
business leaders, and quickly take action on
the most promising ideas. Here again the key
concept is that innovation can come from
anywhere, and this program enables the
employee with the idea to have time to
refine his or her concept.
This program is administered by Corporate
Technology and Research with the expressed
intent of making rapid decisions on funding
early-stage ideas for an investigator to perform
initial analysis, simulation or experiments
to refine an idea. The evaluation criteria
address technical originality and business
relevance. This “grass roots” system to gather
ideas allows anyone with a bright idea to
come forward.
Technology Networks – Raytheon has
established five technology networks which
also drive innovation: Mission Systems
Integration, Multifunction RF Systems, Multifunction
EO Systems, Information Systems
and Computing, and Mechanical Materials
and Structures. Within each technology
network are Technology Interest Groups,
each of which focuses on a specific technology,
and connects experts, peer-to-peer, across
Raytheon. For the past decade, Technology
Networks have provided an exceptional tool
for engaging leading-edge technology and
explaining customer needs. Each Technology
Network also hosts an annual symposium
and periodic workshops on special topics to
promote the exchange of technology and
knowledge sharing.
University Collaboration – The
Raytheon University Program sponsors university
memberships and research in areas that
align with our business needs, ensure our
awareness of important current innovations,
and enable our growth strategy. Colleges and
Continued on page 6
Feature
William H. Swanson on
Technology and Innovation
“Raytheon is a technology
company. We believe that
developing the best solutions
for our customers is
all about fostering an
open culture that supports
rich dialog to generate
the best ideas. In
other words, it comes
down to inclusion: creating
a welcoming environment,
drawing on the
largest pool of the best
talent, and encouraging
diversity of thought and
opinion with customer
success in mind.”
William H. Swanson
Chairman and CEO
Raytheon Company
RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGY TODAY 2009 ISSUE 1 5