technology today 2005 issue 4 - Raytheon

Mission Assurance:
Raytheon’s “No Doubt” Philosophy
In his last Q&A before
retiring, Greg Shelton sat
down with the editors of
technology today to discuss
Mission Assurance.
Can you define Mission Assurance?
What does it mean to our different
Raytheon professionals (hardware,
software, Operations, etc.)?
Mission Assurance should not be viewed as
a new “thing.” Mission Assurance is the
“No Doubt” philosophy that Raytheon
4 2005 ISSUE 4 RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGY TODAY
Chairman and CEO Bill Swanson talks
about: that there must be no doubt that
our products will work in the field when
they are needed. That implies a level of
commitment from all of us to ensure that
the products we deliver will work, and that
our products are backed by the best service
and support we can provide. Without question,
Raytheon provides the most advanced
technology in the world around our products.
Along with this technology, we need
to provide the processes and discipline to
make certain that, when we deliver these
leading-edge products, our warfighters and
customers feel confident that our products
will protect them when they are thrust in
harm’s way.
We hear a lot about “No
Doubt,” but what does
Mission Assurance mean
to our customers? How
does it affect company
reputation?
I believe the “No Doubt”
framework of Mission
Assurance is about delivering
rock-solid products the
warfighter or customer
expects. If we do this consistently,
we will have an
unbeatable reputation with
our customers. If our customers
truly believe we are
committed to providing
this “No Doubt” capability,
they will come back to us
for even more products
and services. The other
side of this discussion is
also true: If we fail to deliver
a quality product that
does not protect our
warfighter and customer,
we will surely lose the business
we have. So, to me,
Mission Assurance is about
meeting our obligations
to our customers and
providing them with the quality products
and services they expect. If we do this,
there will also be “No Doubt” that our customers
will be with us for the long haul.
How have you seen the focus or direction
of Mission Assurance change throughout
the years?
Mission Assurance has progressed and
become crisper. I believe our Quality evolution
from Quality circles to Total Quality
Management to Continuous Measures, and
to Raytheon Six Sigma, CMM® and
CMMI® all have helped us on our Mission
Assurance journey. The Malcolm Baldridge
award for Quality encompasses a lot of the
measures of sound processes and customerfocused
Mission Assurance. But, when I
reflect back on this, what they have all
missed — and what Raytheon is focused
on — is a commitment to the total product
lifecycle support for our customers. It is
more than just delivering quality from the
production floor…Mission Assurance and
total lifecycle support must revolve around
the actual user to make certain we are
meeting his or her needs in the environment
and manner that the product will
be used, now and in the future.
How can we leverage technology to achieve
our Mission Assurance goals? What key
technologies are positioning Raytheon as
a leader?
Without question, our common architecture
for programs such as Distributed Common
Ground Systems, DD(X) and Missile-as-anode
framework all help us to develop
products in a timely manner that will
address the plug-and-play needs of our customers.
They also fit into the framework of
spiral development that will enable new
technologies to evolve the product and
adapt to user needs. Advanced Concept
Technology Demonstrations and quick-reaction
programs must meet the basic objectives
of Mission Assurance before they are
incorporated into the user community. Too