Publications
Publications
- February 2004 (Revised March 2006)
- HBS Case Collection
Pratt & Whitney: Engineering Standard Work
By: H. Kent Bowen and Courtney Purrington
Abstract
As the engineering of state-of-the-art jet engines becomes more and more complex, Pratt & Whitney leaders face major competitive problems. Product development projects are not meeting the cost, quality, and lead-time targets. The leadership develops a design, development, test, and launch system that treats the engineering resources as a factory and carefully designs and manages the work flows, engineering activities, and hand-offs between tasks. There is promising initial success but some question whether the "engineering standard work" system stifles creativity and whether it is appropriate for the work of other professional functions.
Keywords
Design; Engineering; Cost; Knowledge Management; Time Management; Product Launch; Standards; Product Development; Problems and Challenges; Quality; Creativity; Competitive Strategy; Manufacturing Industry
Citation
Bowen, H. Kent, and Courtney Purrington. "Pratt & Whitney: Engineering Standard Work." Harvard Business School Case 604-084, February 2004. (Revised March 2006.)