Boeing’s Supply Chain Has Become Too Complex

By Brooke Sutherland

As Boeing Co. grapples with the consequences of issues on its 737 Max 9 model, Chief Executive Officer Dave Calhoun is taking a trip to the headquarters of the company’s crucial supplier, Spirit AeroSystems Holdings Inc., in Wichita, Kansas. The meeting extends beyond optics as 171 Max 9 jets remain grounded by the Federal Aviation Administration after an auxiliary exit door malfunctioned on an Alaska Airlines flight. The scrutiny on Boeing’s and Spirit’s operations has intensified, with the FAA auditing both companies’ production lines and Boeing investigating itself with the help of a newly appointed special adviser and a team of outside experts. Boeing is also sending a team to Spirit to assess more than 50 points in the supplier’s manufacturing processes for quality control.

Calhoun is scheduled to meet with Spirit executives and participate in an employee town hall. This visit marks a significant engagement as it has been at least five years since a Boeing CEO last visited the Spirit factory floor to speak directly with its workers en masse.