Information retrieval at Boeing: plans and successes

Background Many information technology products in the marketplace are designed as “Enterprise” solutions and systems. Boeing is an enterprise composed of multiple enterprises: Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Integrated Defense Systems, Boeing Capital Corporation and Connexion by Boeing. In the necessary globalization of the 21 Century, each of these major business units are really extended enterprises due to the partnerships and business arrangements we have made, involving worldwide engineering design and manufacturing companies, suppliers and subcontractors, air carriers and leasing operators, and military & government agencies. It is difficult to scale many IT design approaches and products to the Boeing operating environment.