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Needs Assessment Lockheed Martin

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Submitted By ryan6361
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Ryan Knight BCOM 314R 9/27/2014 Marisa Michaels
BIQ Needs Assessment
Intro
I write to you today to inform you of the most crucial issues that Lockheed Martin will be facing this upcoming year. I will inform you with the relevance and significance of these issues. I will also be identifying the key stakeholders that will be affected by these issues. These issues are intended to inform you ahead of time, so the necessary adjustments can be performed accordingly.
Issues: Past
Ending Production of specific Fighter Jets
Lockheed has been producing numerous amounts of different fighter jets for the United States. A MarketLine SWOT Analysis stated that "The sequestration of appropriations in 2013 imposed by the Budget Control Act of 2011 (Budget Act) began in March 2013. The budget calls for the termination of a few programs which include C-17 Airlifter, F-22 stealth fighter, Future Combat Systems, Multiple Kill Vehicle, Kinetic Energy Interceptor, Airborne Laser, Combat search and rescue helicopter, and Presidential helicopter"(SWOT,2014). The termination of those programs have directly affected Lockheed Martin in terms of production.
Issues: Future
Lower quality of new employees
Lockheed Martin is in the global defense, aerospace, and information technology industries, and after conducting extensive research, it is clear that those three industries could be changing in the future. "The Defense Department budget cuts will make the hiring hurdle even higher. The budget cuts to Defense and NASA that have trimmed the employee population certainly don't help" (Zillman, 2013). What Zillman is saying is relevant because it explains what budget cuts will do to the defense and aerospace (NASA) industries in terms of quality employees. He is explaining that budget cuts and layoffs will not attract qualified personnel, and Lockheed Martin has to consider that as a possible future issue.
Enforced Budgets
Tony Capaccio stated in an article that "The Pentagon may face the return of the automatic budget cuts called sequestration, which would cut $35.3 billion from a planned base budget of $535 billion. That includes a $10.3 billion reduction for the Air Force, which is flying most of the combat missions over Iraq and Syria (Capaccio, 2014). Lockheed Martin is extremely active in making fighter jets for the Air Force. Although the US government passed the budget this year, Capaccio seems to be convinced that the budget will be strictly enforced in the future.
Rising price of Steel-Based Products
The cost of assets that Lockheed Martin produces is going to be an issue. According to Sean Windle, "With steel prices forecast to increase at an annualized rate of 2.2% over the next three years and construction and industrial activity projected to remain strong, buyers will encounter higher prices for steel-based products heading into 2017"(Windle,2014). Lockheed uses steel to produce their products, and with the price rising every year, Lockheed Martin as a whole will be affected when purchasing raw materials to produce their products.
Conclusion:
Although Lockheed Martin is an incredibly successful company, those issues need to be addressed. The entire company's success is affected by these current and potential issues. Please don’t hesitate to contact me at (805) 433-4893 or RyanKnight@email.arizona.edu if you have any questions regarding these concerns. . Thank you for this opportunity and I look forward to hearing from you.

References
Capaccio, T. (2014, September 26). Iraq, Syria Conflicts to Require More Money, Hagel Says. Bloomberg.com. Retrieved September 27, 2014. Although all has been good for Lockheed’s government regulation, budget cuts are coming soon and could cause a critical issue. $10.3 of the $35.3 planned cuts are coming directly from the Air Force where Lockheed focuses on new fighter jets every year.
Lockheed Martin Corporation SWOT Analysis. (2013). Lockheed Martin Corporation SWOT Analysis, 1-9. Sequestration of Appropriations that began in 2013 terminated many of Lockheed's assets and could lead to large drop in existing customers because if they aren't building the planes, then their customers aren't going to buy the planes.
Windle, S. (2014, March 27). Pedal to the Metal: Rising Steel Costs Affect Product Prices. Media Center RSS. Retrieved September 25, 2014. IBISWorld is forecasting that prices with steel will continue to increase every year. Lockheed's cost to purchase materials for their fighter jets/aerospace products etc. will rise due to price increases for steel.
Zillman, C. (2013). America's defense industry is going gray. Fortune.Com, 1. Budget cuts affect the hiring aspect of the aerospace and defense industry that Lockheed is in. Weigel states that it is already a challenge to bring new people into the industry as it is, but with budget cuts, it will be even harder.
(AMM) Work starts on rebuilding Alcoa press in Cleveland [UPDATE]. (2009). Metal Bulletin Daily, (170), 18. This article concerns the usage of aluminum for the new F-35 Jet. It states that Cleveland facility would be contributing a 50,000 ton press for the aircrafts production. The cost of aluminum could be an issue if the F-35 production continues.

GILLIAN, R. (2014, September 19). Lockheed F-35 Price Cut Seen, But Plane Still Pricey. Investors Business Daily. p. 00. F-35 Jet is now being sold to the United States for a cheaper price. Prices for the F- 35 have dropped 2-4% and if Lockheed is selling it for less, then they are receiving less money for it as well

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