How would you evaluate what are the potential successes of the Boeing 787 for the American aviation industry in the next five years? In particular, what data would you need? You may wish to focus on one aspect in particular (e.g., market share); however, you need to ensure your answer covers the wider issues too.
Before we begin the analysis we must first understand the industry. If not a practitioner it would be reasonable to research by asking questions targeted at Industry leaders, friends in the business, etc. Locating and reading books, articles, and journals on the U.S. Airline industry’s rivals, consumer preferences, air carrier route dominance, threat of substitutes, and threat of new entrants into the market. Understanding the Boeing Company and its 787 Dreamliner would be next on the agenda, all done with the goal of becoming as fully informed as possible.
In researching the Boeing Company, I would need to know their strengths and weaknesses. What other business ventures are they associated with, e.g., aerospace, defense, or exporter? I would also want to know the funding method for research and development (R&D). An over reliance on Internal Research and Development (IRAD) could cause stress on any planned modifications or on the normal manufacturing process itself. It would make sound financial sense to acquire funds from the requesting customer or investors prior to beginning any R&D efforts. Researching Boeing’s R&D funding methodology would be an important component of my research.
In analyzing Boeing’s strength and weaknesses, I would also do research on their engineering, operations and technology (EO&T) activities. The airline manufacturer relies on their technical capabilities of their in-house engineering staff. Boeing’s core competencies of aeronautical engineering should remain a solid function within the company. In order