Former Boeing quality manager reveals all that went wrong in the company

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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US-based aerospace company Boeing’s former quality manager, Merle Meyers, has recently voiced his concerns about the company’s shift in focus from quality to speed.

Meyers, who worked at Boeing for around 30 years, expressed disappointment at the changes he observed over the years, as revealed by a The New York Times report. It added that Meyers had a deep connection with Boeing as both he and his mother were employed in the company.

Meyers’ mother, Darlene Meyers, joined Boeing in the early 1970s and her career there helped to lift them out of poverty. His career at the aerospace giant provided a comfortable life for his family and a good education for his children.

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According to the report, Meyers stated that quality was once the top priority at Boeing, but over time, the schedule took precedence. Despite the company’s reputation as an engineering and manufacturing powerhouse, recent years have seen a decline in its standing due to several incidents, including fatal crashes of the 737 Max 8 in 2018 and 2019, and a panel blowing out of a 737 Max 9 plane on January 5.

Boeing’s CEO Dave Calhoun announced his resignation last month and said he would step down by the year-end. The company has since taken measures to improve quality, including increasing inspections and pausing production to hear directly from workers.

Brian West, CFO of Boeing, at an investor conference last month, said the company had prioritised the movement of the aeroplane through the factory over getting it done right and that this needed to change.

Meyers, along with other current and former employees, has raised concerns about the company’s quality and stated that his decision to speak out was partly informed by his faith in and respect for Boeing employees.

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He began his career at Boeing in 1979, making overhead storage bins, and later oversaw quality at suppliers in Texas, England and France. He noticed a decline in the company’s high standards after its 1997 merger with McDonnell Douglas when a stronger focus on profits emerged.

Meyers also expressed concern over the pressure on workers at Boeing’s Everett factory to keep production moving, leading them to find unauthorised ways to get the parts they needed.

He found that workers had used an unauthorised form to recover scrapped parts at least 23 times over 15 years. In 2021, his team identified multiple instances where employees removed parts from receiving areas before those components could be inspected.

Boeing stated that it takes such violations seriously and appreciates employees who raise their voices. However, Meyers felt that his concerns were not being taken seriously and that he might eventually be pushed out. He received a written reprimand last year and was offered a financial incentive to quit, which he accepted.

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow