The Flight to Success: Project Management Lessons from Boeing's Journey

When Project Management Soars

Boeing’s legacy is built on more than iconic aircraft. From the legendary 747 Queen of the Skies to space missions, Boeing’s success comes from strong, high-level project management principles.

Key Takeaways:

• Start with a clear framework. Choosing and sticking to a proven project management methodology early can prevent costly missteps.
• Leadership alignment is critical. Strong, trained leaders ensure strategic goals are translated into effective execution.
• Right skills for the right roles. Equip leaders with PMP®, project team members with CAPM®, and stakeholders with practical training like Managing Project Like a Pro.
• Balance speed with sustainability. Short-term deadlines should never compromise long-term safety, quality, or trust.

“If you start out on the wrong foot … it likely will only get worse.”

— Chuck Allen, former Boeing’s VP

That wisdom echoes through Boeing’s most ambitious projects. Boeing has long used Integrated Product Teams (IPTs) to unify engineering, manufacturing, and business units. Beyond internal systems, Boeing also follows global standards like PMBOK®, using earned value tracking, risk assessments, milestone control, and schedule baselines.

But when key practices are ignored, even the best can fail.

Turbulence Ahead: The Cost of Project Management Missteps

Two of Boeing’s most ambitious aircraft programs—the 787 Dreamliner and the 737 MAX—show what happens when project management risk is not adequately addressed. Each serves as a powerful project management case study, revealing both strategic missteps and opportunities for improvement.

A. The 787 Dreamliner: A Supply Chain Too Complex to Fly

Boeing’s Dreamliner promised revolutionary fuel efficiency and comfort. But in execution, the program suffered from massive delays and cost overruns.

• Supply Chain Integration Issues: Coordinating hundreds of global suppliers proved far more complex than anticipated, which then led to communication breakdowns, inconsistent quality, and frequent rework.

Clearer communication protocols and tighter quality assurance checkpoints could have minimized misalignment across vendors.

• Inadequate Risk Assessment: Reports indicate that senior management may have ignored internal warnings about the risks in favor of aggressive financial targets.

A thorough Risk Management Plan with active risk audits, qualitative analysis, and risk response strategies might have helped leadership see the warning signs before delays spiraled out of control.

• Loss of Control: Outsourcing key systems left Boeing without the ability to quickly detect or fix issues, resulting in cost overruns and rework.

Tighter Scope and Quality Control with clear requirements traceability, stage-gate reviews, and configuration management would have ensured Boeing retained oversight and consistency across partners.

B. The 737 MAX: When Deadlines Overshadow Safety

The 737 MAX was Boeing’s response to Airbus’s A320neo. But two fatal crashes grounded the fleet and revealed a system-wide failure—not just in design, but in how projects were managed.

• Flawed Risk Management: The Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) wasn’t fully tested, and pilots were reportedly not fully informed of its function.

Stronger Risk and Scope Management using FMEA, technical performance metrics, and change control processes could have ensured safety-critical systems were fully assessed and transparently communicated.

• Pressure to Deliver: Intense market pressure to compete with Airbus’s A320neo, Boeing reportedly skipped pilot training and pushed regulators for faster approval.

Clear Stakeholder and Schedule Management Plans could ensure ethical decision-making stayed above speed. Structured governance reviews would have protected the project's integrity over short-term gains.

• Communication Gaps: Many key stakeholders—pilots, regulators, even some internal teams—were left in the dark about MCAS.

A structured Communications Plan with issue logs, feedback loops, and stakeholder mapping would have ensured alignment and accountability across all stakeholders.

Smooth Launch, Rough Landing: What Every Project Leader Should Learn

Whether you’re building aircraft, launching software, or running a digital transformation, these stories highlight essential project management lessons:

• Align your team with clear scopes, controls, and communication plans.
• Don’t shortcut risk planning—especially under pressure.
• Stay committed to long-term outcomes, not just short-term wins.

Project management training rooted in real-world experience helps prevent the missteps that even giants like Boeing made.

Ready to Take Control?

Explore our Project Management Series:

• Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM®) – For team leads and coordinators
• Project Management Training (PMP®) – For professionals with 5+ years in project roles
• Managing Project Like a Pro – For practical execution rooted in PMBOK® practices and real-world delivery

Learn from Boeing’s highs and lows. Join our Project Management Series here.

References

1. Kano, I. (2017). Review of Boeing Corporation’s project management approach. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/review-boeing-corporations-project-management-approach-ian-kano-cqsgc
2. Fitzgerald, K. (2010, May 13). The value of project management for organizations [Presentation]. Project Management Institute (PMI) – Oklahoma City Chapter, PMI/BWIL Lunch N Learn Event. https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/outreach-at-boeing-value-of-project-managmenet-for-organization/4505522
3. Mhatre, A., Kamble, C., Shah, A., & Malim, S. (2023). Reviving the Boeing project by using project management methodologies. Clark University. https://commons.clarku.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002&context=graduate_school_professional_studies
4. Gelles, D. (2019). Boeing 737 Max: The Problems Behind the Plane. The New York Times.
5. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/03/25/business/boeing-737-max-planes.html
6. Hall, J. K., & Johnson, P. E. (2021). The 787 Dreamliner: Managing a Complex Supply Chain. Harvard Business School Case Study.
7. Creswell, J., & Kitroeff, N. (2019). Boeing Was ‘Go, Go, Go’ to Beat Airbus With the 737 Max. The New York Times.
8. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/23/business/boeing-737-max-crash.html
9. Allen, C. (2009). Plan of attack. PM Network, 23(12), 19.