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The catalyst for innovation The benefits of a distributed task manager don't end with efficiency and cost reduction. A network-centric inspection system would give supervisors a look at the state of an airplane that is constantly updated. They'll know where they're at in the inspection process and where the snags are as they occur. Because of SAMCat's flexibility, existing quality assurance software could also be combined into a single system for use in the assembly plant. "Network-centric solutions are central to the strategy of The Boeing Company, and by that I mean we need to get the right information at the right time to the right decision makers. That has a profound effect on the war fighters in the battle field. It has a profound effect on air traffic management. And it has a profound effect on our customers, because they arrive safely and faster at their destinations," says Fitzmire. Already, the team is set to work on a proof-of-concept demonstration of a 767 inspection system. Boeing also sees network-centric principles moving into their global enterprise--everywhere from parts manufacturing to purchasing. What the company learns today will have substantial influence on what they do tomorrow. In 2008, Boeing will roll out its newest airplane, the 7E7. The plane will be the most technologically advanced and efficient commercial jetliner ever built. Most of the plane will be made of composite materials, and it will use 20 percent less fuel than similar planes now on the market. Such innovation requires not just technological improvements but also improvements in the ways jobs get done. The relationship between NCSA's Private Sector Program and Boeing brings both. "Phantom Works is known as the catalyst of innovation for Boeing. What that means is we develop or, through collaborations, find technologies that we can bring into our product line," says Krieger. "The collaboration between Boeing and NCSA worked very well. NCSA brought new emerging technology, we brought the needs for our production floor. We both worked together to interface the two and ended up with a really great product in the end." For further information: http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/Projects/PrivateSector/
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