TWI PROFILES
TWI PROFILE: MAJ ROD W. SECOR, BOEING CO.
EXPECTATIONS EXCEEDED
“Don’t walk—run to accept that TWI opportunity!” said MAJ Rod W. Secor.
Secor, who applied to the Training with Industry (TWI) program from his job as an assistant program manager (APM) in Program Executive Office (PEO) Aviation, started his 11-month TWI assignment in June 2013 with Boeing in Huntsville, AL. Te assignment “absolutely exceeded” his expectations, he said.
“I went in with an open mind. I had meetings with the outgo- ing [Boeing] TWI officer and got a general idea of what the job would be like. Boeing allows you work in many areas, so I had many job titles. My favorite area was working with the Boeing Space Launch system. It’s not very often you get to see the future of space travel.”
Secor picked up some business practices from Boeing’s infor- mation technology (IT) area that he intends to share when he returns to his acquisition duties.
“I would like to bring several capabilities of Boeing’s IT sys- tems to a government office. I didn’t realize how far behind the government is on IT implementation. Program leadership [in government] needs to start establishing what capabilities they need versus being told the limitations by the IT offices.”
THE ‘INVISIBLE HAND’ Secor said the single most valuable piece of information he learned during his TWI rotation with Boeing was the impor- tance of the “invisible hand” in all business areas.
Te “invisible hand” is a metaphor that economist Adam Smith used in his 1776 book “An Inquiry in to the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations” to describe the self-reg- ulating behavior of the marketplace. In a free market, Smith theorized, competition between buyers and sellers ensures that goods and services are produced at the lowest cost. Government regulation isn’t needed, because the “invisible hand” of compe- tition guides market participants to trade in the most mutually beneficial manner.
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For Secor, the “invisible hand” underscores that “if your orga- nization is focused on cost reductions and efficiency, you have a strong chance of success,” he said. Specifically, competition between buyers and sellers supports the profit motive to produce improved products at lower costs.
RELAX AND OBSERVE Secor experienced some cultural differences at Boeing compared with what he was used to in the Army, but he took those in stride by being “flexible, with the right mindset.”
“I have experience working in a defense program office, but the daily nuances of the [Boeing] workplace had some differences. I just tried to relax and examine their entire process. Suddenly working in a different environment from the last 16 years can really challenge you.”
In the larger aspects of conducting business, however, Secor found Boeing employees to be remarkably in harmony with their customers.
“I was really surprised at how in sync Boeing is with the Defense Department. Tey followed and analyzed program funding, long-term vision and the political climate. Sometimes they would know about program changes or issues before their customers.”
Secor found that industry and government programs share a focus on cost, schedule and performance, but that the govern- ment could learn a lot from industry’s profit mentality.
“Te difference you see in the defense industry is the complete dedication to the bottom line. Boeing continually re-evaluates all areas for efficiency. Boeing employees understand they are expected to deliver a certain level of value added, or changes will follow,” Secor said.
‘A TRUE WIN-WIN’ Vivian Harris, Boeing’s TWI lead, said the company has been able to work with some “outstanding Army officers” over the years.
Army AL&T Magazine
July–September 2014
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