Fostering A Quality
Focused Culture
By Larry Pike

How do you view Lockheed Martin? Many see us as a military aircraft company. Others regard Lockheed Martin as the missiles and defense company. It probably depends on who is viewing us and where they are.

Lockheed Martin views itself as a global security company.

From sea to space, Lockheed Martin is there. Global security isn't just military and defense. It is also reaching out and being on the scene or going where few can travel. Even in the midst of the natural disaster in Haiti, Lockheed Martin was there.

U.S. Southern Command deployed a team to Haiti on two C-130 Hercules aircraft. A P-3 Orion conducted aerial reconnaissance of the area affected by the earthquake.

Larry Pike, vice president of Quality & Mission Success, talks with employees during a safety walk.

What we do every day and the quality instilled in every product changes lives. Our jobs are bigger than we are. It isn't just inspecting a wing, drilling a hole, sending a fax or drafting a proposal. When we step back and view the big picture, we see that quality — and our efforts — span the globe and reach beyond Aeronautics.

Lockheed Martin doesn't just benefit our many military customers. Our company — especially the talented men and women of Aeronautics — impacts the world. Global security. Be it rescuing someone at sea or tracking ground movements, you never know where or how a product we worked on will be used. It takes each of us doing our part to enhance our quality culture. Regardless of what the future holds or how you view Lockheed Martin, remember that our company is making an impact across the globe, and others are depending on our commitment to Quality and excellence.

As we track our progress toward excellence, Aeronautics is influencing the way our customers, suppliers and competition view our products and our commitment.

The Quality & Mission Success (Q&MS) mission statement is the foundation of our actions in the organization. Q&MS, as the cornerstone of Lockheed Martin, increases company value through leading a quality-focused culture; using industry recognized tools, methods, training and resources; and applying techniques that drive continuous improvement and the pursuit of perfection during all phases of the life cycle.

Two programs immediately come to mind as a representation of excellence and that mission. The C-130 and U-2 programs are leading a quality-focused culture in pursuit of perfection. Both C-130 and U-2 have a record of Platinum Star Quality.

Platinum Star Quality means that a 100 percent defect-free, FOD-free aircraft (as validated by our receiving customers' inspections) has been delivered. Congratulations to the teams that make up those two outstanding programs. We must consistently send clear expectations to the workforce and our customers that excellence is the goal in every task and every product.

Impressive as it is to have a defect-free, FOD-free aircraft, the term zero defect elicits an opposite response. Aircraft delivered with no discovered defects and FOD-free during the receiving process are now be categorized as Platinum Star Quality aircraft. This phrasing defines the quality of our products better than the term zero defect. Platinum Star Quality is a transformation to our philosophy of excellence.

The change in terminology does not change the way Aeronautics or its customers measure or inspect deliveries. Platinum Star Quality is our validation that Lockheed Martin delivers the highest quality products at the best cost.

As we work together to lead a quality-focused culture, remember that we each have a role to play. Our success depends on your success. Please share your story of excellence. Your reach is farther than you might think. Have you made a suggestion or implemented a change? Every time you make a positive step toward personal excellence, you come closer to expanding the global reach of our quality-focused culture.

Thanks for all that you do.

< Back to News List | Next News Article >

Back to Top