Boeing Commercial Airplanes Operations Center
Quick Facts
With a theme of "We're always here for you," the new Boeing Commercial Airplanes Operations Center is a direct response to increasing airline demand for around-the-clock support. The center provides comprehensive airplane support services for urgent airline structures, systems, materials and maintenance issues. Located in Seattle, Wash., the Operations Center leads the industry by offering Boeing technical expertise and customer service 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. The center provides one more example of the Boeing commitment to be No. 1 in customer support.
Staffing and availability
The Operations Center is staffed by up to 30 engineers and technical experts per shift, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. In addition to the Seattle, Wash., location, Ops Center extensions are located in Long Beach, Calif., and Everett, Wash.
Milestones
- July 16, 1999 - Boeing opens the Rapid Response Center to provide commercial airplane operators with an unprecedented level of support at night, on weekends and during holidays. Boeing was the first commercial airplane manufacturer to offer customers a service of this type.
- July 27, 2000 - During its first year of operation, the Boeing Rapid Response Center saves airlines an estimated $50 million by reducing the time it takes to solve technical problems that cause "airplane on ground" (AOG) situations.
- Feb. 16, 2005 - Lou Mancini, vice president/general manager of Commercial Aviation Services, announces plans to develop an around-the-clock operations center to address urgent airline requirements.
- Sept. 28, 2005 - Construction of the Boeing Commercial Airplanes Operations Center begins in Seattle.
- Dec. 9, 2005 - Operations Center opens.
- May 24, 2006 - Operations Center Long Beach extension opens.
- June 23, 2006 - Operations Center Everett extension opens.
Volume of work, number of customers and aircraft
Based on existing Boeing data, the Operations Center is addressing some 260 phone calls per day, including about 50 service requests, all of which are due in 24 hours or less. The Operations Center supports the more than 1,260 operators of approximately 12,000 Boeing and McDonnell Douglas aircraft.
Equipment and technolog
The Boeing Commercial Airplanes Operations Center is equipped with the latest in technology and audio/visual capability. Included are:
- A 7-by-30-foot video wall, which provides visibility on the status of all incoming requests from the world's airlines and allows Boeing technical experts to collaborate on viewing an airplane issue and developing a solution.
- Thirty workstations, equipped with the latest in Boeing Communication System software, computing and telecommunications equipment. BCS is the system that Commercial Aviation Services uses to communicate with airline customers concerning service requests.
- Five racks of electronics to run the Operations Center's sound systems, speakers and audio/visual equipment.
- Wireless Network throughout, allowing staff, customers and partners to connect to the Internet.
- Interactive Smartboards in workrooms to support collaboration among teams around the world, via live video and data.
- Approximately 12.5 miles of wiring for the audio/visual system.
- A total of 8.36 miles of voice and data cabling for phones, computers and networks.
- Forty speakers and a sound system that feed seven distinct areas.
- A multimedia-equipped executive conference room for technical reviews, customer briefings and other large-scale meeting requirements.
- Four multimedia-equipped work rooms for teams to gather in addressing a specific airline issue.
- Five video-conferencing systems.
- Sound "masking" throughout the facility to afford privacy for conversations with customers.
- Interactive touch panels to control audio/visual systems.
Estimated annual airline cost savings
Boeing anticipates that the around-the-clock Operations Center will save airline customers millions of dollars per year. The cost savings are primarily attributable to reducing the time it takes to solve technical problems that cause "airplane-on-ground," or AOG situations, and other urgent requirements. AOGs are instances when an airplane is unexpectedly removed from service due to a problem with its systems or structure.
Location and contact details
The Operations Center is located in Seattle, Wash.
Phone: 206-544-7500
Fax: 206-766-5682
E-mail: operationscenter@boeing.com
Mailing address:
PO Box 3707, Mail code 2H-15
Seattle, WA 98124-2207