The Boeing Center was pleased to host Dana Hullinger, Director of Supply Chain Strategy, Architectures & Analytics at Boeing Defense, Space & Security for the second BCTIM Operational Excellence seminar of 2016. His presentation, titled “Transforming the Supply Chain Organization: Tackling the Biggest Supply Chain Risk of Them All,” focused on the challenges of supplier management in the aerospace and defense industry. Hullinger, responsible for supply chain architecture and investment, reduces operational and financial risk by analyzing the current supplier landscape and making strategic decisions about sourcing and procurement.
As one might expect, Boeing’s supply chain is amazingly complex. With over 5,000 suppliers in 30+ countries, handling more than 120,000 purchase contracts, efficient and organized supply chain management is essential. Naturally, such complexity introduces risk when operating in a global market. Some of the challenges highlighted by Hullinger regarding the globalization of Boeing’s supply chain are:
- ensuring that suppliers do not use conflict minerals in their manufacturing processes
- protecting against information theft by cyber criminals
- managing obsolescence due to technological innovation
These challenges are particularly important for Boeing as it strives to reduce risk 
and increase visibility across its entire supply chain. Effective risk management and communication with suppliers, Hullinger claimed, are vital to the company’s future growth. A collaborative process will enhance Boeing’s ability to manage supply chain risk and maintain its position as the preeminent company in defense and aerospace.
We thank Mr. Hullinger for sharing his expert knowledge with the supply chain and logistics community. Also, we congratulate Boeing on 100 years of innovation and excellence, and look forward to the next 100.
By Evan Dalton
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