A Boeing Tale, "Its About MOM"

Once upon a time, there was an airplane builder who thought that every airplane built should be unique from one another until his neighbor displayed different airplanes having the same theme, called commonality. This First Airplane Builder thought commonality was inferior to having its own individuality and kept giving each airplane a different final approach. But the "customer" had to train all its offspring lessons on the care and feeding for each different airplane type it built and adopted in its family of aircraft.

This neighbor across the pond being an over-worked parent, with many customers decided to serve the same bowl of gruel to its family, but in different sized bowls. There were single aisle, dual aisle, and double-deckers, but all having the same gruel. No one in the family of customers could complain because everyone got the same gruel while this neighboring airplane builder grew in size.

Meanwhile, the First Airplane Builder who not only gave different bowls with different sauces in each bowl soon discovered they had to serve "commonality" to its customers, the first airplane maker began to change its various and different recipes into one theme for its customers.

However, the First Airplane Builder soon realized they had to go way beyond the gruel served by its neighbor across the pond. They added to its own recipe and served it in the different sized bowls, with bigger spoons for each customer to look through, by removing the oil floating in the stew air, and giving the customer pretty colors for its offering in the bowl. Other spices were added by this parent for its customer, insuring the next generation aircraft would please the family. The family grew out of using a common theme, and everybody got a better deal with this common approach. The builder then hosted a celebration at an airshow called "commonality".

The neighbor across the pond could not stand still when watching the party, and after hearing the noise coming its way from the crowded event. They looked at its own gruel and said yuck! Let's change the recipe for our customers and then added just salt with an equal amount of artificial flavoring just like the neighbors had done, but nothing else. Engines, Carbon Fiber, and a bigger bowl will make everyone happy.

All the critics of the land knew the First Airplane builder had taken a chance on new ingredients and it had to make some adjustments after some of its customers complained about a burning flavor coming from the pepper added. The builder wrapped a casement around the pepper, and vented the obnoxious gas coming from the pepper, even for its best customers experiencing the indigestion. Risks are those things, “where you don't know how it will work until you try it”.

The neighbor across the pond is averse to trying anything new until much after someone else has already tried it and until it had worked out any unpleasant results. A noble and proper sentiment.

Customers seem to like avoiding risk as well as any other avoidance becomes the strong bond for its customers. The First Airplane Builder has since slid into a position levering those “risks” which also has turned into a normalized function within its own use of due diligence. This all coming after the pepper incident, and applied to its other added spices. The world has changed and the neighbor across the pond has remained resolute with its own commonality, size and gruel in the bowl. The neighbor serves some artificial flavors with its gruel while the First Builder mentioned has leaped further into its recipe with a vast success and due diligence towards the spices. 

However, a problem arose with the first builder, it ignored one of its bowl sizes within its family. The neighbor across the pond saw this neglect for that First Airplane Builder's family member and addressed this gap created through the noticed neglect, by dressing up one of its own children to go further rather than taking any new risk associated with making an all new family member. Even though they call it "NEO" or inferring it to be all-new, it was the same gruel customers came for in numbers.

The First Airplane Builder had so many spoons in the pot that it could not reach mom for advice on this matter. Mom knew the recipes and could fix the airplane family in a way that would provide energy for its other family members. Mom said to use “synergy” with the sauce, it will "complete you". If you don't, it will drag down your whole family. 

The First Builder pondered and pondered this advice, but replied with, "we have too many spices in the pot already for taking on Mom's proposal, it will stretch the recipe too thin". No one wants watered down stew and nobody wants over-spiced gruel, it may ruin the family sitting at the table.

A call was placed for Mom one more time, asking for her advice.

Not my Mom

 Icelandair Tail Livery-757 MOM

She said, "You are in a difficult position for making this decision. If you don't go forward with MOM you may lose a segment of your market. If you do go forward with MOM, it hurts those thriving members at the table by taking from those bowls to fill MOM's bowl. It’s a “damned” if you do and a “damned” if you don't affair", after plugging one's ears when MOM spoke.

MOM clears her throat, "The advice I can give is... wait until your neighbor has lost the "New" energy, and all my siblings are done eating that are before you, then serve me quickly. The 737 Max, 787-10 and the 777-9X have yet to be served the first course at the table. Desert is not yet served, when that happens I'll come out of the kitchen. This allows time for developing my appetite while others have moved on. The neighbor across the pond won't risk anything, even if you do add another pleasing spice from MOM, the others in this family won't mind it. I'll wait until the end of 2016 until the official table invitation." Tell everyone at the table I'm coming out of the kitchen when dessert is served, MOM said so!!

MOM has also spoken in soft tones with this family matter, and it has assured it is a certainty of unfinished business for the family. The recipe of commonality, fresh air, and various customer needs, have all been met by the First Airplane Builder, as MOM has become not an "if problem" but a "when problem".

Story Key:
MOM= Middle of the market i.e. 757
New=NEO An Airbus offering
First Airplane Builder = Boeing
Neighbor Across The Pond= Airbus