Jennifer Mackay

Root Cause Analysis (RCA) in Aerospace: Bridging the Skills Gap

Jennifer MacKay | Root Cause Analysis (RCA) Associate Technical Fellow

The Boeing Company

As an Associate Technical Fellow in Root Cause Analysis (RCA) for The Boeing Company, Jennifer begins this presentation with an overview of her company, her role within the company, and what qualifies her to speak on RCA. Jennifer outlines how she utilizes The Boeing Problem Solving Model and the Apollo Root CAuse Analysis methodology to help bridge the skills gap within the problem-solving skill set and concludes with a high-level look at five case studies highlighting successful problem-solving.

ABOUT JENNIFER: Jennifer is a Root Cause Analysis (RCA) Associate Technical Fellow for The Boeing Company. Currently working for the Production Support Engineering group in Everett, WA, MacKay's primary assignment is facilitating RCA investigations and workshops across all commercial programs addressing some of the company's most complex and longest running production and process problems. MacKay provides month-long RCA mentoring for the 767/777 Manufacturing Engineering (ME) Technical Excellence Rotation program and has taught RCA to more than 1,500 Boeing employee enterprise-wide.

MacKay hired into The Boeing Company in 1991 as an ME Planner working Floor Panel and Environmental Control Systems product lines in Spokane, WA. In 2007 MacKay transferred to the Boeing Everett factory, providing RCA support for 777 Wings Production Support Engineering. As the company's only RCA ATF, MacKay provides RCA consultation for 737, 747, 767, 777, and 787 programs as well as Supplier Management and Supplier Quality.

MacKay served two consecutive terms as the elected president of the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA), Local 2001 from 2002 through 2006, representing 25,000 professional and technical engineers at The Boeing Company, Triumph Composite Systems, and Spirit Aerospace and was the first woman to lead SPEEA in its nearly 60-year history. MacKay joined SPEEA in 1991, the same day she was hired by The Boeing Company and has served as SPEEA Area Representative, Council Representative, and Executive Board Secretary before moving into the position of president.

During her term as SPEEA president MacKay also served as Vice President of The International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers (IFPTE), representing more than 80,000 men and women in professional, technical, administrative and associated occupations, served as delegate to The Council of Engineers and Scientists Organization (CESO), and was active in regional and local labor councils.

MacKay resides in Liberty Lake, WA where she lives with her husband, Gary as ‘empty nesters’. Two of her three children currently attend Eastern Washington University (EWU) while her oldest daughter works for The Boeing Company as a 767 Manufacturing Planner in Everett, WA.