A Totally Integrated Systems Approach to Design and Manufacturing at McDonnell Douglas Corporation

During the 1970s, industry in the United States lost $125 billion of potential production and at least 2 million jobs. Between 1948 and 1968 U.S. output per hour worked increased at an annual rate of 3.2%. For the past seven years this has dropped to 0.7%. This dramatic downturn in the industrial economy is largely due to a widespread decline in productivity. McDonnell Douglas Corporation (MDC) has addressed the issue of productivity by integrating CAD/CAM technology into its design and manufacturing components.