Northrop Rumman Receives Best Manufacturing Practices Recognition

At Northrop Grumman Corp.'s Electronic Systems sector, 41 manufacturing-related processes have been nationally-recognized as Best Manufacturing Practices (BMP) as part of an industry and government cooperative technology transfer effort intended to improve the competitiveness of the U.S. industrial base.

The Best Manufacturing Practices Center of Excellence, College Park, MD, sponsored by the Office of Naval Research, the U.S. Dept. of Commerce and teh University of Maryland, spent five days at Northrup Grumman's Baltmore-area facilities reviewing business practices and inteviewing employees. There were 57 processes submitted for consideration; the the BMP survey team found 41 to be Best Manufacturing Practices.

Larry Halbig, BMP survey chairman said, "Through this BMP award program, we are pleased to recognize Northrup Grumman for its willingness to step to the forefront and contribute voluntarily to share best practices with the U.S. industrial base." Northrup Grumman was one of only two companies to receive BMP recognition for 2005.

Examples of Best Practices at Northup Grumman include the innovative use of commodity design teams, production test cells, rapid prototyping, supplier logistics, and electronic component procurement.