MIS helps lead strategic change at Pratt & Whitney, UTC
Storrs, CT (3/7/2008) - A $55 billion corporation, United Technologies Corporation (UTC), whose portfolio of companies includes Pratt & Whitney (P&W), Sikorsky, Hamilton Sundstrand, OTIS, Carrier, UTC Fire & Security, and UTC Power, is a heavy user of management information systems (MIS). During the Operations & Information Management (OPIM) department's latest executive lecture seminar on February 27th, Pratt & Whitney's VP & CIO, Nancy Davis, and United Technologies Corporation’s IT Leadership Program Manager, Donna Peruta, shared with students the importance of MIS in their business, as well as the tremendous professional opportunities both in the organization and in the field.
Addressing the class of OPIM203C students, Davis' discussion centered around the management challenges being faced in particular by P&W's leadership and how MIS is dramatically helping overcome those challenges, not just in the United States but worldwide in countries such as Ireland, China, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore and Taiwan.
Founded in Connecticut in 1925, P&W specializes in designing, manufacturing, and servicing of aircraft engines, industrial gas turbines and space propulsion systems.
Davis explained how over the years Pratt has significantly strengthened its Information Technology (IT) strategy, now playing a significant role in enabling greater design automation, operational excellence, higher field service efficiency, better customer & acquisition integration, and increase in new equipment sales.
Over the last 80+ years P&W has grown tremendously in every way. Today P&W's large commercial engines power more than 40 percent of the world's passenger aircraft fleet. The company has over 38,500 employees worldwide and last year reported $12.1 billion in revenues.
One of P&W's largest information technology investments is SAP Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software. Pratt is using SAP in all its locations throughout the United States as well as in international locations such as Europe and Asia, thus opening the doors for communication sharing and information flow.
Prior to the installation of SAP ERP, communication between P&W and its suppliers was often challenging. With the new system, Pratt was able to build a new tool which enabled a platform for smoother information flow between the parties. Suppliers could now access detailed information, analyze it, and then submit their analysis into P&W’s process systems, enabling appropriate changes to be made more quickly and efficiently. This reengineering resulted in an increase of 90% - 94% of on-time deliveries, leading to significant cost savings and improved profitability.
Davis ended her presentation by highlighting the numerous opportunities for UConn students at Pratt & Whitney and UTC, particularly in the area of business technology. As the campus recruiter for UTC, Donna Peruta continued the conversation by explaining the critical role of the company’s Information Technology Leadership Program (ITLP), a fast-track rotation program for grooming tomorrow’s IT leaders.
OPIM's next executive lecture with Juan Conde, CIO of CIGNA's Healthcare division, is scheduled for March 26th.
By Nazmus Sakib and Dr. Ramesh Sankaranarayanan. Photograph by Justin Le.
PHOTO: Pratt & Whitney VP & CIO, Nancy Davis
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