We on the staff of Boeing Frontiers magazine would like to tell you about changes to the online version of the publication. These changes support Boeing’s four growth and productivity initiatives.

Previously, the stories in the online version of Boeing Frontiers were built page by page. Starting with this issue, most all articles will be displayed in PDF format. There will be a separate PDF for each article. In addition, the entire edition is downloadable from our home page, at www.boeing.com/frontiers.

This decision supports the company’s Lean+ initiative. By implementing a great idea from another team, Boeing Frontiers is streamlining work processes, reducing cycle time and increasing quality.

We estimate that this decision will reduce the amount of time needed to post the online version of the magazine by at least two-thirds. The idea to post the publication in PDF format follows a similar decision undertaken by the Boeing team that produces the company’s annual report. According to that team, the number of hours of work needed to post the annual report online was cut by 90 percent by switching to PDF format.

In addition, by presenting our Web version in PDF format, we’re making the experience of reading its content online more akin to reading a hard copy of the publication. Although we place a strong emphasis on graphic design and photography, reader feedback has indicated that Boeing Frontiers’ graphic appeal didn’t fully come across in the online version. We hope that posting the magazine in PDF format allows online readers to fully appreciate our focus on visual elements.

In order to read articles in PDF format, readers must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader software. That software is available on many computers. If your computer does not have Acrobat Reader, you can download it for free from Adobe’s Web site.

We’d like to hear from you about this change. Please drop us a note at boeingfrontiers@boeing.com.

Thank you for reading Boeing Frontiers. We hope you continue to find the publication to be a valuable source of information about Boeing and its programs, strategies and employees.