Governance structure, decision authority, and review cadence for the CWP-700 Composite Wing Panel Production Program — who can approve what, and how Acme Aerostructures and Meridian Aircraft Co. stay aligned across Phase 1 and Phase 2.
Governance Philosophy
Governance on a fixed-price aerospace production contract is built around one hard constraint: nothing produced can be accepted, and no production volume can start, without passing a quality gate that Acme Aerostructures does not control unilaterally. First Article Inspection requires Meridian's own source inspection representative to witness and accept the result — Acme's Quality Engineering Lead can recommend acceptance, but cannot self-certify it. That single constraint shapes every decision-rights table below: technical and schedule decisions stay inside Acme's chain, but any decision touching product acceptance or nonconformance disposition on a structural characteristic pulls Meridian in as a required party, not just an informed one.
RACI — Key Decisions
| Decision | Responsible | Accountable | Consulted | Informed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FAI disposition & production release | R. Kessler | C. Tyrrell | M. Osei, Meridian Source Inspection | Meridian Aircraft Co. Program Office |
| MRB nonconformance disposition | J. Ferraro (MRB Chair) | R. Kessler | M. Osei, Meridian (major/structural only) | C. Tyrrell |
| Tooling design approval | A. Whitfield | M. Osei | R. Kessler | C. Tyrrell |
| Supplier / raw material qualification (PPAP) | S. Pham | R. Kessler | M. Osei | C. Tyrrell |
| Program budget & schedule changes | C. Tyrrell | Acme Aerostructures Program Office | D. Okafor | Meridian Aircraft Co. Program Office |
Review Cadence
| Forum | Frequency | Attendees | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Program Status Review | Weekly | C. Tyrrell, R. Kessler, M. Osei, D. Okafor | Schedule, budget, RAIDD review |
| Quality Review Board | Bi-weekly (weekly during Phase 2 ramp) | R. Kessler, J. Ferraro, S. Pham | Open MRB cases, FAI status, supplier quality |
| Joint Program Review with Meridian Aircraft Co. | Monthly | C. Tyrrell, R. Kessler, Meridian Program Office | Delivery performance, open issues, schedule |
| FAI Gate Review | Once, end of Phase 1 | Full program team + Meridian Source Inspection | Formal go/no-go for Phase 2 production release |
Part Marking & Traceability
Every panel is marked with part number, serial number, and lot-traceable material batch code per Meridian's engineering specification, maintained from raw material receipt through delivery — the configuration and traceability backbone that AS9100 requires and that the Material Review Board log depends on to trace any nonconformance back to a specific unit and material lot.
Escalation Path
Quality issues escalate: Inspector → R. Kessler (Quality Lead) → J. Ferraro (MRB) for disposition → C. Tyrrell (Program Manager) for any schedule or cost impact → Meridian Aircraft Co. Program Office for any structural/major disposition or delivery-schedule impact.
Staffing Governance
Staffing decisions inside the approved labor budget stay within C. Tyrrell's authority; adding the 5 hands-on production and quality roles (3 Manufacturing Technicians, 2 Quality Inspectors) plus a Buyer/Procurement Specialist did not require Meridian approval since it was a correction inside Acme's own delivery-team plan, not a scope or price change to the customer. See the Resource Plan for the full 14-person roster this correction produced.