Applied CAx’s Executive Director, Aerospace & Defense, Dale Goulding, recently shared insights from a customer’s journey to implement a scalable product lifecycle management (PLM) system. This case study highlights how a phased, modular approach can effectively build a digital thread that supports advanced engineering and manufacturing workflows.
From simple files to complex programs
The customer started as a small boutique aerospace company managing primarily file-based CAD data with minimal configuration control. The company’s programs were relatively straightforward, requiring little change management.
However, as project complexity and data volumes increased, involving electrical, software, hardware, and simulation disciplines, the need for a more advanced PLM system became evident.
The company’s “before” key points
- Primitive
- File-based
- No change management capability
- Product complexity was low
- Low volumes of data
A “crawl, walk, run” approach to deployment
Applied CAx introduced a structure roadmap to deploy Teamcenter and NX capabilities incrementally. This “crawl, walk, run” methodology phased in core functionalities to avoid overwhelming the organization.
The roadmap has different phases. For example, phase one might focus on upgrading existing systems while phase two ensures ITAR compliance. Then, phase three will implement change management and reporting, while phase four will focus on program planning. As you continue adding more phases, you get more capability and maturity over time.
This approach allows the company to move at its own pace and minimize disruption.
The company’s “after” key points
- Sophisticated
- Needed PLM
- Complex multi-disciplinary programs
- Higher rates & impacts of change
- Much higher data volumes
Additional benefits
- Implementing an MBD PMI system allowed the company to save approximately 30% of detailed design effort. Engineers could interactively interrogate part dimensions in a 3D environment.
- Integrating program planning and schedule management tools created a single source of truth for program status, workflows, and part releases.
- The prior paper-based change process, which involved redlining hardcopy prints, was replaced with digital workflows. This ensured that the configuration was captured properly and issued to the floor more quickly.
- By standardizing wiring diagrams and harness buildup, the customer eliminated many supply chain errors, such as overordering or ordering the incorrect item.
Measurable results
The integrated PLM ecosystem product has significant improvements:
- 20% reduction in scrap
- 20% faster overall time to market
- 25% reduction in data duplication
- Minimum 30% saving for MBD
- 40% reduction in late discovery
The lesson: Eat the elephant one bite at a time
Deploying a comprehensive PLM system can feel daunting, especially for aerospace programs with a tight schedule and evolving needs. Applied CAx’s experience highlights the importance of modularizing deployments, aligning with business priorities, and pacing the rollout to match organizational readiness. By building the digital thread one strand at a time, companies can configure and innovate faster.
Interested in implementing Teamcenter in your company? Contact us today for a quote.