Embracing SaaS for aerospace electrical design

The aerospace industry is rapidly evolving, thanks to advancements in technology, increased demand for electric and hybrid aircraft and the growing integration of advanced avionics systems. As a result, Aerospace Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and suppliers face significant challenges, from optimizing development processes to meeting accelerated timelines – all while maintaining cost efficiency and ensuring global collaboration. 

With these challenges looming, modern solutions for Electrical and Electronic (E/E) systems design are more crucial than ever. The cloud offers a transformative approach to E/E systems development, helping aerospace companies stay competitive while keeping costs down.  

With Capital X, a robust cloud-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution, teams can leverage a digital twin to create a virtual representation of their E/E systems, enabling real-time analysis, validation and optimization before physical implementation. Like Capital always has, it helps organizations manage complex aerospace design processes, supporting global collaboration while protecting sensitive design data with advanced security features.    

In this blog post, we’ll explore how Capital X users and those looking to institute SaaS for aerospace and defense can leverage the digital twin and digital thread to achieve: 

• Rapid innovation, without the high costs 

• Enhanced security and compliance 

• Streamlined collaboration across global teams 

Managing complexity and compliance in aerospace engineering 

Designing E/E systems for aerospace systems requires adapting to increasing system complexity and stringent safety and regulatory standards while under intense pressure to reduce time to market. Aerospace engineers must design highly reliable and optimized systems while managing constraints for weight, power consumption and electromagnetic interference – without compromising on safety or performance.  

The shift toward electric and hybrid aircraft, advanced avionics and integrated sensor systems has significantly expanded the scope and scale of E/E system development, as well, increasing design complexity. Traditional on-premises design infrastructure often struggles to keep up, leading to operational inefficiencies, costly IT management and limited real-time collaboration across geographically dispersed teams.  

Teams can develop a digital twin to virtually represent their E/E systems. This allows for real-time analysis, validation, and optimization while the product exists digitally, reducing expensive design iterations, enhancing system reliability, and ensuring seamless integration across intricate aerospace platforms. 

Here are three of the top benefits to using Capital X and SaaS for aerospace E/E system design: 

1) Rapid innovation, without the high costs 

Traditional IT infrastructure demands costly hardware upgrades, manual software installations, and dedicated IT personnel—leading to higher expenses and operational complexity, especially when coordinating across multiple sites and global teams. As company engineers move to cloud infrastructures that they manage, they may find this exacerbated.   

With the SaaS offering Capital X, managed by Siemens, teams gain instant access to a comprehensive suite of E/E design tools in the cloud, eliminating setup delays and accelerating time to innovation. Rapid commissioning and provisioning ensure engineers can start designing immediately, reducing downtime and maximizing productivity. 

Capital X’s SaaS model delivers continuous software updates seamlessly, removing the need for resource-heavy upgrade projects or large-scale rollouts. This not only keeps teams equipped with the latest tools without disruption but also reduces infrastructure demands, lowers costs, and frees up resources for innovation instead of maintenance. 

2) Enhanced security and compliance  

A recent survey of C-Suite executives conducted by Oracle found that security is the top benefit of cloud computing –  and security is a top priority for aerospace organizations dealing with sensitive intellectual property, proprietary designs and strict regulatory requirements.   

Capital X leverages the Siemens Xcelerator Admin Console, a centralized platform designed to streamline administrative tasks for cloud-based applications. Using the Console, administrators can assign roles and manage user access across various Siemens cloud products, ensuring appropriate permissions and enhancing security. Administrators can also allocate resources to specific users or teams, optimizing resource utilization and controlling costs.  

Additionally, since the solution is cloud-based, it reduces the risk of localized failures, which means users can rely on business continuity and the same workflow experience as the core Capital suite. 

3) Streamlined collaboration across global teams 

Collaboration is the key to driving innovation, especially in the aerospace industry, where the integration of complex systems demands expertise from diverse disciplines. No single team can manage the vast range of challenges associated with developing advanced aircraft, autonomous systems or next-generation avionics. Engineers, designers and manufacturers must work together seamlessly to optimize designs and meet evolving standards for performance and safety.  

Capital X provides dynamic and flexible tools that empower engineers to work together, regardless of location. Teams can quickly iterate on system architectures, explore design trade-offs and share insights, providing a consistent experience through the cloud and scaling to ensure all members of the team have quick access. Capital X’s digital thread ensures that all engineers, designers, program managers and other stakeholders have a clear yet secure view of the project lifecycle and all necessary data, eliminating silos and enabling faster, higher-quality outcomes. Importantly, users have a consistent environment that ensures repeatable experiences – preventing “it works on my machine” scenarios. 

SaaS for aerospace innovation without limits 

Cloud-based solutions are a natural fit for aerospace OEMs seeking security, flexibility, functionality and cost-efficiency. With continuous updates, advanced encryption and secure global access, they empower teams to deliver innovative products to market faster – without compromising on security, quality or performance. 

Capital X is purpose-built to meet these needs, offering a comprehensive suite of E/E design tools in a scalable and secure cloud environment. Companies that use Capital X are able to accelerate the adoption of cloud benefits, streamlining processes and reducing costs, making advanced capabilities more accessible and efficient for teams. With digital twin and digital thread capabilities, teams enjoy seamless collaboration no matter where they’re located, as well as instant access to the tools and data they need to create and optimize the complex aerospace designs of the future. 

Learn more about how Capital X can transform your aerospace E/E systems design. Contact us today to get started!