Integrated ship design & engineering series, Part 1: Breaking down silos with cross-domain integration
Modern shipbuilding is caught between opportunity and complexity. Ships are expected to be smarter and more adaptable than ever, yet every innovation, from advanced electronics to sustainable design features, adds layers of difficulty. Design and construction no longer happen within a single yard; they stretch across global teams and supply chains. The challenge for shipyards is clear: Deliver vessels that keep pace with innovation while staying compliant and financially sustainable.
This blog is the first part of our integrated ship design and engineering series, which explores how shipyards can overcome today’s complexity by building a seamless digital thread from design through delivery.
Traditional methods fall short
Spreadsheets, siloed tools and manual data transfers slow teams down. Updates are lost, duplication creeps in and critical information takes too long to reach the people who need it. These inefficiencies compound as projects scale, exposing shipyards to rework, delays and rising costs.
Why synchronizing eBOM and mBOM is shipbuilding’s biggest hurdle
Bill-of-materials management is the clearest example of why older methods no longer suffice. The engineering bill-of-materials (eBOM) captures design intent, while the manufacturing bill-of-materials (mBOM) reflects the shop floor reality. Each evolves differently, shaped by shifting requirements, supplier input and regulatory changes. Without seamless synchronization, a design change in the eBOM may never cascade to the mBOM, leading to project slowdowns and compliance risks.
With ships made of millions of components, even a single discrepancy can ripple into massive cost and time overruns. That’s why keeping eBOM and mBOM aligned isn’t just a task, it’s one of the biggest hurdles shipyards face in delivering complex vessels on time and on budget.
Break down silos before they break your schedule
The solution begins with cross-domain integration. This involves connecting every domain in the shipbuilding process so requirements, simulations, BOMs and project plans update in real time. As outlined in our ebook, Accelerate ship design and engineering with a seamless process execution, this approach helps shipbuilders eliminate silos, maintain traceability and reduce the risks that come with complexity. With a single source of truth, engineers know design intent flows to the shop floor without distortion, and suppliers stay aligned through transparent, traceable data. This orchestration ensures design changes are captured, configurations remain accurate and decisions are made with confidence across the lifecycle.
Agility is the new competitive edge
A seamless design process transforms agility. Shipyards can speed up design cycles by removing bottlenecks in data transfer; reducing information loss by centralizing requirements and configurations; and ensuring compliance through complete data traceability. The result is faster delivery, fewer errors and improved competitiveness in an industry where margins are tight, and customer demands are rising.
Scale without adding complexity
To meet these challenges at scale, shipbuilders need technology that connects design, simulation and manufacturing while offering flexibility to grow. That’s where the Siemens Xcelerator platform comes in, providing integrated solutions and as-a-service capabilities that help shipyards accelerate innovation without adding complexity.
From integration to innovation
Cross-domain integration is where the journey begins. It lays the foundation for a connected way of working, where teams share the same data and decisions flow without disruption. But the real strength of the digital thread comes when disciplines converge. In part 2, we’ll explore how uniting every engineering domain accelerates innovation and keeps even the most complex ships on course.
