![\"Digital](\"http:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2019\/09\/Digital-Program-Management_2-1.png\" "\\"Digital")
If A&D companies want to respond to the forces changing their industry, they must expand what their definition of “digital program management” encompasses.<\/span><\/span>What truly digital program management means <\/H3>
\nProgram managers have witnessed the advantages of digital automation in production, and they know that manufacturing in general is heading toward digitally-automated and data-driven process planning and management.<\/P><\/p>\n
Too often, however, they and their companies assume their product programs are truly digital because they have adopted a digital twin design model in engineering and manufacturing; they may even have some limited integrated data among systems. But truthfully, that\u2019s just the beginning of digital program management.<\/P><\/p>\n
Leaders in this area streamline program management processes by using a digital thread\u2014an always-on, always up-to-date knowledge base tied to each program that\u2019s available to all decision makers all the time. In this thread are all product records, from testing to potentially in-field services and redesigns. Increasingly, these A&D leaders are using product lifecycle management (PLM) as their digital program management platform because modern PLM solutions inherently create an end-to-end, integrated real-time digital thread that lives throughout a product\u2019s life. The digital twin is just one component in that thread<\/A>. <\/P><\/p>\nThis comprehensive data\u2014within a comprehensive program management platform\u2014enables complete traceability of requirements from design to manufacture, and provides the knowledge base needed to manage an A&D product through its 30- to 40-year life<\/A>. Throughout, program managers can easily tap the information to test the effect of any change or learn why previous engineering changes were made.<\/P><\/p>\nTrue, many manufacturers maintain much of this information now, but it\u2019s not integrated, up-to-date and widely available to product-focused specialists. The applications and technology to power such a system have become available only in the past four to five years. <\/P><\/p>\n
Reducing the time and expense of change <\/H3>
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For most manufacturers, the primary goal of program management is to control costs and stay on schedule, while meeting all technical requirements. That\u2019s especially true of A&D manufacturers.<\/P><\/p>\n
Analysis by consulting firm Deloitte notes that one-time charges in the industry spiked<\/A> in 2015, hitting $10.3 billion, up from $5.0 billion in 2014. While analysts expect the growth of one-time charges to continue to ease, they say program delays, cost overruns and funding issues will continue to plague the industry in the near-term.<\/P><\/p>\nHigh design change rates tend to occur when the product first enters production, and again when it enters service. Adopting technologies and implementing processes that enable more complete virtual testing at all stages of production can dramatically reduce these change rates.<\/P><\/p>\n
Similarly, because A&D manufacturers build products that remain in service for decades, they continuously look for ways to make them better, faster and cheaper throughout that span. So, for example, when a program manager wants to eliminate some inspections to speed production and reduce costs, engineers must be able to answer the question: What breaks if these inspections are taken out?<\/P><\/p>\n
With a traditional system, the only way an engineer can confidently respond to such a change request is to hunt for offline data. That\u2019s hugely expensive and often not possible. With the digital thread, all data related to the product, including certification data and design tolerances, is easily available to make the best-informed decisions<\/A>.<\/P><\/p>\nFurther, A&D products may last 30 to 40 years, but they don\u2019t stay the same. As products are maintained and upgraded, the digital thread enables feedback loops to capture information needed to develop new products and product enhancements, and rapidly remedy field issues.<\/P><\/p>\n
For true digital program management, the digital thread addresses the challenges of delivering products that meet all technical and performance requirements<\/A> at-cost and on-schedule. This digital thread will allow program managers to spend more time creating value-added capabilities\u2014and a new competitive advantage. <\/P><\/p>\n
This comprehensive data\u2014within a comprehensive program management platform\u2014enables complete traceability of requirements from design to manufacture, and provides the knowledge base needed to manage an A&D product through its 30- to 40-year life<\/A>. Throughout, program managers can easily tap the information to test the effect of any change or learn why previous engineering changes were made.<\/P><\/p>\n True, many manufacturers maintain much of this information now, but it\u2019s not integrated, up-to-date and widely available to product-focused specialists. The applications and technology to power such a system have become available only in the past four to five years. <\/P><\/p>\n For most manufacturers, the primary goal of program management is to control costs and stay on schedule, while meeting all technical requirements. That\u2019s especially true of A&D manufacturers.<\/P><\/p>\n Analysis by consulting firm Deloitte notes that one-time charges in the industry spiked<\/A> in 2015, hitting $10.3 billion, up from $5.0 billion in 2014. While analysts expect the growth of one-time charges to continue to ease, they say program delays, cost overruns and funding issues will continue to plague the industry in the near-term.<\/P><\/p>\n High design change rates tend to occur when the product first enters production, and again when it enters service. Adopting technologies and implementing processes that enable more complete virtual testing at all stages of production can dramatically reduce these change rates.<\/P><\/p>\n Similarly, because A&D manufacturers build products that remain in service for decades, they continuously look for ways to make them better, faster and cheaper throughout that span. So, for example, when a program manager wants to eliminate some inspections to speed production and reduce costs, engineers must be able to answer the question: What breaks if these inspections are taken out?<\/P><\/p>\n With a traditional system, the only way an engineer can confidently respond to such a change request is to hunt for offline data. That\u2019s hugely expensive and often not possible. With the digital thread, all data related to the product, including certification data and design tolerances, is easily available to make the best-informed decisions<\/A>.<\/P><\/p>\n Further, A&D products may last 30 to 40 years, but they don\u2019t stay the same. As products are maintained and upgraded, the digital thread enables feedback loops to capture information needed to develop new products and product enhancements, and rapidly remedy field issues.<\/P><\/p>\n For true digital program management, the digital thread addresses the challenges of delivering products that meet all technical and performance requirements<\/A> at-cost and on-schedule. This digital thread will allow program managers to spend more time creating value-added capabilities\u2014and a new competitive advantage. <\/P><\/p>\nReducing the time and expense of change <\/H3>
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