Digital Manufacturing

The Customer Supplier Interoperability (CSI) program was sponsored by the Department of Defense and the US Air Force Research Laboratory, ManTech division. The program’s goal was to develop solutions for engineering inefficiencies associated with technical data exchange and to accelerate the adoption of Model-Based Definition (MBD) methodologies in defense supply chains. Through the automation of manual tasks, CAD validation, and advanced toolsets, the CSI program paves the path toward MBD for the defense industrial base.

BENEFITS

Savings of approximately $50 million per year when fully adopted by all supply chain members in a large defense acquisition program.
With major programs exceeding 20 years in duration, this could result in more than $1 billion in projected savings.

Source: International TechneGroup

Force Protection Inc. (FPI) develops defense products and vehicles for the government. Their status as a government contractor means that FPI must conform to the strict government rules surrounding the communication of sensitive data. Failure to do so would result in fines or the loss of contracts. In response to this new need for security and accountability, FPI deployed MBE CAD data exchange software throughout its engineering teams, and the software is now used for all design and engineering data transfer.

BENEFITS

Control, flexibility, security, ease of use
Now have monthly logs of all data transfer activities, a key requirement for the US government.
FPI meets all of the strict requirements for security and accountability set by the US government.

Source: International TechneGroup

Thales implemented MBE CAD data exchange software to automate the flow of product data among its internal users. The web-based system provides a convenient, reliable and secure method for translating engineering data. This will be expanded in the second stage of implementation to include data transmission between Thales and its customers and suppliers.

BENEFITS

Time savings of 80%

Source: International TechneGroup

Samsung began by implementing the MBE CAD data exchange software at its Visual Display and Printer Divisions. The MBE CAD data exchange software allowed Samsung to more easily share quality data between various systems including design, collaboration, and data management. Multiple in-house applications utilize MBE CAD data exchange software as a secure backend server, for translations and validation. Samsung’s new data exchange software is also linked to its global suppliers.

BENEFITS

Delivery of data to customers and suppliers has been reduced from days to minutes
Improved process efficiency
Significant time savings

Source: International TechneGroup

Volvo Car Corporation wished to enable better communication with its suppliers and to transfer the design responsibility of parts and subsystems to those suppliers. Utilizing an electronic product data management system (ePDM), they were able to implement these changes and create a digitalized engineering change environment that was real-time with defined expectations of the priority and speed at which the ECOs were performed.

BENEFITS

Improved visibility into the ECO process
Reduced time to implement Engineering change
Defined ECO expectations

Source: Pikosz & Malmqvist

U.S. Navy Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) Model-Based Definition (MBD) Case Study: NAWCAD Lakehurst is the center of excellence for Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment (ALRE) and naval aviation Support Equipment (SE). NAWCAD moved to a 3D MBD environment, which required the conversion of conventional 2D drawings to a 3D digital product definition. 3D PDFs containing digital product definition became the single source of data through the product development process.

BENEFITS

Realize greater than $3 million in annual savings
Reduced costs, increased quality, shorter schedule cycles
33% reduction in new item development schedules expected

Source: International TechneGroup

Change Communication

When promulgating an Engineering Change, it is vital that the change be clearly communicated promptly to all internal and external organizations impacted by the change. This helps minimize the need for rework and scrap by implementing the change and cutting production of non-conforming parts at the earliest possible point. The communication of a change includes:

Description of the change
Updated engineering models and/or drawings
Updated specifications
Updated FAI requirements
Modified PO

In some cases, the change is informal and can take long periods of time. This often leads to suppliers proactively making changes to the current models/drawings and potentially working at risk until the official change, from the Customer, is provided.

The most effective means to communicate changes are through systems that are connected directly to all parties. Examples of this include Enterprise Resource Planning software or supply chain portals. These applications can often provide automated routing of the change order and notification when the change order has been read and when it’s been acted upon.

The most common means of transmitting change orders throughout a supply chain is email. One of the disadvantages of this approach is that the email message often must be passed from node-to-node in the supply chain, which can introduce latency. Since the email is unstructured data, there also is a version control risk that could result in work being performed to the wrong specification. Greater attention is needed to manual receipt verification and change acknowledgment procedures to overcome the inherent risks of communicating by email.

Change Communication

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Digital Solutions

Improved product model version management - Validated PMI/Specifications version

Improved product model version management - Validated PMI/Specifications version

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Enhanced communication and Supplier access to the latest version of product models and specifications will ensure that every production facility is performing their work to the most up to date specifications. This reduces the likelihood of rework and scrap.
BENEFITS: Decreased risk, Reduced costs
Structured Supply Chain communication - Improved communication

Structured Supply Chain communication - Improved communication

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Structured communication tools, such as Supplier/Customer-Relationship Management software, Supplier Portals, and improved processes allows all potential Engineering Change sources to communicate the need for an Engineering Change to all members of the supply chain more efficiently. Comprehensive Engineering Change orders delivered instantaneously to the right people throughout the entire supply chain helps ensure that work is done correctly and on time with the elimination of liability risk. In businesses where change orders are routine, the automation of the process will help ensure that the right people are notified and that the changes have been made in accordance with the instructions.
BENEFITS: Reduced time, reduced costs, Reduced liability risk
Supplier access through a portal to the appropriate information - Improved Communication

Supplier access through a portal to the appropriate information - Improved Communication

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A Supplier portal can be used to issue the Change order to Suppliers that integrates communication and data interfaces. Such a portal allows prospective Suppliers to receive PMI specifications they are approved to access for a given change order providing Intellectual Property security by not actually sending out the models. The Supplier will have full access to the required PMI through its portal between the two companies.
BENEFITS: Reduced lead time, Reduced costs

Potential Issues with this Activity:

Unstructured change order communication - Inefficient Communications

Unstructured change order communication - Inefficient Communications

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Manual tracking of change order delivery and actions consumes valuable resources and increases the risks for mistakes. Delays in the receipt of change orders can cause work to be performed to the wrong specifications. The further downstream in the supply chain this delay occurs, the greater the chance that the error will ripple upstream and cause even greater loss. It can also be difficult to verify that all Suppliers have enacted the changes required by the change order. This increases product liability risk as this could cause problems for the end-user that could result in harm or damages. Email use creates the distribution of information and requirements outside of configuration management which can lead to working to an incorrect version of the product or data.
COST: Increased time, Increased costs
RELATED SOLUTIONS: Communicating changes digitally
Incorrect dispositioning of models - Configuration Management Problems

Incorrect dispositioning of models - Configuration Management Problems

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If the existing model is not re-used for the Engineering Change solution and analysis, the solution could provide an answer to a problem that has already been solved or is incorrect for the current problem.
COST: Scrap, Rework, Increased Costs, Increased Lead Time
RELATED SOLUTIONS: Communicating changes digitally

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Change Communication

Digital Solutions

Improved product model version management - Validated PMI/Specifications version

Structured Supply Chain communication - Improved communication

Supplier access through a portal to the appropriate information - Improved Communication

Potential Issues with this Activity:

Unstructured change order communication - Inefficient Communications

Incorrect dispositioning of models - Configuration Management Problems

Supplier Processes Change