The traditional approach to selecting complex aerospace and defense (A&D) manufacturing systems has been to find the “one-stop-shop” provider that offers all the key software components—Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), and a Manufacturing Execution System—a trio known in the industry as the “golden triangle.” While this approach may have worked well for some, recent developments in open standards, AI, and the need to share data across systems are leading A&D manufacturers to choose open-architecture systems from various providers. By opting for the “best-in-breed” system for each specific application, manufacturers can save money, plan for future integrations, and stay competitive.
To understand the shift, we need to dive into the technology behind it all, the challenges brought on by the previous approach, and the benefits of opening the golden triangle to multiple providers.
The Open Architecture Technology
Open standards are the building blocks that allow open architectures to function. Without common standards, the modular components in an open architecture couldn’t communicate or integrate effectively. Application programming interfaces (APIs) built on open standards act as the connection layer in an open architecture. In the past, APIs that didn’t utilize open standards would only work with proprietary systems, locking manufacturers into a single system provider for their three key systems.
Why the One-Stop-Shop Approach No Longer Works
While the one-stop-shop approach initially seemed like a good solution, it often meant settling for a less-than-optimal golden triangle. For example, a provider might be able to offer all three systems. However, some of those systems and subsystems may be designed for general manufacturing rather than purpose-built for the complex intricacies of A&D manufacturing. These general-purpose systems don’t always have all the functionality needed, and manufacturers had to pay extra to get the system to meet their requirements. Unfortunately, this means that many manufacturers were left with reduced flexibility, limited system capabilities, and sometimes just flat-out failure. In these cases, millions of dollars were lost and years of work were wasted trying to piece together the perfect system for A&D. It was a losing battle, and ultimately some executive sponsors lost their jobs due to a failed one-stop-shop approach. Companies had to scrap all the work that was done and start again from scratch.
Benefits of an Open-Architecture Approach
In contrast, in an open architecture, APIs are designed with open standards that ensure broader capabilities, even across competing vendors, allowing manufacturers to take a better approach, by selecting best-in-breed systems for each component of their golden triangle.
With recent developments in open standards allowing for omnidirectional data sharing and utilization of AI applications, manufacturers can truly choose the best solution for each application. Previously, data was only shared in one direction – from the app that owned the data to the other apps that were interested in the data. Recent advancements now allow the systems that use the data to interact with the systems of records, or the “keepers of the data,” while still preserving the single source of truth.
When utilizing the best-in-breed approach to select an MES, manufacturers must ask pointed, industry-specific questions to ensure they choose an open architecture system that fits their current and future needs.
10 Questions to Ask MES Providers
1. Were your systems purpose-built for A&D or complex discrete manufacturing?
2. Does your MES provide out-of-the-box features and functionalities for A&D manufacturing requirements?
3. Does your MES provide comprehensive integration touchpoints to allow seamless integration with PLM and ERP?
4. Are your systems cloud-based or on-premises, or do they allow a hybrid approach?
5. Does your MES support predictive analytics, machine learning, or other AI capabilities to support decision-making and predictive maintenance?
6. How can your systems help us improve compliance, speed time-to-market, and ensure quality?
7. What case studies can you share that show strong integration between systems at other A&D manufacturers?
8. What proven improvements have these customers seen after implementing your systems?
9. How are you working with A&D customers to better understand industry needs and requirements, and how does that influence the direction of your technology?
10. How do you ensure that systems are maintainable, upgradable, and scalable?
Your MES provider should be able to easily answer all these questions and more to assure strong integration, compliance, security, and scalability. They should also be able to share multiple case studies and proof points from your industry.
At iBase-t, our systems are purpose-built for A&D manufacturing and designed to offer best-in-breed capabilities for complex, discrete manufacturing. We also use direct customer feedback to guide our product development. Our systems utilize modern, open architecture and open standards APIs. They can be deployed on the cloud, on-premises, or as a hybrid implementation. iBase-t’s MES, Solumina, promotes scalable and consistent integration in advanced A&D manufacturing while looking to the future with upcoming AI capabilities.
Learn more about our open architecture manufacturing execution system and integration possibilities.
