In order to be more productive, Federal Governments must transform their processes across all departments and agencies, e.g., Research, Development, Test & Evaluation (RDT&E), Regulatory Compliance, Aviation Airworthiness and Safety, Homeland Security, Defense Forces Readiness, etc., at a time when operational commitments are escalating and the demand for funds has never been greater. The key to success in this environment will be the effective use of knowledge across the entire lifecycle and complete value chain.

The goal for Federal Governments is to contract work with OEMs and service providers as much as possible while concentrating on resources readiness, national security, and the welfare of their citizens. The goal for OEMs, partners and suppliers, on the other hand, is to optimize internal processes while implementing new ways to manage up- or downstream. The trend toward strategic sharing of development and manufacturing has greatly magnified the importance of effective and secure value-chain collaboration when designing, building and maintaining aerospace and defense products.

Federal Governments also have a huge stake in aftermarket service and support of their operational forces across the globe. Unlike most industries, the amount of data that needs to be effectively managed actually increases for aerospace and defense systems after they are shipped where critical system knowledge must be maintained for of 30 to 50 years, or even longer.

The sheer size and complexity of government systems cannot be overemphasized. A single advanced military aircraft can have more than a million parts, not to mention numerous embedded mechatronics systems (multi-discipline/disparate sub-systems), each of which may be more complicated than the most complex automobile. To digitally integrate the design, production and maintenance of products on such a massive scale requires advanced and robust enterprise-grade solutions that can handle terabytes of information within and outside the enterprise.

Many Federal Governments are transforming themselves by implementing product lifecycle management, or PLM, solutions. Because they focus on the entire lifecycle, these solutions are especially effective at building a foundation for Global Innovation Networks – supporting collaboration across the extended enterprise and centrally managing product-related data. These networks can be implemented in cost-effective stages that deliver significant productivity at every step of the way.

More innovate for governments means looking to industry for best practices and lessons learned; eliminating the barriers, both statutory and emotional, to process change; and forming Public-Private Partnerships. More innovation also means productivity and transformation that will more efficiently convert each dollar into more services or security or improve the effectiveness of our war fighters anywhere in the world. The challenges have never been greater and opportunities for Global Innovation never been more imperative.