The goal for OEMs is to strategically share work with their partners as much as possible while concentrating on product assembly, marketing and long-term strategies. The goal for partners and suppliers, on the other hand, is to optimize internal processes while implementing new ways to effectively manage up- or downstream activities. 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.

Aerospace and defense companies also have a huge stake in aftermarket service and support. Unlike most manufacturing companies, the amount of data that needs to be effectively managed actually increases for aerospace and defense companies when products are shipped. Companies in this sector must maintain and enhance complex products with lifecycles of 30 to 50 years, or even longer.

The sheer size and complexity of aerospace and defense products cannot be overemphasized. A single advanced military aircraft can have more than a million parts, not to mention numerous embedded mechatronics systems (disparate, multi-discipline subsystems), each of which might 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.

Global Aerospace and Defense companies must have globe strategies that encompass their partners and their markets in order to gain both economic as well as political leverage. The value-chain for major new commercial aircraft programs must include Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Russia, Africa, and South America. Local sourcing for both manufacturing and engineering has become a pre-requisite. Additionally, service centers are being built around the world to provide first class service and support: anywhere, anytime.