Aerospace platform electrical system change: from adversity to advantage

Learn how A&D platform change can be a program differentiator

The ongoing demand for increased performance, coupled with the trend toward using electrical systems to implement the capabilities that enable it, is accelerating the pace of change in Aerospace & Defense platforms. While platform electrical system changes are motivated from a large number of sources, ranging from the need to address new regulations, fixing errors, to addressing system and device obsolescence, it is when applied to innovation that change becomes a source of competitive advantage rather than adversity.

Impacts to electrical systems designs include

• Supplying decision makers responsible for derivative and modification program approval with more accurate change impact analysis
• Assisting engineering staff to make the changes to the electrical system more efficiently and more quickly once authorized
• Maintaining requirements traceability and electrical system configuration control

Electrical systems are coupled with innovation

Innovation is often electrical system related, which offers an opportunity to compete on programs by leveraging modern design practices. It’s been difficult to develop a low risk business case to justify the resources required to capture the opportunity. Just determining the scope of the changes required to an electrical system, i.e. the components and devices that must be redesigned, let alone quantifying the time and resources to do so, has been a tall order. Often the timelines to respond to a customer request cannot be met within an acceptable risk envelope. This means missing the opportunity, or worse, winning opportunities that cost money, and endanger reputation, when we learn the true extent of the effort. Modern electrical & electronic (E/E) systems development environments, employing model based techniques, can accelerate accurate change impact analysis and allow us to profitably capture emerging opportunities as they arise.

Who should attend this webinar on electrical systems

• Electrical design managers and engineers
• Product configuration managers
• Program managers

Related content:

• A closer look: next generation electrical system platform development in Aerospace and Defense
• Change management with Capital
• Assuring profitability in the age of the more electric aircraft