A conceptual approach to support through-life business transformation in an aerospace and defence context

Through Life Capability Management (TLCM) is a complex evolving domain that requires a new approach to better understand the different viewpoints, models and practices within various enterprises to support a future conceptual model development. This research applied Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) to identify the activities necessary to transform an existing aerospace and defence business model to one that would support TLCM. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with experts and stakeholders across a range of different relevant functions and organisations to identify the activities required to support conceptual model development. A bottom-up approach was used to provide a TLCM ontology and a top-down approach was proposed to develop the root definitions derived from the experts' perception of TLCM. The benefits and drawbacks of using SSM including the human-activity system and mapping the activities onto a TLCM cube (architectural) model are discussed

An Ontology for Product-Service Systems

Industries are transforming their business strategy from a product-centric to a more service-centric nature by bundling products and services into integrated solutions to enhance the relationship between their customers. Since Product- Service Systems design research is currently at a rudimentary stage, the development of a robust ontology for this area would be helpful. The advantages of a standardized ontology are that it could help researchers and practitioners to communicate their views without ambiguity and thus encourage the conception and implementation of useful methods and tools. In this paper, an initial structure of a PSS ontology from the design perspective is proposed and evaluated

Managing knowledge for capability engineering

The enterprises that deliver capability are trying to evolve into through-life businesses by shifting away from the traditional pattern of designing and manufacturing successive generations of products, towards a new paradigm centred on support, sustainability and the incremental enhancements of existing capabilities from technology insertions and changes to process. The provision of seamless through-life customer solutions depends heavily on management of information and knowledge between, and within the different parts of the supply chain enterprise. This research characterised and described Capability Engineering (CE) as applied in the defence enterprise and identified to BAE Systems important considerations for managing knowledge within that context. The terms Capability Engineering and Through Life Capability Management (TLCM), used synonymously in this thesis, denote a complex evolving domain that requires new approaches to better understand the different viewpoints, models and practices. The findings and novelty of this research is demonstrated through the following achievements: Defined the problem space that Requirements Engineers can use in through-life management projects. Made a contribution to the development of models for Systems Architects to enable them to incorporate ‘soft’ systems within their consideration. Independently developed a TLCM activity model against which BAE Systems validated the BAE Systems TLCM activity model, which is now used by UK Ministry of Defence (MoD). Developed, and published within INCOSE1, the INCOSE Capability Engineering ontology. Through the novel analysis of a directly applicable case study, highlighted to Functional Delivery Managers the significance of avoiding the decoupling of information and knowledge in the context of TLCM. Through experimentation and knowledge gained within this research, identified inadequacies in the TechniCall (rapid access to experts) service which led to the generation of requirements for an improved service which is now being implemented by BAE Systems. The results showed that managing knowledge is distinct when compared to information management. Over-reliance on information management in the absence of tacit knowledge can lead to a loss in the value of the information, which can result in unintended consequences. Capability is realised through a combination of component systems and Capability Engineering is equivalent to a holistic perspective of Systems Engineering. A sector-independent Capability Engineering ontology is developed to enable semantic interoperability between different domains i.e. defence, rail and information technology. This helped to better understand the dependencies of contributing component systems within defence, and supported collaboration across different domains. Although the evaluation of the ontology through expert review has been accomplished; the ontology, KM analysis framework and soft systems transitioning approach developed still need to undergo independent verification and validation. This requires application to other case studies to check and exploit their suitability. This Engineering Doctorate research has been disseminated through a number of peer reviewed publications

Characteristics of redistributed manufacturing systems: a comparative study of emerging industry supply networks

This paper explores the characteristics of redistributed manufacturing systems within the context of emerging industry supply networks (EI SNs), with a particular focus on their structure, operations and reconfiguration dynamics. A number of factors have resulted in the redistribution of manufacturing. Within Emerging Industries, advances in process and information technologies, have changed the physical and information characteristics of components and products, and the viable production economies of scale. Further, the emergence of new specialised companies fulfilling key research, production or service roles have changed industry structure and operations, and the conventional model of value creation. Six industrial systems are examined using an Industrial System mapping methodology providing a basis for cross-case analysis, selected on the basis of representing alternative and novel evolution paths that may provide insights into the characteristics of EI SNs within a redistributed manufacturing context. Cross-case analysis suggests several generic aspects to EI SNs, including the blurring of traditional industry boundaries and the critical requirement to manage uncertainty. Alternative forms of EI SNs are observed supporting particular EI evolution paths. Further, more adaptive SNs support increased product variety, with lower inventory models enabled by enhanced production and distribution flexibility, often located closer to demand.The authors would like to acknowledge UK Research Council EPSRC, the industrial collaborators who provided access to their organisations, and their supply network, industrial and institutional partners.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Taylor & Francis via http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2016.121476

The Effect of Chemical Regulations on the Aerospace and Defence Industries

The motivation for this research stems from the author working within the Aerospace and Defence (AD) sector for nearly 19 years. It was during the development phase of IPC-1754 data exchange standard, the author, came to the firm belief, that whilst AD supply chain actors would begin to share data in a harmonised format via the IPC-1754 data exchange standard, there was a clear lack of understanding amongst several AD supply chain actors on how to collate, analyse, assess, and report internal data in a consistent manner. The main aim of this research is: To develop a conceptual framework enabling identification of articles (products) potentially at risk from chemical regulations supporting decision making processes for AD organisations

A through-life costing methodology for use in product-service-systems

Availability-based contracts which provide customers with the use of assets such as machines, ships, aircraft platforms or subsystems like engines and avionics are increasingly offered as an alternative to the purchase of an asset and separate support contracts. The cost of servicing a durable product can be addressed by Through-life Costing (TLC). Providers of advanced services are now concerned with the cost of delivering outcomes that meet customer requirements using combinations of assets and activities via a Product Service System (PSS). This paper addresses the question: To what extent are the current approaches to TLC methodologically appropriate for costing the provision of advanced services, particularly availability, through a PSS? A novel methodology for TLC is outlined addressing the challenges of PSS cost assessment with regard to 'what?' (cost object), 'why/to what extent?' (scope and boundaries), and 'how?' (computations). The research provides clarity for those seeking to cost availability in a performance-orientated contractual setting and provides insight to the measures that may be associated with it. In particular, a reductionist approach that focuses on one cost object at a time is not appropriate for a PSS. Costing an advanced service delivered through a PSS is a problem of attributing the value of means to the economic activities carried out for specific ends to be achieved. Cost results from the interplay between monetary and non-monetary metrics, and uncertainties thereof. Whilst seeking to ensure generality of the findings, the application of TLC examined here is limited to a military aircraft platform and subsystems. © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Contribution of offset to defence industrialisation in Indonesia

Offset is compensation given to a buyer country for an arms sale. Initially perceived as ‘necessary evil’ in an imperfect defence market, it now serves dual purposes: a marketing strategy for defence industry and a procurement policy for buyer country to generate add on benefits from arms import. Offsets proliferate, and so are stricter mandatory government policies. Still evaluation of offset has been difficult, mostly done in a country-based setting using anecdotal evidence that result in mixed findings. Following the issuance of mandatory offset policy in Indonesia through Law on Defence Industry in 2012, evaluation of past and current offset practice have become not only relevant but also critical to provide policy feedback. This dissertation provides an empirical examination on how offset has been understood and practised in Indonesia, and its contribution to defence industrialisation. The timeframe chosen is 1988-2014, when countertrade has been used to support the lifecycle of strategic industries: development (1988-1998), survival (1999-2009), and revitalisation (2010-2014). This study derives its validity and reliability from triangulation, comprising secondary data, survey, and case study. Three variables are analysed: technology development through ‘strategic industries’, defence offset, and defence industrialisation. Technology development focuses on how technology policy centred on a strategic industries paradigm and ladder of production to initiate industrialisation push. Defence offset discusses the conceptual and practical aspects of offset in Indonesia, including strategic objectives, regulation and institution frameworksin the defence procurement context, and offset life cycle and financing. Defence industrialisation discusses the impact of offset through employment, skill enhancement, transfer of technology, export promotion, domestic supply chain creation, and R&D. Field works were conducted in three firms representing different industrial sectors: PT DI (aerospace), PT Pal (shipbuilding), and PT Pindad (landsystem). Research findings indicate that, first, offset practice has mostly taken place on an ad hoc basis, with no clear reference to strategic objectives, as well as long-term management and financing- that mirror deficiencies in defence procurement. Second, as result of the deficiencies, offset results have been varied from one firm to another, across the different industrial sectors of aerospace, maritime, as well as ammunition and land system. While offset has a positive impact on skill enhancement and technology transfer, it seldom translates into new employment, supply chain creation, export, or R&D. This study generates the following recommendations. First, Indonesia needs to strengthen the management of offset through pre-offset planning and preparing practical guidelines for offset stakeholders in parallel with human resources to support the programme. This means identification of offset potential in procurement (convergence of long term technology policy and long term defence procurement plan), estimation of offset premium cost, allowing participation of industry in the early stage of the offset cycle, as well as devising methods of evaluating offset. Second, Indonesia needs to formulate strategic objectives for offset that relate closely to the dual purposes of defence modernisation and industry revitalisation. Third, Indonesia must strengthen the technology absorptive capability in industry in order to sustain the benefit of offset

A soft systems approach to the formulation of a manufacturing strategy

Merged with duplicate record 10026.1/2767 on 14.02.2017 by CS (TIS)This work investigated the understanding and use of current manufacturing strategy methods within the UK aerospace industry. Several key issues were identified which suggested a need to rethink the process of manufacturing strategy formulation. The set of issues included: the lack of explicit manufacturing strategies by several case organisations, a lack of the general use of developed manufacturing strategy tools and techniques, and a general evolution of organisations from functionally based to a business process focus. These issues suggested that the current approaches to manufacturing strategy were not reaching their target audience practitioners, and that further development of the manufacturing strategy formulation process was necessary to improve the usability and subsequent use of manufacturing strategy concepts. Taking these issues into account, the research used three cycles of learning using the soft systems methodology to develop a greater understanding of the domain of manufacturing strategy. Cycle One identified the process of manufacturing strategy formulation as a problem situation and used systems concepts and soft systems methods to develop three manufacturing strategy archetypes. These included a customer focussed / market led approach, a best practice approach and a knowledge-based approach to manufacturing strategy. Each archetype was developed using systems concepts by defining a root definition and developing conceptual models in order to make the thinking explicit, systemic, and useful to practitioners. Cycle Two explored the manufacturing strategy formulation processes of aerospace organisations and provided a sound base to identify appropriate changes to current manufacturing strategy methods based on both functionally orientated and business process focussed organisations. The third cycle developed a modified approach to the formulation of a manufacturing strategy using soft systems concepts, which was incorporated into a workbook format in order to test out the changes identified and learning experienced in the previous cycles. The format and use of the approach were validated using several case organisations, using the criteria that research results should be useful to practitioners within the production and operations management domain. The contribution of the work comes from the critical evaluation of existing manufacturing strategy methods and techniques, the development of three manufacturing strategy making systems and the development of a modified approach for developing a manufacturing strategy. The evaluation determined that the above were not well enough developed for the evolving aerospace industry. Opportunities for improvement were identified which were incorporated into an improved method for formulating a manufacturing strategy. The method makes use of three manufacturing strategy archetypes, developed using systems theory to ensure the thinking surrounding manufacturing strategy is made explicit and systemic. The approach is based around Checklands' (1990) soft systems methodology and each iteration of the methodology should be seen as a cycle of learning.British Aerospace PL