CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
9 June 2004
Implementation Investments
Lockheed Martin Deploys Agile PLM to Reduce Product Development Time
Agile Software Corporation ( http://www.agile.com ) announced that Lockheed Martin, a leader in the development and manufacture of advanced combat systems and missile, rocket and space systems, has gone live with the Agile product lifecycle management (PLM) solution in order to reduce product development time. The Agile solution was rolled out to approximately 3,000 users, and consolidated over 28 million pieces of product data and information from 15 databases into a single enterprise PLM system with a common set of business processes and tools.
"Aerospace and defense manufacturers are under tremendous pressure to improve margins and cost efficiencies," explained Ed Miller, president of CIMdata, a leading independent PLM consulting and research firm. "PLM solutions like Agile's can help these companies transform the way they develop products. It is critical that these solutions provide the ability to integrate with existing systems and to maintain a single, consistent product structure definition throughout the design and manufacturing process. This can reduce the time to market and operating costs and contribute to improved quality, ultimately improving product margins."
Lockheed Martin implemented the Agile PLM solution, which was integrated with Pro/ENGINEER and i2 Component Supplier Management systems. With the Agile solution, Lockheed Martin's engineering departments now use a concurrent engineering environment where the integrated programs operate according to a common set of business processes. Robust configuration management capabilities were also implemented, including model unit effectivity, the ability to trace serial numbers, and to compare "as designed" and "as planned" bills of material (BOM).
Lockheed Martin's deployment of Agile PLM offers a single product system of record, or technical data package control in aerospace/defense parlance, for engineering, cost management, quality assurance, logistics, manufacturing and the customer, across all programs. This common, united and secure repository for computer-aided design (CAD), bills of material, reports, documents, drawings, tooling, etc., makes documents easily accessible to those involved in any step of the product development process. A standardized system for part definitions, processes, and control was created as part of the deployment, as was integration with both Lockheed Martin's CAD and ERP tools.
"Lockheed Martin, a leader in the aerospace and defense industry, wanted to implement industry best practices that allow them to provide superior, cost-competitive solutions for their customers," said Jay Fulcher, Agile president and COO. "Lockheed Martin, a customer that came to Agile through our Eigner acquisition, has now joined the growing list of successful aerospace and defense companies using Agile solutions, and we look forward to working together to meet the evolving product demands of the A&D industry."
Headquartered in Bethesda, MD, Lockheed Martin employs about 130,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture and integration of advanced technology systems, products and services. For additional information on Lockheed Martin Corporation, visit: http://www.lockheedmartin.com
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