Aeronautic & Defense
I. Pressure on the customer interface
II. Pressure on production resources
III. Time pressure and the need for agility
IV. Oplit, a solution serving aerospace
The aerospace industry faces a series of major pressures that call into question the way production planning is traditionally managed. These pressures manifest themselves across three key areas: customers, production resources, and internal organization.
Here are the three types of pressure encountered as well as the main issues that many manufacturers in the sector have to face.
Increased capacity audits: Prime contractors carry out more and more frequent capacity audits, requiring companies to demonstrate their ability to meet production demands.
Customer tracking requests: Customers now demand closer tracking of their orders, which puts additional pressure on the sales administration (ADV) departments.
The availability of production resources has become a major challenge, accompanied by several problems:
Ramp-up and scarce skills: Strengthening the production teams is complex, particularly when it comes to catching up on production delays, and specialized skills are increasingly rare.
Reduction of work-in-progress and lead times: Companies are forced to reduce work-in-progress levels and production lead times to optimize their efficiency.
Uncertainties about energy costs and supply lead times: Fluctuations in energy prices and uncertain supply lead times make planning even more complex.
The changing nature of the aerospace industry imposes growing time pressure and requires more agile production. This leads to the following problems:
Demand volatility and operator autonomy: Demand volatility requires operators to have more autonomy to adapt to production variations.
Small series and extended setup times: The production of smaller series and longer setup times require better planning and more precise management of work orders (WOs) to optimize the use of production resources.
Priority changes and variance in production routings: Frequent priority changes and the growing variance relative to production routings further complicate planning.
Faced with these problems, the aerospace industry is actively looking for innovative solutions. With Oplit, we try to provide them with the solutions to overcome these challenges and stay one step ahead by bringing:
A common language, transparency, and responsiveness in production simulation Oplit makes it possible to create simple, effective production simulations. This allows teams to better understand the impact of planning decisions on the entire production process. In addition, Oplit encourages the adoption of a common language between the different teams, which facilitates communication and coordination, two essential aspects in an environment as complex as aerospace.
AI algorithms for accurate forecasts Oplit uses advanced artificial-intelligence algorithms to analyze large quantities of data. These algorithms make it possible to accurately predict demand trends, production lead times, and resource needs. This ability to anticipate future challenges is crucial for effective planning, especially in a sector where volatility is the norm.
A transparent customer interface Oplit offers a user-friendly interface to communicate with your customers. Companies can present the load-capacity of their shop floor in real time or provide estimated production finish dates directly to their customers. This transparency strengthens customer trust and keeps them informed throughout the production process, in the manner of Amazon.
Performance optimization
By using Oplit for planning, aerospace companies can achieve significant gains. This translates into an improvement in the service level toward customers, a notable reduction in production lead times, and a decrease in the time needed to organize production. These gains not only improve operational efficiency but also strengthen the company's overall competitiveness. By adopting tools like Oplit, the aerospace industry can meet current challenges and pave the way for a more agile and competitive future.
