Meeting the growing demand for aerospace and defense (A&D) systems requires a shift in production strategy. For manufacturers around the world, backlogs are piling up, delays are mounting, and legacy production methods are falling short. With global supply chains more fragmented than ever and product complexity increasing, scaling operations to meet urgency has become one of the industry’s most pressing challenges.
If the pressure to transform is daunting, the good news is that the tools for digital transformation exist and are already being used by advanced market leaders in the A&D space. By adopting a model-based approach to manufacturing driven by enterprise PLM, A&D companies can align their workflows and enhance production capacity—enabling them to deliver on schedule without sacrificing quality. Here’s how this critical transformation is becoming a reality.
Amplifying production amid rising demand
It’s no secret that the A&D sector is at a crossroads. Booming orders for commercial aircraft and defense systems are placing an immense strain on the industry’s production capabilities. Major aircraft, naval, and missile companies are managing massive backlogs, which are further compounded by supply chain constraints and aging production infrastructures. Demand becomes a double-edged sword—in a highly competitive market; it’s not enough to have cutting-edge products. If you can’t fulfill your commitments to your customers, they’ll turn to someone who can.
Manufacturers face a powerful balancing act—increasing output without cutting corners on quality, safety, or profitability. The answer lies not in working harder, but in working smarter.
The digital engineering shift
Adopting digital engineering technologies is proving to be a game-changer. These solutions allow for seamless collaboration across global teams, suppliers, and systems, ensuring that data remains integrated and accessible throughout the product lifecycle. This interconnectivity enables companies to:
- Accelerate backlog conversion: By breaking down silos between R&D and production teams, manufacturers can address inefficiencies, implement changes in real time, and eliminate redundant processes
- Improve system scalability: Advanced PLM solutions harmonize operations, ensuring production lines can scale effortlessly to meet demand
- Enhance quality and compliance: Built-in validation systems ensure all regulatory requirements are met at every step of the development process
- Design for manufacturability: By prioritizing manufacturability during the design phase, engineers can create products that are easier to produce, reducing the risk of mistakes, nonconformance, or delays
The Paris Air Lab at the 2025 International Paris Air Show highlighted these themes by showcasing innovations that emphasize the integration of digital technologies and manufacturability to shape the future of aerospace production.
Future-focused solutions for aerospace leaders
If global demand signals anything, it’s that ramping up production is a necessity, not an option. And while legacy production methods were effective in past decades, they can’t keep pace with today’s technical and strategic realities. Enterprise PLM offers A&D companies an unparalleled opportunity to close the gap between demand and supply. A PLM-driven approach to manufacturing can optimize production practices by:
- Streamlining workflows: Deploy end-to-end platforms to enable real-time collaboration and track product changes seamlessly
- Automating eBOM to mBOM transformations: Automate the conversion of engineering BOMs to manufacturing BOMs to ensure consistency, reduce errors, and speed up time to production
- Managing supplier information and processes: Centralize and standardize supplier data to improve visibility, ensure compliance, and streamline procurement and logistics
- Triggering and tracking change requests: Control change with confidence, implement structured workflows to initiate, review, and approve changes efficiently, minimizing disruption and maximizing traceability
- Integrating with ERP and MES systems: Seamlessly connect PLM with ERP and MES systems to synchronize planning, execution, and reporting across the enterprise
By taking these actions, you can end the status quo of slow production timelines and mounting backlogs.
The A&D sector faces monumental challenges, but it also has unparalleled growth opportunities. Manufacturers that are prepared to invest in modern solutions will position themselves to meet surging industry demand. More importantly, they’ll enhance operational efficiency, reduce risk, and maintain the quality and compliance their customers depend on.
It’s time to ramp up production. Will you lead the way?
Discover how forward-looking A&D manufacturers are overcoming today’s biggest hurdles with digital solutions that scale, adapt, and deliver results.
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