Shelly St.Hill is the Sr. Marketing Content Writer for Arena, a PTC Business. Prior to joining Arena, Shelly held marketing positions in the life sciences, medical device, and high-tech industries, where she worked closely with subject matter experts in the field to inform audiences through blogs, social media, white papers, case studies, and other digital content.
In a recent webinar, Major General (Air Force, Ret.) H. Brent Baker, Sr. discussed how increased defense spending, a volatile security landscape, and other market dynamics are driving aerospace and defense (A&D) companies to invest in a digital transformation.
We had the opportunity to meet with General Baker and learn more about his role at PTC. He also elaborated on the technology trends that are helping A&D manufacturers address industry challenges and advance product development.
General Baker, please tell us about your Air Force career and journey to PTC.
I spent 37 years in the United States Air Force (USAF)—six years as an enlisted member and 31 years as an officer. I was a seven-time Commander and held numerous assignments that focused on logistics. Eventually, I served as Vice Commander of Air Force Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. This command provides acquisition management services and logistics support to help develop and sustain Air Force weapon systems.
Just prior to retiring from the Air Force, PTC’s former CEO, Jim Heppelmann, contacted me about leading a team that specializes in the federal aerospace and defense (FA&D) market.
I enjoyed meeting with Jim and learning more about the position. Soon after, I joined PTC and have been with the company for nine years.
Describe your current role as VP of World-Wide Vertical Markets at PTC.
I lead a group that works on various verticals including FA&D, automotive, industrial, electronics and high-tech, and life sciences. Because we deal with an expansive customer base, my teams are distributed across the United States, Latin America, EMEA, and Asia-Pacific regions.
In the FA&D space, our customers include airports, airlines, MROs, the United States military, federal agencies (e.g., Department of Energy, NASA), and original equipment manufacturers (e.g., Boeing, Raytheon, Lockheed). My team strives to be industry experts and thought leaders in this area. We evaluate current market trends and gather customer feedback for the PTC product teams. We also work closely with all our suppliers and partners.
Because our focus is business development, we must be well-versed on PTC’s product portfolio—computer-aided design (CAD), product lifecycle management (PLM), service lifecycle management (SLM), and everything in between. We’re able to keep a pulse on all aspects of the business and view it through an industry lens.
What are some of the emerging technology trends in the aerospace and defense industry?
I think the following technologies are transforming the A&D industry:
- Artificial intelligence
- Generative design
- Additive manufacturing/3D printing
- Internet of Things (IoT)
- Cloud computing
How are these technological advancements impacting new product development?
Now that artificial intelligence is ubiquitous, businesses are figuring out how they can best use the technology to streamline processes and enhance their products.
Generative design is changing the way companies innovate. This AI-driven CAD tool enables engineering teams to automatically generate 3D models based on specified requirements and quickly explore different design options. It saves considerable time in the design process and helps companies optimize products to meet their performance criteria. Similarly, companies are leveraging additive manufacturing to rapidly prototype 3D CAD designs at a much lower cost.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is a technology that extends far beyond the factory. It enables companies to collect disparate data and turn it into valuable insights that transform every facet of their business. IoT is changing the world.
Since COVID I’ve observed that more companies want to migrate to the Cloud and adopt Software as a Service (SaaS). Organizations need a secure environment where product teams can work seamlessly with each other as well as with external partners and customers.
We have several instances of companies working across three or four different countries to build an aircraft. So how do their teams stay connected not only within company walls but across different geographical regions and time zones?
Essentially, they need a collaborative work environment. This is where cloud-based SaaS solutions are critical.
What challenges do defense contractors face in getting new products to market?
Aerospace and defense products are becoming more intricate. The hardware and software components are more dependent on each other. Manufacturers are now having to work within shorter product development cycles to meet market demand and gain a competitive advantage.
In a way, this mirrors what happens in the automotive industry. Automobile manufacturers introduce new cars at least once a year. A new design iteration is always in progress and typically six months away from launch. A&D manufacturers are in a similar position, where they need to build weapon systems faster to keep up with ever-changing technology and capabilities.
What role does cloud-native product lifecycle management (PLM) play in helping small to mid-sized A&D companies excel?
Commercial success for small to mid-sized A&D manufacturers hinges on a digital transformation. It’s all about building that end-to-end collaborative environment with a proven cloud-native PLM solution. Product lifecycle management serves as the foundation for a successful digital transformation. It is the single source of truth for your entire product record. If you have nothing else, start with a cloud-native system like Arena PLM for AWS GovCloud that’s built on a secure platform to meet ITAR/EAR export controls and other regulations. Then you can expand from there.
What new development(s) do you envision for A&D over the next year?
On December 21, 2023, the United States Department of Defense (DoD) published a new Digital Engineering Instruction (DoDI 5000.97), which basically mandates a digital transformation.
Moving forward, every major DoD program must be conducted in a digital environment. This will significantly impact the way DoD contractors design, develop, and sustain products. Companies must demonstrate full traceability throughout the entire product lifecycle—from requirements, hardware, and software all the way through to service.
This latest mandate reinforces the need for a collaborative cloud-native solution that can help organizations gain better control of their processes and speed time to market.
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