Vought

Cost-Effective, High Quality Manufacturing through Innovative Solutions

When Vought Aircraft Industries needed a strategic information Technology (IT) provider to design and support their new state-of-the-art manufacturing and assembly facilities for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner program, they turned to Perot Systems to define and implement industry best practices to support this dynamic aerospace program.

The Challenge

Vought Aircraft Industries, Inc. (Vought) came to Perot Systems with a short time frame to design and build their two new facilities’ infrastructure from “green-field” to “full functionality” in just two years. This implementation also involved complex systems integration, both inter- and intra-company, as the systems must simultaneously support both Vought’s manufacturing facility and Global Aeronautica’s (a Vought-Alenia joint venture) assembly and integration facility.

Besides the pure IT components, Vought also needed to ensure cost-effective, high-quality manufacturing processes and support systems to meet Boeing’s delivery timelines. Additionally, the infrastructure’s outputs needed to deliver to (or support) current-day lean manufacturing principles.

The Solution

As the business process architect, systems integrator, information technology outsourcer and IT Program Manager, Perot Systems, and the Vought cross-functional team designed and delivered a comprehensive Business Integration solution for both Vought’s manufacturing facility and Global Aeronautica’s assembly and integration facility.

The goal was to help Vought meet the aggressive and technologically challenging requirements of the 787 program. This involved a cross-functional team to design and deliver all of the required business processes and supporting technologies for the facility, including full deployment and integration of their Product Lifecycle Management, SAP, manufacturing execution, and back-office systems.

The Results

Strong collaborative teamwork remains one of the highest priorities from the initial phase of the relationship through the ongoing implementation. Vought requires and is benefiting from a solid but flexible foundation for these “Greenfield” facilities, supporting the innovative and demanding needs of the 787 program. Through sound strategic planning, as well as leveraging our strengths in IT and business services - SAP, process design, and complex integration through infrastructure management - Perot Systems is delivering the following benefits to Vought:

• Implemented SAP successfully at both sites on-time and on-budget
• Alignment of IT and business goals
• Implemented fully integrated business systems and shop floor HMI systems,on-time and on-budget
• Trusted services provider willing and able to provide the flexibility required in cutting-edge manufacturing environments The benefits shown so far to Vought have resulted in an expanded role for Perot Systems to include a more active role in the integration of the Product Life Cycle suite of software, and additional responsibilities for Training and Development,as well as providing additional business and operational process consulting.