Implementation of an Integrated Product Life Management System: Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems Airborne Ground Surveillance and Battle Management Systems
By Nate Nalven

This article will give the reader an understanding of implementing an integrated tool suite within a Product Life Management (PLM) system and the activities that are being performed within Airborne Ground Surveillance and Battle Management Systems (AGS/BMS) of Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems in Melbourne, Fla., to support it. The author will give you an overview of Product Life Management (PLM) capabilities and the implementation strategy used. It should be noted that implementation of a PLM system can be accomplished with anyone of the major vendor solutions given enough time and money. The AGS/BMS PLM implementation is based on the PLM Team Center tool and the Northrop Grumman customization of the product known as the 'Aerospace and Defense template (A&D)'.

The PLM initiative has several goals that will be discussed but includes the use of Commercial Off-The-Shelf System (COTS) tools where possible, data re-use, integration of the enterprise tool suite ability to access proprietary data formats in a neutral viewer on a single desktop asset. Our present Bill of Material system was developed in-house using IMS (a Legacy IBM Mainframe hieratical database). These legacy systems would be difficult, if possible to integrate with current CAD and other major tools in use on our site. In addition, we are in the business of developing weapon systems not infrastructure software. We selected Team Center a COTS PLM marketed and distributed by EDS. Our configuration of Team Center is highly customized by Northrop Grumman Information Technology (NGIT) division's Product Knowledge Management (PKM) team located in California. The NGIT customization that is being used has been licensed to EDS and marketed under the product name of 'Aerospace and Defense Template' (A&D) making this tool a COTS solution. This configuration of Team Center is in production on many internal Northrop Grumman programs like the Air Force's E-8C Joint-STARS, B-2 Stealth Bomber, and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, Unmanned Air Vehicle programs like Global Hawk, and within Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems sector. In addition, NGIT has been contracted by Lockheed Martin to implement Team Center on the overall JSF program as well as other major aerospace companies. So in short, Team Center is a commercial off-the shelf software package that Northrop Grumman has customized for the Aerospace industry to develop an extensive PLM capability in a user-friendly WEB based environment.

What will PLM provide to the enterprise? PLM is the framework that enables companies to manage and control engineering information, specifically data surrounding the product designs and related engineering processes. This may or may not have been a problem within most aerospace companies however; the ability to navigate a product structure presenting a user with all the related information in a usable neutral format has historically been an issue. Studies have been done by numerous consulting organizations on the efficiency of an engineer to locate data required to perform their activities. The findings of these studies have ranged from as little as 40% to as high as 80% in non-value added activities attempting to locate the required information. The implementation of this type of architecture will reduce that time to less than 10%. From the product perspective, it will organize data required for design revisions, track versions and configurations of evolving design concepts; manage archived data, and other product-specific information. From a process perspective, a PLM system can orchestrate procedural events such as design reviews, approvals, product releases and configuration audits. Specifically, PLM implementation at Northrop Grumman will address the following areas:

Data Organization and Retrieval
The PLM implementation will provide a business object hierarchical view of AGS/BMS product development. The system will allow users to customize their view of the product or data to simplify their access. As an example the structural views will describe and provide access through a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) and Product Structure (part hierarchy) view in either an As-Designed; As-Methodized; As-Build or As-Maintained. Product design information is created by designers and engineers and is used by many other downstream customers such as manufacturing engineers, purchasing agents, quality engineers, product and inventory control planners, and field support technicians. The ability to electronically retrieve product definition data results in less time spent searching, and more time spent on the design and support.

Data Viewing, Access and Distribution
The PLM system will manage data from many systems across the network. This causes many challenges. A user historically had to know where the data resided and have a working knowledge of the application to view, analyze or print. The implementation of the PLM will provide the user a robust search engine and provide the required information in a user-friendly web browser, eliminating the requirement to know the native application as a consumer of the data. In addition, integrating the PLM system with your corporate mail system provides a mechanism to deliver released data within milliseconds to all your internal and external customers, resulting in reduced distribution time, reduced distribution costs and higher data reuse and satisfaction.

Product Definition Data
Product Definition Data (PDD) is the design information describing the engineering product. This information includes part and document information represented in a PDM system with documentation, objects and attributes. The goal of managing this data with the PDM system will allow data re-use and leverage the Data Organizational and Retrieval tools within the system. As an example, traditionally the data about a drawing were stored in one system, the drawing in a different location and, the CAD model elsewhere. Now the distributed representations and data are logically linked allowing the user to navigate across what used to be isolated data silos to locate and use the required data.

Information Control
PKM Vaulting capabilities can control the access to all data including work-in-progress and released information. Team Center will manage the data across the network, controlling access to the information, automatically assign tasks (review, release, etc) based on life cycle rules, report metrics on the status of the data and move data as required.

Product Definition Data Control
Once information access storage and retrieval is under PLM control the next task is to control changes to the product definition data baseline. The PLM implementation will provide for configuration identification, change control, status accounting and history. Baseline capability will be provided to identify structure information by end item, serial or unit number, date or lot. Once information is released to the system, formal change control processes manage revision status and history.

Continuous Acquisition and Life Cycle Support (CALS)
CALS compliance is achieved through the electronic storage, access and distribution of product data. The PLM implementation will provide the framework to support program requirements for CALS and Contractor Integrated Technical Information Service (CITIS). CALS compliance and the ability to provide an integrated product development environment can be critical success criteria for Department of Defense (DOD) contracts. All new DOD contracts require some level of CALS compliance.

ISO 9000 & 9001
PLM implementation will facilitate compliance with ISO 9001 document control requirements. PKM will ensure that the most current revision of a drawing is available for users that need it, that engineering changes are reviewed promptly, and that a complete audit trail for the reviewer's is available at all times i.e.: task assignments; completions; and implementations.

Cost of Quality
Implementing PLM reduces the number of down stream changes and provides faster turnaround in change processing. PLM will enforce data integrity, ensure the use of the right information at the right time and assess the impact of changes and actions. Organizing, tracking and controlling access of product information as it is created can be accomplished by a PLM system facilitates a team-oriented approach to product development, because it manages data as it is reviewed, modified, approved and archived.

The PLM system will provide a single source for all product related information navigable through a custom view of the data that best fits the users' discipline. A PLM system will compress the time required to complete product development because it enables the acceleration of the process in which products are designed and approved. Information access and retrieval will be facilitated through structural relationships and the incorporation of a view/markup/print toolset. Our statistics show on average a user is able to retrieve 14 documents in less than four minutes.

Our Environment: Team Center turning Information into Knowledge
Looking at an engineering centric view of our tools, how will the PLM system integrate our tool suite? First we must understand the environment. We use DOORS (?) as our requirements management tool, System Architect for our architecture and functional modeling; CATIA V4 (Legacy programs), CATIA V5 (New Programs, that have no V4 legacy database), CATIA CADAM Drafting (CCD) and Mentor Graphics (Electrical Design) for CAD; SDRC's Patran / Nastran for CAE; Livelink for document management; Microsoft products for our office applications and Rational products for software development. Knowing the tools and how the data interacts allows the users to access required data and assures the compliance of requirements, tasks and process flow. Requirements are flowed through our architectural models using Teamwork bridge (COTS); to our software environment using a Rational bridge (COTS) and Team Center which will flow requirements to the product structure using DMI (COTS) product. These integrations allow a user to view the requirements while implementing or designing a component without interfacing with a requirements tools or system engineer. Integration between Team Center and CAD are through one of several COTS solution CMI by T-Systems (COTS) will bridge CATIA V4 and V5 with Team Center; Team Center Integrator (COTS) will Bridge Oracle, Livelink, and Legacy IMS Systems; EDS's Rational Bridge provides integration with the software development environment and Team Center. Office applications and internal / external customer access are also provided by Team Center out of the box capability.

Need for Change
Lean initiatives, lower cost of ownership, reduced acquisition budgets; all seem to be common terms we hear throughout engineering. It is clear that in order to stay competitive we need to have more efficient engineering and business processes. The Team Center product, and the resultant customization and implementation here at AGS-BMS, will provide a more collaborative engineering environment. This environment will make it easier to for engineering personnel to locate and share data and knowledge as designs and changes move through the product lifecycle. Engineering, ILS, Technology, Manufacturing, and Quality will now retrieve and access baseline data and create related products with less rework and re-entry of common information.

The Plan
As part of the overall engineering process improvement plan, AGS-BMS Engineering initiated a PLM project in the latter part of 1999 to address the Product Knowledgement needs of the engineering community. The objectives of this study were and continue to be:

• Reduce project cycle time costs
• Migrate off legacy systems
• Utilize COTS tools were appropriate
• Leverage corporate and sector activities
• Improve collaboration with Suppliers and Customers
• Maintain and control total system product configurations

• Leverage customizations accomplished by Northrop Grumman for other DOD programs. (Unmanned Air Vehicles, B-2, F-35 (JSF), Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems sector (NGES), Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center, Lockheed Martin, etc …)
• Interface with tools such as CAD/CAM, Rose, DOORS, Livelink and Office Products to streamline and automate the creation of product structures.
• Integrating PLM and electronic data transfer with suppliers and the Government

The implementation of any PLM system is a major undertaking and should not be underestimated. The Team Center integration will be implementing the capabilities as a multi-phased project focused around key areas. The following are the set of common focus areas selected to meet the needs of the site.

• System Integration
• Engineering Master Model
• Collaborative Engineering
• Requirements Management
• Configuration Management
• Extended Enterprise

Phase 1, which was completed in 2000, demonstrated the systems capability for document management and then concentrated on the final stage of phase 1 to provide engineering drawing release and distribution. It provided a Data Management (DM) Prototype, demonstrated a WEB Desktop, and eliminated a legacy system.

The project deployment continued by working backwards through the engineering life cycle with Phase 2, planned to be completed in 2002. Phase 2 will include the integration of the legacy BOM mechanical parts portion of the Northrop Grumman End Item Definition System (EIDS). This integration and implementation will result in leveraging the Standard Parts, Materials, and Standard Notes developed and utilized on the legacy Northrop Grumman product line including the Joint STARS vehicle. This will enable the development and support community to use a single instance of the data for both legacy and new programs managed within the legacy system. The result will allow Team Center Integrator to populate and synchronize common data items used across programs within a single environment. Phase 2 will also include modeling of engineering workflow and automation of engineering and configuration management processes.

Phase 3 will focus on providing additional integration with the CAD systems, manufacturing systems, requirement systems and development of streamlined automated processes. A major part of Phase 3 will be the creation of an extended or virtual enterprise, laying the foundation to integrate suppliers and customers. Phase 3, is planned to be completed in 2003-2004. Benefits expected from phase 3 are:

• PLM/ERP Interface
• CAD/CAM Integration
• Integrated Engineering Data Base (IEDB) integration/interface
• Drawing Electronic Markup
• Design Re-use
• WEB Interface Automated BOM
• Common CM System
• Customers/Key Suppliers Interface
• Integrated Supplier Schedules
• Federated Environment - Integrated PLM systems with the supply chain

Although the majority of the implementation will be complete by the end of Phase 3, it is anticipated that additional functionality and capability will be implemented, as users get more comfortable with the product. Areas such as Quality, Manufacturing, ILS and Program Management will find uses for it and additional requirements will be implemented. Since the initiation of this activity the scope has grown to include Project Management utilizing Team Center Project (presently in pilot), 3D design collaboration in a Multi-CAD environment utilizing Team Center Visualization (Vis-Vue, Vis-Mochup, and Vis-Publish) and Community products (e-Vis).

Details of Phase 1
Phase 1 concentrated on the replacement of the shared service's "DocDraw" system. This legacy system was used to manage all the released drawings for the Joint STARS aircraft. Prior to the implementation of Team Center, a print had to be ordered from the print counter, retrieved by the shared services personnel, copied, and shipped to the requestor. After implementation the process has been refined to logging on the "MetaWEB" system and searching for the drawing required. The user can open the drawing electronically and either view it with off the shelf available viewing tools or print/plot it out locally. This implementation has saved considerable time for the requestor and provides product knowledge at the fingertips of the engineer anywhere on the planet.

Phase 2
Electronic drawing sign-off, review, release and distribution have been deployed eliminating all internal physical reproduction distributions. Integration with the Livelink document management system was completed and access to external suppliers and customers has been made available through the MetaWeb extranet portal.

Phase 2 also included the support of the Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS) implementation-using Team Center to support the design and integration of this new weapon system. Our existing "out of the box" solution is being used for the ALMDS effort and is the first program in AGS/BMS not to use our legacy EIDS system for product structure or the Integrated Engineering Data Base (IEDB) system for drawing control and release. Implementation on this program leveraged the existing Team Center product as customized by NGIT used on other programs through the industry internally and externally.

CATIA Version 5 (V5) migration activities and lessons learned
As part of the PLM project implementing CATIA V5 would enable our design team to migrate away from a multi-computer (Unix & Intel) environment to a single Intel device for CAD/CAM and office applications. This migration should result in savings associated to improved productivity, reduced support; asset; maintenance; and real estate costs. The question you have to ask is not if you are going to migrate to V5 but when. Version 4 (V4) will continue to be supported but will not be enhanced. In order to take advantage of enhancements, integrations, and new productivity tools you must migrate to V5. Understanding the future direction we at AGS/BMS are planning to schedule the migration when the capabilities and conversion tools are available and provide the required functionality.

The AGS/BMS team initiated their evaluation with V5 Release 3 and found its capabilities lacking required functionality. The team then re-evaluated V5 Release 5 again finding required functionality unavailable. The final evaluation was done using V5R7 finding the system capabilities meeting our root requirements for new design activities but unacceptable for legacy programs due to a lack of V4 data migration tools. A pilot program is now under way utilizing V5 Release 9. The AGS/BMS direction will be to utilize V5 on all new design activities not requiring legacy V4 data upon the success of the V5 pilot program.

Additional studies continue to develop the knowledge and processes for migrating our legacy CATIA CADAM Drafting (CCD) 2D system to CATIA Drafting and V4 (3D) to V5. Unfortunately, until Dassault/IBM provide data migration tools we will be unable to migrate resulting in additional support costs to maintain both environments. Dassault has stated that the Release's 11-13 may contain the functionality required to initiate the migrations. We will continue to work with IBM and Dassault and evaluate the capabilities, as they are made available.

In Summary
The implementation of PLM in AGS/BMS leverages the corporate investments; ties together isolated islands of data. Allow users from many disciplines to share data without re-creating or re-typing. Utilize COTS solutions reduced our support costs and time required to implement software updates. Use of the Mini-Victory approach providing new system functionality and productivity tools to the in a timely fashion, improve productivity and inspires the end user to participate in providing input for enhancements and changes to the system.

The availability and capabilities of the CATIA Version 5 product suite are now capable of supporting new development programs. However, the data migration tools allowing us to migrate from Version 4 and CCD to CATIA Version 5 with minimal rework are not available. In order to position your company to take advantage of productivity tools and new technology you must continue to investigate the Version 5 tool suite.

There are many benefits and cost savings associated to the implementation of this technology, reduction in system support costs, reduction in document reproduction and distribution costs and of course the largest of them all the productivity gains of the user and reduction in errors and cycle time.

Some Advice
I would like to take this opportunity to pass along a couple of lessons learned: implement the system where it makes sense in a timely manner and assure that you have customer buy in. Only re-engineering the processes that cause the end-user issues should be your focus. Do not try and fix problems they don't have. Have multi-discipline teams that meet regularly, allowing team members see the bigger picture. It improves communication, assists in the product development and implementation and inspires ownership at all levels.