CIMdata Announces E-Book on Digital Thread in Aerospace and Defense

Research commissioned by the Aerospace & Defense PLM Action Group with Eurostep and leading PLM providers

Published: Wednesday, May 31, 2023 - 11:59

(CIMdata, Ann Arbor, MI) -- CIMdata, a global product life-cycle management (PLM) consulting and research firm, has punlished an ebook that summarizes the results of a multisponsor collaborative research program, and highlights Eurostep’s perspective on the topic of digital threads. The CIMdata-administered Aerospace & Defense PLM Action Group commissioned the research in collaboration with Eurostep and four other leading PLM solution providers.

The concept of linking multiple representations of a product, each tuned to the needs of various creators and consumers along the life cycle, is powerful. Until recently, tracing these links has been primarily a manual process. But now, with recent advances in commercial PLM solutions, the digital thread, with automated links and traceability, has become a practical possibility.

Leaders in the aerospace and defense industry are starting to implement targeted digital-thread solutions and envision expanding these solutions upstream and downstream throughout the product life cycle. There is not much available historically in the way of lessons learned or actual value achieved, which represents a barrier to broader investments from within industry. The shared objective of this research was to gain an understanding of needs and opportunities within industry that will inform digital-thread solution strategy, help planning, and guide industrial implementations.

The research findings clearly indicate that digital thread investment within the ecosystem of industrial users, their customers, suppliers, and solution providers is poised for rapid growth. Initial implementations of targeted digital thread solutions have provided proof points of value and essential knowledge. Now, rounds of investment are ramping up, guided by these early achievements and with expectations driven by the value potential revealed.

“The concept of the digital thread has been at the core of Eurostep’s endeavors for over two decades, even before the term gained widespread recognition,” says Rob Bodington, a technical fellow at Eurostep. “We are delighted to witness the outcomes of CIMdata’s survey, highlighting the growing importance of this concept.” 

“Emphasizing life-cycle management, traceability, and collaboration, our standards-based software ShareAspace embodies the essence of the digital thread,” says James Roche, CIMdata’s aerospace and defense practice director. “We know that investment in digital thread today is real and substantial, and the level of investment will continue to rise. That reality positions digital thread as an emerging strategic opportunity within the PLM ecosystem. Investing effectively in solution development as a software provider or solution implementation as an industrial user requires insight into current state enablers, barriers, and future investment drivers.”

You can download a complimentary copy of the Eurostep e-book here. for more information, contact CIMdata director of marketing Cheryl Peck via email or call (734) 668–9922.

About The Author

Quality Digest

For 40 years Quality Digest has been the go-to source for all things quality. Our newsletter, Quality Digest, shares expert commentary and relevant industry resources to assist our readers in their quest for continuous improvement. Our website includes every column and article from the newsletter since May 2009 as well as back issues of Quality Digest magazine to August 1995. We are committed to promoting a view wherein quality is not a niche, but an integral part of every phase of manufacturing and services.