Practice Groups: AI, Data & Cognitive Sciences, Corporate Performance, Digital Transformation, IT Transformation, Organization & Human Capital, Strategy & Innovation, Talent Acquisition
Aerospace Manufacturer’s Digital Design Engagement Overview
Our client, one of the world’s leading aerospace manufacturers, embarked on a bold digital twin engineering transformation to revolutionize its aircraft development and production. In 2018, facing unprecedented demand for new aircraft and rising pressure to improve sustainability and safety, the company saw an opportunity to reinvent its engineering approach.
P&C Global was engaged as the strategic partner to design and execute an end-to-end digital design initiative, focused on achieving digital continuity across their engineering, manufacturing, and service processes. We were selected over other firms due to our proven cross-disciplinary expertise in digital transformation and track record in aerospace innovation.
Together with the client, we launched a multi-year collaboration (2018–2021) that would accelerate engineering cycles and set new industry benchmarks. In summary, P&C Global helped architect a company-wide transformation that delivered an integrated digital design platform, cultivated a digital-first culture, and dramatically shortened product development times, all while positioning our client as a pioneer in the aerospace sector.
Business Challenge – Building Faster, Safer, Greener Aircraft
The client was navigating an inflection point common to modern aerospace manufacturing: how to build more advanced aircraft faster, safer, and greener amid fierce global competition. The market demanded increased production rates and new models with better fuel efficiency and performance. Internally, legacy engineering systems and siloed processes constrained collaboration and agility. The company’s leadership understood that traditional methods could not keep pace with evolving needs.
Meeting Aerospace Market Demands for Innovation and Sustainability
As the aerospace industry ramped up to meet global demand, they embraced a digital-first strategy “to accelerate product development, enhance environmental performance, and elevate safety standards.” This vision meant rethinking every aspect of engineering – from initial design and simulation to manufacturing and in-service support using a unified data-driven approach. Competitively, they aimed not just to respond to rivals, but to leapfrog them. “Digital transformation is the way to think beyond competition and become a business leader,” noted the senior executive of the client’s end-to-end digital design program.
The challenge was immense: replace decades-old engineering practices with a seamless digital thread linking design, production, and operations. Furthermore, the transformation needed to happen without disrupting ongoing jet programs and while upskilling thousands of engineers. They entrusted P&C Global to co-pilot this mission due to our deep understanding of Industry 4.0 in manufacturing and our ability to blend strategy, technology, and organizational change into a coherent transformation roadmap.
Our Approach to End-to-End Digital Twin Implementation
P&C Global deployed a cross-functional task force to design and implement the client’s end-to-end digital design initiative. This joint team spanned multiple practice groups and expertise domains, ensuring that every facet of the transformation was addressed in harmony:
Strategic Roadmap & Governance for Aerospace Transformation
Leveraging our Strategy & Innovation practice, we worked with client leadership to formulate a bold transformation roadmap and business case. This included setting targets for speed-to-market, cost efficiency, and quality improvement, aligned with corporate strategy. We established a governance model to steer the multi-year program and secure C-suite buy-in at every stage. Early on, our team facilitated vision workshops with key stakeholders to articulate the future-state “digital aerospace enterprise.”
Digital Platform Modernization & Data Continuity
In partnership with our Digital Transformation and IT Transformation teams, P&C Global helped the client stand up a unified, enterprise-wide digital engineering platform. We guided the selection and integration of next-generation Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems to serve as the backbone of the new digital design environment.
This meant modernizing the client’s IT architecture and engineering tools to enable digital continuity from concept through production. For example, we supported deployment of Dassault Systèmes 3DEXPERIENCE and other advanced solutions (in the client’s secure environment) to create a single source of truth for all product data.
Our IT specialists ensured legacy CAD/CAM data and processes were migrated with minimal disruption, establishing a robust foundation for virtual prototyping and model-based systems engineering. Internal collaboration across P&C Global’s IT Transformation and AI & Data practices was key critical, as we implemented data governance, integration standards, and cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive aerospace IP.
Deploying Advanced Digital Twin & Simulation Capabilities
A centerpiece of our approach was introducing advanced digital twin simulations to the client’s engineering workflow. P&C Global’s AI, Data & Cognitive Sciences experts collaborated with the client’s engineers to develop high-fidelity virtual models of aircraft structures, systems, and even entire production lines. These digital twins – dynamic, living virtual replicas – enabled engineers to simulate performance under countless scenarios and iterate designs rapidly. We helped embed physics-based modeling and virtual prototyping into early design phases, drastically reducing reliance on physical test articles.
Notably, our team guided the creation of an “aircraft digital twin” encompassing millions of parts and complex systems, a breakthrough that gave the client a real-time, holistic view of each development aircraft. This effort involved heavy cross-practice coordination: our data science specialists built analytics models to drive simulations, while our engineering acceleration consultants refined processes so that insights from the twin (e.g. stress points, airflow dynamics, systems integration issues) could be quickly integrated into design updates. The result was an agile, iterative design approach more akin to software development than traditional aerospace engineering.
Process Re-engineering with Agile Aerospace Workflows
Transforming technology alone was not enough – we also reimagined engineering processes and team structures. P&C Global’s Corporate Performance and Organization & Human Capital practitioners led an operational redesign to break down silos between design, engineering, manufacturing, and support functions.
We introduced agile methodologies and scrum teamwork to the hardware engineering context, enabling faster prototyping cycles and concurrent development across global sites. Continuous improvement mechanisms were put in place, empowering cross-functional teams to identify bottlenecks and optimize in real time. We also worked to align incentives and KPIs with the new digital processes – for instance, measuring reduction in design iterations and time saved through simulation.
To ensure long-term sustainability, new roles such as digital simulation leads and data engineers were defined, and we partnered with the client’s HR to embed these in the organization.
Workforce Upskilling & Cultural Change Management
A transformation of this scale required a cultural evolution. Our Organization & Human Capital team orchestrated a comprehensive change management program to cultivate a digital-first mindset among their workforce. We rolled out a “Digital Engineering Academy” to train thousands of engineers and program managers in new tools and methods, from 3D model-based design to AI-driven analytics. This upskilling initiative was supported by our Talent Acquisition practice group, which advised on recruiting new digital talent and expertise where necessary to fill critical gaps.
Communication was another focus: we helped craft an internal narrative positioning this initiative as “Engineering Acceleration” – a positive, career-enhancing movement – rather than an IT project. Through town halls, innovation days, and an internal champions network, we galvanized broad support. By program’s end, our client had built a vibrant internal digital community of innovators and adopters. In the words of one engineering executive, the initiative “encouraged teams to embrace digital tools, streamline processes, enhance efficiency and revolutionize production methods.”
P&C Global’s role as an advisor, coach, and cheerleader for this cultural shift was instrumental in its success. Throughout the engagement, we maintained a tightly integrated delivery model. Our strategy consultants collaborated daily with data scientists and change specialists, exemplifying P&C Global’s one-firm approach. Regular steering committee meetings with the client’s C-suite ensured strategic alignment, while agile sprints at the project team level drove iterative progress. By blending expertise in enterprise innovation strategy, advanced analytics, and organizational change, P&C Global enabled them to turn an ambitious vision into a concrete, enterprise-scale reality.
Results & Impact of the Aerospace Digital Twin Transformation
The results of the end-to-end digital design transformation were profound, positioning the company for faster innovation and stronger performance in the coming decades. Over the 2018–2021 program, our client achieved dramatic improvements across engineering, operations, and business metrics:
Accelerated Development Cycles & Reduced Time-to-Market
The introduction of digital twins and end-to-end model-based engineering cut development lead times significantly. For one of their leading commercial airliner product families, for example, using 3D digital models as the master design authority and automating workflows has “significantly [reduced] quality issues and shorten[ed] design and production lead times.” Engineers could iterate designs in days instead of weeks, compressing design-build-test loops. Overall, the first aircraft programs adopting the new digital approach saw double-digit percentage reductions in time-to-market. The client can now respond faster to new market opportunities and customer requests, gaining a competitive edge.
Improved First-Time-Right Engineering Quality
By simulating millions of component interactions virtually, the company greatly enhanced design quality and “got it right the first time.” Complex systems are now validated via physics-based digital models, reducing costly late-stage modifications. “The biggest challenge… is making the right choice the first time around,” noted the client’s digital design lead – a challenge the digital initiative addressed head-on.
During this engagement, they achieved a notable drop in design errors escaping to production. For instance, one early outcome was the elimination of several manual fit-check cycles; wings, fuselage sections and cabin modules now fit together in the digital mock-up long before physical assembly, virtually eliminating rework in those areas. This first-time-right approach also bolsters safety and compliance, as potential issues are resolved in simulation with traceable data to back decisions.
Cost Savings & Operational Efficiency Gains
Faster development and fewer physical prototypes translated into substantial cost savings. By one estimate, the reduction in redesign and late changes (thanks to up-front digital validation) will save hundreds of millions of dollars over the lifecycle of a single aircraft program. The new digital thread has also improved production efficiency: factory tooling and assembly processes are optimized via virtual modeling, minimizing downtime and materials waste. The client reports higher resource utilization and a smoother ramp-up for production rate changes, as digital planning ensures facilities and supply chains are ready well in advance (a critical advantage when scaling output).
Enterprise-Wide Collaboration & Data Integration
The end-to-end digital design initiative broke down silos, creating a single collaborative ecosystem for the previously fragmented engineering teams. Designers, stress analysts, manufacturing engineers, and service technicians are now connected on a common platform, sharing real-time data and insights. This single source of truth approach means that when a change is made to a design, all downstream systems (engineering, procurement, manufacturing, support) automatically update, ensuring consistency and reducing miscommunication.
During the program, more than 12,000 employees became part of an internal digital community, actively using new tools and contributing to continuous improvements. Additionally, the company’s lead cloud-based, fleet management data platform (a parallel digital initiative) grew to over 18,000 daily users, leveraging aircraft operational data to complement engineering digital twins. The cross-functional collaboration fostered by this engagement has instilled a more innovative, data-driven culture – one where silos are replaced by synergistic teamwork across the product lifecycle.
Enhanced Product Innovation & Customer Satisfaction
Ultimately, the transformation enabled tangible product and customer benefits. The use of advanced simulation and virtual prototyping has allowed the organization to pursue more innovative aircraft architectures with confidence. Engineers can explore radical design ideas in silico without fear of expensive failures, leading to bolder innovation. The first aircraft developed with heavy use of the new digital capabilities – such as the long-range single-aisle commercial airliner – proceeded from concept to production with unprecedented speed and accuracy. That jet offers 30% lower fuel burn per seat than previous generations, a feat achieved in part by rapid design iterations and optimizations in the virtual realm.
Additionally, later-stage customization for airline customers has become more feasible; with a full digital twin of each aircraft, they can accommodate tailored configurations or last-minute changes without derailing the production schedule. Early customer feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, citing better on-time delivery and quality. In short, the initiative not only improved internal KPIs but also enhanced their value proposition to airlines – delivering more advanced, reliable aircraft faster than was ever possible before.
P&C Global is proud of the role we played in these outcomes. Our holistic approach – blending strategy, digital technology, and people-focused change – enabled our client to realize the promise of digital engineering at enterprise scale. The results have been externally recognized as well: the digital design program was highlighted in industry forums as a model for digital twin adoption in manufacturing, and it has strengthened our client’s reputation as an innovator. By quantifiably improving speed, cost, and quality, the engagement delivered both immediate ROI and lasting competitive advantage.
Aerospace Engineering Transformation with Digital Twin Technology
This engagement showcases how a visionary organization can achieve an engineering transformation through strategic use of digital twin technology and cross-functional innovation. In just a few years, our client evolved from traditional engineering practices to a fully digital, model-driven enterprise – accelerating engineering development while bolstering precision and agility.
P&C Global served as the architect and enabler of this digital twin engineering transformation, helping the client to unlock new levels of performance and setting the foundation for future growth. The success of the end-to-end digital design initiative also offers a blueprint for other industrial companies aspiring to leap ahead: embrace a unified digital thread, invest in your people’s skills, and reimagine how work gets done across silos. By doing so, even the most complex engineering challenges can be tackled with speed and confidence.
Our client now enters the next chapter with a powerful strategic advantage – a digitally transformed engineering capability that will drive innovation for years to come. And as they continue to pioneer advances (from next-generation aircraft programs to new aerospace services), P&C Global remains a committed partner in sustaining and extending these gains. The journey illustrates that with the right strategy and execution, digital twin-driven engineering innovation can translate into real-world industry leadership.
About P&C Global
P&C Global partners with the world’s most demanding precision and high-performance manufacturers—from the world’s leading aerospace companies to ultra-premium automotive brands including Bentley Motor Cars, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, Ferrari, and BMW, plus luxury precision manufacturers such as Omega, Patek Philippe, Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, Miele, and V-ZUG. Our work drives measurable transformation across brand strategy, Production-as-a-Service implementation, advanced manufacturing systems, and end-to-end digital ecosystem design. Leveraging our proprietary 4D Methodology, quantum computing capabilities, and operator-led expertise, we deliver 15-25% profit improvements while navigating the convergence of Industry 4.0, supply chain resilience, and the uncompromising precision demands of global UHNW markets—where micron-level accuracy, heritage craftsmanship, and flawless execution are not aspirations, but imperatives.
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