The Digitization of an Aerospace Supply Network

Unique, and certainly complex, networks of suppliers, clients, and operators (end users), characterize the supply chain in the aerospace manufacturing industry. With the emergence of e-commerce and enterprise information systems, a number of processes, locations, and partners can be linked globally—and in real time. Motivated by the need to achieve global integration, a Canadian aerospace manufacturer has embarked on a company-wide digitization initiative to integrate several members of its supply network. This pilot study illustrates how three separate business practices (i.e., process integration, supply chain management, and quality management) may relate to—and indeed reinforce—each other in this industry. Furthermore, this network-wide initiative can enhance new product development activities by integrating customer relationships management with collaborative design. From the perspective of the participating firm, we suggest that a truly global supply network needs to integrate several business practices in parallel in order to prosper as a digital extended enterprise.