Competitiveness of Small- and Medium Enterprises of the Arizona Aerospace and Defense Supply Chain

This paper discusses the development of a database and an interactive data visualizat ion of Arizona aerospace and defense suppliers. The paper also summarizes key results of a survey of those companies focusing on their strategic competitiveness and next generation manufacturing (NGM) read iness.The survey categories included: company demographics, supply chain management, global engagement, sustainability and green, process improvement, and innovation. Development of the database andselected key findings of the survey are reported. To summarize: Arizona aerospace and defense companystrengths include: Product portfolio and product diversity; Frequency and scale of process and system improvements; Balance of revenue sources between privateand public; Balance of customers between military and commercial. Weaknesses include: Strategic planning and strategic plan implementation; Utilizat ion of lean manufacturing techniques; Underperformance in on-time delivery of products and services; Automation; Certificat ions; Global engagement; Interest toward, and knowledge of, strategy for global, sustainability and green, as well as innovation. We believe that the database and findings will, whilerepresenting a snapshot only, add to the knowledge base relat ing to NGM readiness of the aerospaceand defense companies in the United States, as well as provide new informat ion about the competitiveness of smalland medium aerospaceand defense suppliers.