Jonathan Gabbai

Abstract. The Aerospace Industry is at the forefront of technological innovation, both at product level and manufac-turing and support levels. We draw upon our experience in this sector to illustrate the increasing challenges that large scale complex organizations, exemplified by this sector, are facing. We examine why traditional methodologies are no longer globally appropriate and discuss how work on multi agent systems and emergence is promising the means to overcome the limitations of traditional approaches. Furthermore, we draw upon our research on relating organizational struc-ture to performance to illustrate how such potential solutions can be applied to organizational complexity. Finally, we conclude by looking at the future of this industry and the technological solutions that may play a part in its evolution.

Citation. Gabbai, J. M. E., Wright, W. A., and Allinson, N. M., “Trends, Implications and Overview of Complex Organizations with a Focus on the Aerospace Industry (invited paper),??? in IEEE International Conference on Industrial Informatics (INDIN 04), Schoop, R., et al., Eds. Berlin, Germany: IEEE, 2004, pp. 385-390.

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Introduction

This report concentrates on the way BAE SYSTEMS (formally British Aerospace after its recent acquisition of GEC Marconi) deals with the inherently long lead times that occur between contract with customer to the actual commercial production and provision of the product/solution.

This report will describe the overall operational situation faced by BAE SYSTEMS, and then concentrate on the more challenging military market. A brief description of a typical classic aircraft design cycle will be provided, followed by a discussion as to why this is unsuitable for most current and future projects due to the unique situation that defence systems companies face. Finally, an appraisal on current practices and a look into the future concludes the report. Read the rest of this entry »

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Abstract

Simulation is an established technique used in the man-machine systems area for training, evaluation of performance and research. The principal task of flight simulation is the creation of a dynamic representation of an aircraft’s behaviour while allowing one or more human operators to interact with the simulation.

Personal experience within the simulation industry gave a small insight into what is a largely closed and highly specialised industry where several technical disciplines are combined to form a highly accurate representation of flight.

Such disciplines include computer graphics, hardware and software engineering, man-machine systems and mathematical systems modelling. One can thus conclude that the true art of simulation is the successful integration of very specific areas to form an accurate representation of an aircraft, and it is hoped that the broad technical spectrum that simulation encapsulates is reflected in this text. Read the rest of this entry »