Case Study: Software Innovation for Aerospace and Defense

Case Study

Enhancing Aeronautics Through leading-edge Technical Engineering

Major aerospace and defense contractor continues its legacy of excellence through innovative upgrades to sophisticated simulation software. 

Aeronautics operations, from scheduling to safety, rely upon precise aircraft fuel efficiency.

The Client

A multinational manufacturer of spacecraft, commercial jetliners, fighter jets, rotorcraft, and military cybersecurity systems. Airlines around the globe rely upon our client for fuel-efficient aircraft to keep their operating costs as low as possible.

The Challenge

The client needed to complete extensive upgrades to a mission-critical fuel simulation system; the timeframe and budget for the project made recruiting, hiring, and training a team of internal software engineers impractical.

Complex Technical Objectives

The project entailed developing extensive upgrades to a large, technically sophisticated fuel simulation system designed to model and predict the performance of aircraft systems under a variety of rugged conditions.

The client relied upon this application to test modifications to manufacturing specifications in a virtual environment during the aircraft design process. The system needed to run reliably on a number of different workstations and generate, integrate, store, and transmit massive amounts of data throughout the organization.

It was imperative that this mission-critical system be modernized to not only meet the client’s current needs, but architected to evolve efficiently as the technological landscape changes over time.

A Specific Set of Requirements

Faced with such a critical and time-sensitive project, the client determined that recruiting and training individual engineers within the given timeframe was unlikely to be a viable solution.

To complicate matters further, the highly technical and heavily regulated nature of the aerospace and defense industry, the client’s requirements for a team of outside contractors extended beyond simple software engineering expertise.

To start, the client needed engineers and developers with exceptional skills to work side-by-side with its in-house engineering teams, who rely heavily on a suite of proprietary design and modeling tools to create some of the most sophisticated aircraft in the world.

Additionally, software solutions developed for this client are always subject to strict government regulations. One such regulation states that code used in the manufacturing and operation of aircraft must be Open Source. Thus, expertise in Open Source languages and frameworks was crucial.

Finally, the client required the team to be eligible for U.S. security clearance.

Our project was two months behind schedule due to some difficult transitions within the team. With OCI’s help, the project was not only put back on track, but was completed two months ahead of schedule.”

— Client Testimonial

OCI: A Perfect Fit

We provided a combination of software engineering services, architectural review, mentoring, and training, as well as ongoing support, to help design and develop extensive upgrades to a large, technically sophisticated fuel simulation system designed to model and predict the performance of aircraft systems under a variety of rugged conditions..

Our team of software engineers was ideally suited to partner with the client’s team to plan, design, develop, and release the set of upgrades that fulfilled the parameters and performed as promised.

Our extensive experience with aerospace and defense applications allowed us to assemble exactly the right team at exactly the right time to deliver the engineering services the client required. 

As a leader in Open Source software engineering, we brought expertise in evaluating, adapting, and perfecting complex systems built with Open Source technology.

Finally, our team met the U.S. security clearance requirements, allowing the client to get to work as quickly as possible.

Business Outcomes

We continue to work with the client to accelerate their software development processes by building the right software that delivers the right services at the right time through a combination of proven methodologies and in-depth industry experience.

Airlines around the globe rely upon our client for fuel-efficient aircrafts to keep their operating costs as low as possible. Fuel-efficient aircrafts deliver the added benefits of reduced air congestion, fewer flight delays, and optimized air route mapping.

In partnering with OCI on this mission-critical project, our client avoids costly aircraft redesigns and maintains its competitive edge as a Fortune 100 company.

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