Guiding Supply Chain Security in Aeronautic Development
understand the state its supply chain is in , and the consequences derived from the risks of that state .
Risks vary widely on the supply chains involved and become more complex the larger the project . Each part , when viewed in tiers of acquisition , expands . Simply given , one part selection may have three to five tiers down to its material sources . A large scale project potentially has upwards of a million parts , vendors , and transitive modes to track . Each part has a supply chain that services that part . Add more parts and your supply chains grow like a seed taking root . The more mature the project , the more intertwined these supply chains get . Rooting out a bad supply chain or risk involved within each part becomes a task load beyond one company ’ s capability . This becomes ever more realized when other key factors like safety become mixed into the engineering process .
Aerospace is a growing industry bolstered by space exploration , commercial travel , weather tracking , new technology , and the increase of contracting . The abilities of planes , rockets , and satellites are growing tremendously . Once simple avionic projects are now housing a multitude of sensors and smart logic bearing devices , with complex programs to manage everything . Multiple systems rely on key data . With the introduction of new parts , more cost , and new supply chains without the ability to evaluate the increase of supply chain problems , effective and informed decisions cannot be made . With more moving parts , simpler attacks become easier to employ .
Exemplifying the changing world of Aerospace supply chains , NASA has moved to a contracting approach for the Space Launch System . 4 This creates new and unique multi-party supply chains where the government must now rely on the contractor for visibility , trusting not only the contractor but the sub-contracts and vendor management of the company selected . Any failure when tracking the vendors may lead to inaccurate cost projections as well as safety and reliability issues unknown to such organizations unless they have a framework that implements accountability measures in place for the contract .
The competing concerns of industry , contractors , and government shape supply chain requirements and the resiliency the system needs to face . Supply chains can be constrained through regulation with the Trade Act Agreements or sole United States of America and Ally manufacturing processes , increasing the legal factors companies will face . Increased legal considerations for supply chains combined with stakeholders outside of a specific company ’ s control , such as the Federal Aviation Agency or Congress , pose competing interests on how a company can meet demands .
4 https :// www . nasa . gov / news-release / nasa-prepares-for-space-launch-system-rocket-services-contract /
4 August 2024