B&E Manufacturing ensures digital data continuity

In summary

By using Aletiq, B&E Manufacturing was able to:

✓️ Save time in managing your technical data

✓ Ensure compliance with regulatory standards: AS 9100, ISO 9001...

✓ Create synergies through the harmonization of operating methods with the group

✓ Ensuring the digital continuity of data

✓ Accelerate cycle times and improve products

B&E Manufacturing is a major player in aeronautical subcontracting in the United States. Specializing in high-precision machining, the company supplies critical parts for aircraft engines and structures to customers such as GE Aerospace, Collins Aerospace and Boeing.

Established on several production sites, B&E operates in a highly regulated environment, where the control of technical and documentary information determines operational performance, compliance and customer responsiveness.

Operational challenges

At B&E, operational teams were facing increasing complexity in managing technical and documentary data. Product information (plans, nomenclature, procedures, standards...) was dispersed between several tools (CAD, ERP, EDM, shared servers) and spread over different sites or teams (design office, quality, quality, methods, support).

This fragmentation led to significant losses of time in the search for information, duplicates, a lack of traceability on developments, and risks of non-compliance in the workshop. Technical processes (signing documents, distributing changes, impact analyses) were sometimes cumbersome and poorly adapted to the requirements of the aeronautical sector.

Finally, the lack of harmonization of practices between sites hampered collaboration and limited the capacity for innovation. B&E needed a single, reliable and collaborative base to secure its data, streamline its processes and structure its industrial development.

Setting up Aletiq

The collaboration between B&E and Aletiq started in 2023 with a clear objective: to sustainably structure product and documentary data in a multi-site context. The implementation is done in an agile way, relying on business teams from the very first phases. In less than 3 months, the first use cases were deployed: centralization of product plans, quality and methods document management, and monitoring customer requirements. Adoption is immediate thanks to operational support as close as possible to the field, led by Phil Giffins, John Binford and May Danhash.

The success of this first phase allows B&E to consider an extended deployment to other entities of the group, with the aim of making Aletiq the transverse documentary backbone. The approach is based on solid fundamentals:

→ Definition of the target model with the business teams of the US sites

→ Migration of historical documents and structuring of existing databases

→ On-site training and change support

→ Ongoing operational support to secure adoption and scale-up

The adoption of teams

Aletiq was deployed in an agile manner, in close collaboration with business teams. From the first weeks, users emphasized the ease of use of the interface, the relevance of the proposed workflows and the immediate time savings.

The three use cases were prioritized and then successfully implemented:

1. Centralization of plans and product data

The design office now publishes its plans and technical documents directly in Aletiq, according to a tree structure structured by project, reference or customer. The methods teams have immediate access to the latest version, with the guarantee of working on a single, up-to-date and traceable basis.

2. Management of internal documentation (quality, methods)

Procedures, work instructions and forms are now written, validated and distributed in Aletiq via integrated electronic signature circuits. Quality and method managers can monitor the validation status in real time, with alerts in case of blockage. The distribution is automatic and in accordance with internal and customer requirements.

3. Documentary monitoring of customer standards and requirements

Thanks to Aletiq, the central team continuously feeds a documentary database shared with the US teams. Updates are reported, categorized, logged, and users can subscribe to specific tags (client, program, standard, etc.). This allows B&E to remain in compliance and to react quickly in the event of regulatory changes.