Original Date: 10/14/1988
Revision Date: 01/18/2007

Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc. (BHTI) has developed a dynamic long range strategic planning process for transitioning from design to manufacturing. This process was initiated in response to a V-22 contractual requirement and has developed significant top level interest and support.

BHTI has produced a strategic manufacturing plan that: maximizes manufacturing throughput and minimizes inventory; maximizes resource (equipment, personnel, and material) utilization; ensures that manufacturing processes and equipment will be available for production; provides estimates on equipment, tooling, layout, and manpower required for various rates of production; defines software requirements for manufacturing; drives funding for manufacturing research and development; and examines, researches, and develops new manufacturing technologies prior to actual need.

This plan was produced by an Integrated Product Team (IPT) representing all facets of the transition process.

One of the tools used to develop the strategic manufacturing plan is simulation. It has generated the transition plan and provides the necessary detail to determine requirements for capital investment. The simulation process used by BHTI emulates the actual characteristics of a system and predicts how the system will operate. They can identify such things as resource requirements, throughput, bottlenecks, layout design, system coordination, storage requirements, as well as other important factors.

The major benefit of this planning process to BHTI has been the ability to preplan the total V-22 facility and manufacturing process, including the ramp-up to full production.

For more information see the Point of Contact for this survey.