Leonardo has introduced an innovative, data-centric strategy for design and production at its electronic facilities throughout the UK, with a new ‘common data environment’ becoming operational, initially at locations in Edinburgh, Luton, Basildon, and Southampton.
This transformation will accelerate innovation and reduce expenses as the company’s researchers and engineers develop cutting-edge technologies, including radars and defensive countermeasures for aircraft. By maximizing the utilization of the data it accumulates, Leonardo will be capable of delivering sophisticated new equipment to the UK Armed Forces and its partners more swiftly.
The common data environment will also serve as a foundational element of Leonardo’s extensive digital transformation initiative across its UK-based operations.
For the first time, this new methodology will securely collect the vast amounts of data generated within the organization on a daily basis in a centralized location. Team members will leverage a collection of tools, including an innovative ‘data science workbench’, to optimize this data, thereby facilitating more efficient, rapid, and cost-effective program delivery.
Advantages of the common data environment encompass the ability to automate or streamline labor-intensive processes and enhance decision-making through improved insights. In initial trials of the new methodology, an analysis task that historically required four hours could now be executed in merely 30 seconds. Similarly, a radar testing cycle was shortened from several days to just a few hours.
This new methodology acknowledges that Leonardo’s advanced business is fueled by the creative ingenuity of its 8,000 highly skilled employees situated in the UK. By simplifying or eliminating processes wherever feasible and automating time-consuming yet non-value-adding tasks, the company aims to free up mental space and time for its workforce to engage in what truly matters: innovating, inventing, and resolving challenges. A recent study by independent analysts Oxford Economics indicated that Leonardo UK employees are 80% more productive than the national average. The increasing application of big data and additional futuristic factory initiatives will further enhance this productivity.
While the common data environment is poised to rapidly deliver insights and efficiencies, it is merely one aspect of Leonardo’s ongoing transformation strategy in the UK and will also function as a ‘digital backbone’ for a variety of new electronics engineering and logistics projects, including Digital Engineering, Integrated Planning, Supply Chain, and Digital Factory initiatives. A transition to cloud-based data is expected to take place later this year. By implementing such a data-centric strategy for its own operations, Leonardo will also enhance its capability to provide similar models for clients, such as the UK Ministry of Defence, who are also moving towards a data-driven future.
