Achieving AS9100 and ITAR Compliance With Connected PLM and QMS

AT A GLANCE

SYSTEM USED

Arena PLM for AWS GovCloud

Best Thing About Arena

Connects PLM and QMS in a secure, cloud-native platform

Bottom-Line Impact

Helps Echodyne reach their compliance goals and deliver quality products faster

Key Benefits

SYSTEM USED

Arena PLM for AWS GovCloud

Best Thing About Arena

Connects PLM and QMS in a secure, cloud-native platform

Bottom-Line Impact

Helps Echodyne reach their compliance goals and deliver quality products faster

Key Benefits

• Delivers an expansive set of capabilities in a single system
• Provides complete control and visibility into product revisions
• Protects IP with multilayered security and access controls
• Reduces engineering change order (ECO) cycle time by 30%
• Automates repetitive tasks associated with quality processes
• Links corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs), nonconformances, and other quality processes directly to the product record for closed-loop traceability
• Meets regulated development requirements with AWS GovCloud platform
• Streamlines compliance with AS9100, ITAR, and environmental regulations including REACH and RoHS
• Integrates easily with Altium eCAD, NetSuite ERP, MES, and other enterprise systems

BUSINESS CHALLENGES

In the early days of the company, Echodyne’s team maintained part numbers and changes via spreadsheets, making it difficult for everyone to keep track of the latest product revisions. A more efficient way was needed for their contract manufacturers (CMs) who relied on accurate information to build products to the right specification.

As demand for their radar products grew significantly within the aerospace and defense community, Echodyne wanted a structured process for managing product information throughout the entire lifecycle and aimed to implement a quality system according to the AS9100 standard. Consequently, they set out to find a secure, cloud-based product lifecycle management (PLM) solution that could help them gain better control of their product and quality information and obtain AS9100 certification.

We chose Arena PLM for AWS GovCloud because it had a solid security infrastructure to help us meet regulatory requirements for aerospace and defense, while providing convenient access to our globally dispersed teams. We also liked the fact that we could run our QMS within Arena.”

—Christopher Brickner, Director of Quality Assurance & Regulatory Compliance, Echodyne

RESULTS

Since deploying Arena, Echodyne has quickly expanded their use of the system. The organization leverages Arena’s intelligent part numbering and BOM management functionality as well as its advanced engineering change management, training management, supplier management, and quality management capabilities. “Having access to all these key functions in one system helps boost our productivity,” stated Brickner.

The entire Echodyne organization benefits from Arena’s advanced functionality:

• The project management department initiates change orders in Arena. The system is set up to regulate changes based on the product lifecycle stage (i.e., working revision, engineering, pre-production, production, obsolete). Through Arena’s ECO configurations and automated approval routings, the department can release changes quickly.
• The quality team uses Arena to document and track nonconformances from the manufacturing line and incoming inspections. They also configure Arena to maintain CAPAs that are tied to their suppliers. This closed-loop traceability enhances visibility across the organization and reduces audit risks.
• All suppliers are qualified through Arena’s Supplier module. A listing of sourced parts and materials from each supplier is maintained in the supplier items section to help speed procurement.
• Engineering documents and tracks environmental compliance for each part by indicating whether it meets RoHS, REACH, and other applicable requirements.
• HR uses the Arena Training module to maintain all the company policies, standard operating procedures, and work instructions that are included in employee training plans. “We’re able to quickly compile training records and other compliance evidence from Arena and streamline our surveillance audits,” added Brickner.
• The organization leverages Arena’s prebuilt integration with the Altium eCAD system to import BOMs into Arena and quickly move them along to production. Additionally, they integrate Arena with NetSuite ERP to manage financials, procurement, and inventory. An application programming interface (API) is also used to import inventoried parts into Arena and ensure that those parts are ordered from approved suppliers.

Looking ahead, Echodyne will integrate Arena with a manufacturing execution system (MES) where they can make their device history record (DHR) and assembly instructions readily accessible to production teams.

With Arena now an integral part of Echodyne’s day-to-day operations, they’re able to successfully pass regulatory audits and deliver high-performance radar solutions that fulfill the needs of their customers.