Customer demand and new technology in the engineering arena,
especially in sectors such as aerospace, defence, automotive etc. continues to
advance.
One area of the development cycle which has received recent
publicity is the test engineering department. Following the Boeing 737 MAX
failures, the flight control system, called MCAS (Manoeuvring Characteristics
Augmentation System), is now under scrutiny and this involves the processes used
to approve the system.
While test
engineering has been busy creating better and more comprehensive tests in
response to an ever more complex set of electronics, its status as a profession
has sometimes been questioned.
The notion
that test engineering is necessary, beneficial and an economically valuable
part of delivering and supporting a good product are not always recognised.
Yet, test
engineers should become aware that testing is a task that can be picked up by
anyone. Not only by designated test engineering professionals with quality
informing or gatekeeping power. If a business really cares about the company,
end product, and end-users, well… you test! Quality comes from quality-minded
people. Having a shared responsibility in the development team towards quality
and doing testing well will always make a difference.
Aerospace testing covers the hardware and software aspects
of testing and certification related to the design, manufacture and maintenance
of commercial and military aircraft (fixed-wing and rotary-wing), plus UAVs and
space testing.
With all new technology, there comes new components, new
upgrades and even more testing. The least attractive choice for these
organisations is compromising on test coverage and living with the possibility
that they missed something or released an inferior product. This constant
tension has been the status quo of the aerospace and defence industry, and,
though it’s not ideal, it has inspired remarkable successes. The industry’s
positive track record begs the question, “If it’s not broken, why fix it?”
But the industry should ask, “Is this approach sustainable?”
Today’s most talented project managers, system engineers and test engineer jobs involve exploring the best practices to
manage business risk and ultimately create a sustainable market advantage by
improving test engineering and operational support.
As customers demand new technology in modern aircraft,
trends like electrification take deeper hold, and companies continue to see
value in international talent that requires global development sites, aerospace
and defence organisations need to determine whether the status quo is the right
choice for a future of growth. The ability to modernise test and design cycle
approaches with standardised test architectures, more emulation and simulation,
and new and improved systems and data management tools are the difference
between thriving with a sustainable competitive advantage and struggling to
survive. Organisations can standardise test by using the same technology and
tools across the development cycle.
Charlie Savitsky,
Consultant, Contract & Interim division discusses
empowering future-proofing the test journey in the aerospace and defence
industry.
Test engineers generally specialise in a particular phase of
the development cycle and successful technology companies commonly use an
holistic approach. Test managers oversee the budgets for different kinds of
test and ensure each stage efficiently leads to a released product. If all
testing of a new product is carried out in-house and not externally by a third
party, the test process can be standardised across the entire organisation. If
carried out by a third party, there is a possible risk that the test procedure
is not standardised, which can lead to product failures.
Using a standardised approach to the entire test cycle,
engineers can consistently compare data at each stage of the test journey and
move the test, especially simulation- and emulation-based test, earlier in the
development cycle. They can reliably reference the data collected during the
validation of a component when testing that component in a system.
Additionally, engineers from various groups have a common language and approach
that promote sharing best practices and more effective collaboration.
A standard approach also allows test engineers to delve
deeply into their areas of expertise without worrying about other groups
because a consistent platform ensures that the output of one group is a
compatible input for the next.
A consistent approach to test offers a way to shift talent
wherever and whenever necessary. Engineers know how to use similar tools, so
moving professional talent among projects and locations is easy. This
flexibility also can increase employee engagement, decrease burnout, and reduce
the risk of developing ‘tribal’ knowledge that’s lost when an employee leaves
the organisation. Additionally, with a standardised approach to test, companies
can provide clearer expectations to their customers. For example, a supplier
may be responsible for more than one subsystem of an aircraft. A standardised
test approach at the supplier means it delivers test racks based on the same
approach to the airframer across subsystems, which reduces the integration
challenge airframers You are evaluated on your ability to manage cost and risk,
whether you’re working on your next program bid or serving as a portfolio
manager for software
engineers to support legacy testers.
Today’s engineering workforce is vital to the developments
in the aerospace and defence sector. Some of Redline’s engineering clients have
been responding to the challenges of engineering
recruitment and the ‘war for talent’ in several ways, including
looking at ‘Why Candidates Decline Offers’ and enhancing their
interview process by learning more about Competency Based Interviews in
Engineering. Click here to download a copy.
To find out more about careers
in engineering or to see our latest job opportunities, please click here or alternatively
contact Charlie Savitsky on 01582 878805 or email CSavitsky@Redlinegroup.com.