Using GenAI to shorten product development cycles

Manufacturers worldwide have been proactively preparing for a potential economic slowdown by implementing several strategic measures to increase resilience and ensure sustained revenue and market relevance. Diversifying product offerings and venturing into new markets and geographies are high on the list. A critical success factor will be the ability to bring these new products to market faster, which means reducing product development cycles.

Generative AI (GenAI) represents a significant building block in this endeavor, enabling companies to reduce these development cycles drastically and remain competitive even in turbulent times. According to the 2024 Voice of Our Clients research, GenAI continues to be at the top of innovation discussion agendas, with trust and responsibility as key priorities. In manufacturing, 79% of executives interviewed are investigating or conducting proof-of-concepts for GenAI. With the potential this technology holds to streamline design processes, reduce time-to-market and enhance product quality and innovation, this growing interest is expected.

Traditional nonconformity management in R&D causes bottlenecks

Nonconformities in research and development (R&D) are defined as a mismatch between the planned design and the actual outcome in a production process or testing phase. Not only do they increase the cost of production, they also impact the quality of the entire product, which can be critical to sensitive industries, such as the aerospace industry, where airworthiness is vital.

In a traditional setup, nonconformities are identified during production or the assembly phase, triggering the creation of tickets in an internal tracking system. Each ticket undergoes a meticulous review process, requiring input from various experts to diagnose the issue, determine the root cause, and implement a fix. This process, while thorough, is inherently slow and resource-intensive. Engineers spend countless hours digging through data, cross-referencing design documents, and collaborating across departments to resolve each issue.

Enter GenAI, a game changer

Imagine a world where a GenAI model is integrated with the internal ticketing system and trained on a comprehensive knowledge database of past nonconformities, design documents, and assembly data. This AI system, once properly trained, possesses the following abilities:

1. Ticket automation analyses: AI automatically analyzes new nonconformity tickets, compares them with historical data, and identifies potential root causes within seconds. Immediate analysis can significantly accelerate the initial diagnostic phase.
2. Anticipative issue prediction: When pattern recognition is leveraged, areas of nonconformity can be predicted even before they occur, allowing anticipative measures to be taken during the design or assembly phase. This early-stage feedback loop also ensures digital continuity throughout the design phase. Including such a predictive possibility will help reduce the number of nonconformities that arise.
3. Solution recommendation: Based on past solutions, AI can suggest potential fixes for identified nonconformities, reducing the time engineers spend formulating solutions and, as a result, increasing the accuracy of fixes.

Quantifying the positive impact

Implementing GenAI to manage nonconformities can bring remarkable improvements in several key areas:

1. Speed of solution: Automating the initial analysis and suggesting probable solutions reduces the time required to address each nonconformity from days or weeks to just hours. This acceleration has a cumulative effect, significantly reducing the overall product development cycle.
2. Optimization of resources: Engineers and experts can be freed from the repetitive task of initial diagnosis to focus on more complex problem-solving and innovation initiatives. This shift in focus leads to better utilization of the often-limited numbers of skilled experts and enhances productivity.
3. Enhanced quality and reliability: Identifying and resolving nonconformities more quickly and accurately improves the quality and reliability of the final product. This, in turn, directly impacts customer satisfaction and reduces issues in the aftersales and MRO processes.

Integrating GenAI into the nonconformity management process represents a transformative shift for complex R&D environments. By harnessing the power of AI, organizations can dramatically reduce the time and resources spent on resolving nonconformities, leading to shorter product development cycles, enhanced innovation, and superior product quality.

As we approach these new possibilities, GenAI holds immense potential to infuse innovation within the R&D landscape. By embracing these advanced technologies responsibly, companies can streamline development processes and gain a competitive edge by delivering high-quality, reliable products to market faster than ever before.