Lockheed To Use I2 Software To Cut Costs In Fighter Project

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. and its partners on the $200 billion Joint Strike Fighter program will use i2 Technologies Inc.'s Supplier Relationship Management application to help manage the design, development, and maintenance of the fighter.

I2's software will be used by engineers around the world during the design process to shorten development time by making it easy to locate the specifications of the jet and the parts that have previously been selected, says Tom Burbage, Lockheed Martin's fighter program executive VP.

I2's software will help Lockheed cut costs by ensuring that engineers don't use multiple parts from different suppliers that perform similar functions, Burbage says. Once the first 21 fighters roll off the assembly line in November 2004, Lockheed plans to use the software to manage a central database of parts information, replacing the multiple parts databases required on other projects and letting Lockheed maintenance personnel more quickly locate required parts.

Supplier-relationship management and project life-cycle management are critical to the project, says AMR Research analyst Michael Burkett. He adds, "The Department of Defense is really pushing Lockheed to put together systems to manage suppliers and the product life cycle."