What happens when a company does everything you can do to a private jet - except build one from scratch?

Aaron Lane has spent 25+ years at Duncan Aviation, navigating a PLM journey that went from literal paper boxes loaded onto departing aircraft, through a legacy ERP stretched beyond its limits, to SmarTeam, and finally to Aras Innovator. In this episode, he pulls back the curtain on what that transformation actually looked like - the messy parts included.

Whether you're greenfield, brownfield, or somewhere in between, this conversation is packed with hard-won, practical wisdom.

Key Takeaways

• Why Duncan Aviation's "product" is actually a service - and why that changes everything about PLM requirements
• How to manage uncontrolled vendor technical data from thousands of OEM suppliers at scale
• The power and the peril of a DIY customization culture
• Why you must clarify governance before go-live - not after
• How Duncan is now using Aras to automate tribal knowledge and eliminate paperwork gaps

Guest
Aaron Lane - PLM Lead, Duncan Aviation 

A 25+ year Duncan veteran who started as an assistant finish tech and has held roles spanning production planner, project manager, certification coordinator, and engineering team leader. Aaron has been the driving force behind Duncan's PLM evolution from SmarTeam to Aras Innovator.

Resources & Links Mentioned

• Duncan Aviation - duncanaviation.aero
• Aras Innovator - PLM platform used by Duncan Aviation
• Duncan Aviation Case Study - Available at razorleaf.com (published separately)
• SmarTeam - Legacy PLM system (Dassault Systèmes, now end-of-life)
• CATIA - CAD platform used by Duncan's European OEM partner
• CMMC - Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification, relevant to Duncan's manufacturing division

Have a question for Aaron or want to connect with Duncan Aviation? Reach out via the podcast community.
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Stay Sharp in Digital Engineering is the podcast about tools, trends, and tactics shaping digital transformation in product manufacturing. New episodes drop regularly.

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