Mendix (Siemens) Case Studies BAE Systems' Successful Implementation of Low-Code Development for Business Automation

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	BAE Systems' Successful Implementation of Low-Code Development for Business Automation Mendix (Siemens)

BAE Systems' Successful Implementation of Low-Code Development for Business Automation

Mendix (Siemens)

Technology Category	Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Event-Driven Application Functional Applications - Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP)
Applicable Industries	Aerospace Equipment & Machinery
Applicable Functions	Product Research & Development Quality Assurance
Use Cases	Construction Management Infrastructure Inspection
Services	System Integration Testing & Certification
Challenge	BAE Systems, Europe’s largest defense contractor, was facing a common challenge in the IT sector. The company was struggling with a backlog of demands to maintain or replace mission-critical core systems while also delivering new, innovative solutions. The shortage of resources to deliver in all areas was leading to the growth of opaque shadow IT solutions. The company was also reliant on third-party providers for managing their systems, which made getting applications into production and retaining control in-house a challenge. The IT team had adopted an agile way of working, but the current suite of tools and partners did not fit with this cultural shift. The team was looking for a platform that would enable them to deliver faster on bespoke development demands to prevent the creation of shadow IT, while simultaneously keeping their core clean and reducing their reliance on external development support. Read More
About Customer	BAE Systems is Europe’s largest defense contractor with over 90,000 global employees. The company has a 40-year history of delivering technology to keep critical information and infrastructure secure. BAE Systems is known for its commitment to innovation and agility in the face of changing demands and challenges. The company's IT team is responsible for maintaining and replacing mission-critical core systems while also delivering new, innovative solutions. The team had adopted an agile way of working and was looking for a platform that would enable them to deliver faster on bespoke development demands. Read More
Solution	BAE Systems decided to implement a low-code platform, Mendix, to meet their business demands with speed and compatibility with existing systems of record. The team conducted a one-week pilot on-site with a business sponsor and their developers to deliver the prototype of an application based on a real business case. This pilot program helped the developers understand the power of Mendix and secured organizational support for this new way of working. Following the success of the trial, the team developed a clear positioning for Mendix within their solution development landscape. They trained all the developers on Mendix and shifted to a Mendix-first approach for all the bespoke application requests that came into IT. With the necessary stakeholder buy-in and a vision for low-code’s role in the enterprise, solution delivery has ramped up quickly for BAE Systems. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Event-Driven Application

Functional Applications - Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP)

Applicable Industries

Aerospace

Equipment & Machinery

Applicable Functions

Product Research & Development

Quality Assurance

Use Cases

Construction Management

Infrastructure Inspection

Services

System Integration

Testing & Certification

Challenge

BAE Systems, Europe’s largest defense contractor, was facing a common challenge in the IT sector. The company was struggling with a backlog of demands to maintain or replace mission-critical core systems while also delivering new, innovative solutions. The shortage of resources to deliver in all areas was leading to the growth of opaque shadow IT solutions. The company was also reliant on third-party providers for managing their systems, which made getting applications into production and retaining control in-house a challenge. The IT team had adopted an agile way of working, but the current suite of tools and partners did not fit with this cultural shift. The team was looking for a platform that would enable them to deliver faster on bespoke development demands to prevent the creation of shadow IT, while simultaneously keeping their core clean and reducing their reliance on external development support.

About Customer

BAE Systems is Europe’s largest defense contractor with over 90,000 global employees. The company has a 40-year history of delivering technology to keep critical information and infrastructure secure. BAE Systems is known for its commitment to innovation and agility in the face of changing demands and challenges. The company's IT team is responsible for maintaining and replacing mission-critical core systems while also delivering new, innovative solutions. The team had adopted an agile way of working and was looking for a platform that would enable them to deliver faster on bespoke development demands.

Solution

BAE Systems decided to implement a low-code platform, Mendix, to meet their business demands with speed and compatibility with existing systems of record. The team conducted a one-week pilot on-site with a business sponsor and their developers to deliver the prototype of an application based on a real business case. This pilot program helped the developers understand the power of Mendix and secured organizational support for this new way of working. Following the success of the trial, the team developed a clear positioning for Mendix within their solution development landscape. They trained all the developers on Mendix and shifted to a Mendix-first approach for all the bespoke application requests that came into IT. With the necessary stakeholder buy-in and a vision for low-code’s role in the enterprise, solution delivery has ramped up quickly for BAE Systems.

Impact #1	The implementation of Mendix has allowed BAE Systems to rapidly digitalize across the business. The applications developed with Mendix are supporting areas of the business such as design, engineering, operations, supply chain, quality, and business support. The company has been able to deliver applications that would not have been created in the past, providing real benefit to the business. For instance, a desk booking application was developed as part of the team’s COVID response, allowing employees to book available desks while taking into account social distancing measures. A task management system was also developed to streamline engineering work, and a part approval system was created to ingest new parts on a weekly basis and route them for approval across a variety of internal teams. The success of these applications has demonstrated the power of Mendix and has secured organizational support for this new way of working.

Impact #1

The implementation of Mendix has allowed BAE Systems to rapidly digitalize across the business. The applications developed with Mendix are supporting areas of the business such as design, engineering, operations, supply chain, quality, and business support. The company has been able to deliver applications that would not have been created in the past, providing real benefit to the business. For instance, a desk booking application was developed as part of the team’s COVID response, allowing employees to book available desks while taking into account social distancing measures. A task management system was also developed to streamline engineering work, and a part approval system was created to ingest new parts on a weekly basis and route them for approval across a variety of internal teams. The success of these applications has demonstrated the power of Mendix and has secured organizational support for this new way of working.

Benefit #1	15+ Mendix applications delivered in two years
Benefit #2	66% reduction in time from app testing to production (3 weeks to 1 week)
Benefit #3	The desk booking application was delivered in just 4 weeks by 2 trainees and supports 8,000 users

Benefit #1

15+ Mendix applications delivered in two years

Benefit #2

66% reduction in time from app testing to production (3 weeks to 1 week)

Benefit #3

The desk booking application was delivered in just 4 weeks by 2 trainees and supports 8,000 users

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Overview

BAE Systems' Successful Implementation of Low-Code Development for Business Automation

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit