Airbus, a leading European aerospace manufacturer specializing in commercial aircraft, helicopters, and space solutions, is renowned for its iconic aircraft, such as the A320 and A380, which are used by airlines worldwide. A pioneer in sustainable aerospace for a safe and connected world, Airbus continuously innovates to provide effective and technologically advanced solutions in aerospace, defense, and connected services.
The Airbus planning team is responsible for importing supplier data from various internal and external sources, analyzing it, estimating its availability, and creating scenarios to boost productivity. The identification of significant risks related to manual data entry, change management, or file versioning—potentially increasing errors in projections and limiting team efficiency—led to an innovative project. Videns participated in this project by developing a proof of concept (POC) solution using artificial intelligence. This solution aims to accelerate access to accurate data, improve team intervention efficiency, reduce inconsistencies between different teams, and decrease projection variability for the A330 and A350 programs.
The significant impact of this project on supply chain forecasting resulted in savings: “The impact was remarkable and noticeable within less than a year”, according to Yannick Marin Isambert, Head of Airbus Innovation X. Improved collaboration with suppliers of various aircraft parts was also evident. Leveraging AI, Videns’ achievements optimized logistics processes, reduced lead times, and increased delivery reliability while strengthening relationships with key partners.
The project aimed to enable the A350 team to easily access a real-time situational overview to monitor planning and adjust actions as quickly as possible to avoid surprises and additional costs:
Data dispersion and access remain governance issues, often lengthy, complex, and poorly adapted to sophisticated technological environments. Many processes are still performed manually, and necessary information comes from scattered sources, requiring careful adaptation to ensure smooth integration into the existing technological ecosystem.
Substantial groundwork is needed to provide access to high-quality data to maximize the chances of project success. Companies wishing to implement artificial intelligence models to transform their operations must, therefore, equip themselves with robust infrastructure—a need that is often underestimated.
Streamlining logistical processes enabled Airbus to cut delays, enhance delivery reliability for the A330 and A350 programs, and strengthen relationships with key suppliers.
The project led to significant savings by improving supply chain forecasting.
The visualization models developed played a crucial role in helping Airbus make swift decisions using precise and context-rich key performance indicators.
Videns developed versatile data visualization models, enabling Airbus to simulate forecasts tailored to the specific needs of the A350 and A330 production chains with advanced configuration options while maintaining a firm commitment to security, compliance, and confidentiality. These models provide access to accurate, relevant, and contextually adapted key performance indicators (KPIs), allowing the Airbus planning team to make informed decisions quickly based on recommendations provided by the tool. Designed to generate a global and sustainable impact, this solution was developed to be integrated into various programs. The deployment of this tool at Airbus enhances its ability to anticipate and manage production needs effectively in both the short and long term, remaining aligned with robust company policies and processes for security, compliance, and confidentiality, thus establishing itself as a reliable and high-performance solution.
