AI/ML have had a significant impact on aircraft manufacturing, but it’s a complex journey: Harinivas Ramachandran, Boeing India

In an exclusive interview with Express Computers, Harinivas Ramachandran, Executive Director – IT&DA Supply Chain Systems, Boeing India, shares valuable insights into Boeing’s digital transformation journey, the role of IT&DA in optimising global supply chain systems, and the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in aircraft manufacturing and operations. Hari also discusses Boeing’s approach to data science, cybersecurity measures, and the company’s focus on developing predictive maintenance solutions for the aviation sector. Additionally, he highlights how Boeing is leveraging India’s talent pool and nurturing expertise to drive innovation and growth in the aerospace industry.

How does IT&DA contribute to Boeing’s overall strategy, and what are some recent initiatives that have had a significant impact on supply chain systems across BCA, BDS, and BGS?

Information Technology & Data Analytics (IT&DA) is a vital function at Boeing creating a competitive advantage for the company through strategic investments in technology. With operations spanning Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Boeing Defense, Space & Security, and Boeing Global Services, IT&DA strategically aligns its investments to optimise sourcing, planning, and fulfillment. 

• IT&DA is transforming sourcing by implementing advanced solutions to accelerate supplier contracts. 
• In planning, it provides tools to optimise manufacturing schedules based on demand fluctuations. 
• For fulfillment, it ensures seamless global distribution by managing regulatory compliance and logistics partnerships. 

Boeing IT&DA supports hundreds of applications across these processes, leveraging emerging technologies such as AI and ML to enhance operational efficiency. By aligning IT investments with long-term business priorities, it drives innovation and continuous improvement across the enterprise.

Given the widespread transformation driven by AI across various industries, including manufacturing, retail, FMCG, and automobiles, what has been the impact of AI in aircraft manufacturing?

AI and ML are transforming aircraft manufacturing by enhancing engineering, maintenance, training, and operations. Boeing builds on its legacy of engineering excellence and craftsmanship by integrating AI/ML to refine engineering processes and facilitate knowledge transfer through long-term learning frameworks. Boeing Global Services (BGS) leverages predictive maintenance—anticipating and replacing parts before scheduled checks—to mitigate issues from extreme conditions. Additionally, AI-driven simulations are improving pilot training, while advanced analytics optimise flight routes by interpreting weather patterns and operational data. Ultimately, these technologies empower human operators to make well-informed decisions to prevent downtime related to time and dollar losses.

How does Boeing utilise data science to not only optimise current operations but also forecast and adapt to future trends in the aerospace and defense sectors?

Boeing utilises data science to address business problems by leveraging data to optimise operations and forecast future trends. The process begins with data mining—much like diagnostic tests in a hospital. Once collected, the data is cleansed to remove noise, paving the way for exploration, hypothesis formulation, and feature identification to solve the business problem. Machine learning is pivotal, enabling systems to learn from data and generate actionable insights. While visualisation tools assist in analysing “if-then” scenarios, human expertise remains essential to contextualise these findings—since the same data can lead to different interpretations depending on its context. Boeing processes vast amounts of flight data—from sensor readings and operational metrics to maintenance logs—to generate actionable recommendations that boost safety, efficiency, and overall performance. The IT&DA team is instrumental in developing robust data pipelines, refining analytical models, and optimising algorithms, ensuring that insights are both accurate and contextually relevant. This collaborative approach not only enhances Boeing’s operational capabilities but also reinforces its commitment to continuous innovation in aviation.

The aerospace industry is a highly lucrative target for cyber attackers. Given this threat, how does Boeing ensure that it stays ahead of the curve in terms of cybersecurity measures and protects its aircraft manufacturing operations?

Boeing stays ahead of cyber threats by heavily investing in network security and computing assets. We protect every facet of our operations—from user accounts to network communications—with multi-layered IT security that includes continuous monitoring for phishing and malicious activity. By exercising granular control over network interactions and leveraging advanced cloud security features from providers like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft, Boeing ensures robust defenses that safeguard our aircraft manufacturing operations against cyber-attacks.

What would be the use case benefit of GenAI in your operations?

GenAI, integrated with our AI and ML frameworks, plays a pivotal role in transforming our operations by generating actionable insights and automating decision-making processes. For instance, in predictive maintenance, GenAI leverages vast amounts of sensor data, maintenance logs, and historical records to generate detailed, natural language reports and predictive models. This allows operators to anticipate issues with components such as aircraft landing gear, scheduling replacements before critical failures occur.

Furthermore, GenAI enhances our capabilities in adjusting aircraft systems based on regional environmental factors. For example, when addressing forward cargo air conditioning, GenAI analyses real-time climate data and past performance trends to recommend precise adjustments, ensuring optimal settings across different geographies. 

By partnering with both regional and global operators, we fine-tune these GenAI-driven solutions to meet specific local challenges and then scale them effectively across regions. This integration not only boosts operational efficiency but also enhances safety and cost-effectiveness, marking a significant advancement in how we manage and optimise aircraft operations.

India is a rich pool of talent, which is why thousands of GCCs are being established here. As an IT leader, what do you think are the best practices Boeing is implementing to retain and nurture this talent, and integrate them into the organisation?

The unique talent and capabilities in international markets including India, not only serve local needs but also enhance our global capabilities, driving advancements for Boeing and the industry worldwide. Boeing’s brand appeal and legacy attracts top talent, and our real strength lies in retaining and empowering them with meaningful work—work defined by clear, purposeful statements, capability growth, advancing Boeing’s role in growing the aerospace and defence ecosystem, especially given our investment in driving the organisation’s digital transformation. We offer roles rich in complexity and leadership opportunities, ensuring our teams remain engaged and innovative, and the leadership roles we provide are key to our success.

You mentioned digital transformation earlier. Given that Boeing has been around for over 100 years and has witnessed all the technological evolutions, could you share your perspective on how the digital transformation has been for the company? 

Boeing IT&DA is driving digital transformation, enabling Boeing to perform streamlined operations, driving enhanced efficiency. Over the past several years, we’ve strategically invested in three core systems—Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), and Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM). Each system is tailored to serve our businesses (BCA, BDS, and BGS) and ensure revenue-generating operations remain uninterrupted.

• PLM: IT&DA is modernising and digitising our product lifecycle, linking design, development, and decommissioning in a seamless digital ecosystem.
• ERP: By optimising business processes, automating tasks, and adopting industry best practices, our ERP investments are enhancing data visibility and operational agility.
• MOM: Integrating cutting-edge manufacturing technologies, MOM is transforming our production floors, creating smarter, more responsive manufacturing environments.

Although these systems progress at different speeds, IT&DA is aligning them to eventually converge—supporting everything from fabrication and assembly to supply chain management. This decade-long effort not only reinforces operational resilience but also positions Boeing as a leader in digital innovation, ensuring our future success.

Throughout this journey of digital transformation, there must have been challenges along the way. Could you share some of the challenges Boeing faced and how you overcame them?

Throughout our digital transformation journey, we navigated several complexities. Maintaining production continuity while integrating new systems requires a balance to ensure seamless operations. Significant investments in time, effort, and resources are essential to driving change while managing daily responsibilities. Transitioning to new processes requires robust change management and training to support employees transitioning to more efficient processes. Drawing on their experience leading transformative projects, our teams effectively guided this transition. While different projects progressed at varying speeds, our seasoned leaders kept the team engaged and focused throughout.

Finally, what’d be your key focus in 2025?

Our key focus for 2025, particularly in IT&DA, is to continue to build strong domain expertise. This is a multi-year journey where each division will define their paths to achieve this. Since our establishment in 2015, our progress has been—and will continue to be—measured not just by quantitative metrics, but by the real, tangible value we deliver. This means prioritising quality outcomes, innovative solutions, and significant business impact over traditional measures of size or scale. That’s where we are gearing toward.