A modern commercial airplane is one of the most complex mechanical and electronic machines ever produced and is becoming ever more complicated with each emerging airplane design.
 
Systems on an airplane are increasingly interdependent, supply chains are globalising, and every plane is more highly customised to individual operator requirements.
 
This presents a massive challenge to aerospace manufacturers in being able to effectively and efficiently ramp up production. It’s easy to set targets, but not so easy to actually achieve them.
 
In the past, simply "going faster" at every production station would result in the desired objective of more airplanes out of the door more rapidly.

Now, because of increased complexity, trying to simply speed up everything results in queues at some stations, and a lack of work at others, with the number of planes leaving the factory per month reaching a peak.

This peak production rate is determined by mathematical law, which is governed by the queuing theory.
 
Understanding the complex Interdependencies

What’s needed is an understanding of the complex interdependencies of workstations within the overall production system, and even beyond that into the wider supply chain.

This allows queuing theory mathematics to be applied, allowing the necessary investments to be made at the appropriate places to increase the overall production speed.