Product Life Cycle Management (LCM) and the related field of Supply Chain Management (SCM) are becoming key disciplines in modern industrial and IT practice. While several decades ago, major projects — whether in energy, transport or defence — focused primarily on the acquisition price, today the discussion is shifting towards long-term costs, maintenance, modernisation and system decommissioning.
For complex technologies such as nuclear power plants, high-speed rail or defence platforms, the purchase price often accounts for only 30% of the total costs. The remaining 70% represents life cycle costs — from planned and unplanned maintenance to upgrades and disposal. Without a sophisticated approach to LCM, even a well-intentioned investment can become a long-term financial burden.
Standardisation Through ASD S-Series
As technology has become more complex, industrial and defence organisations have sought methods to manage the life cycle efficiently. The result is a set of international standards known as the ASD S-Series, developed by the European association ASD (AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe) and the American AIA (Aerospace Industries Association).
These standards define a framework for unified digital data exchange and product support throughout the entire life cycle. Over time, they have expanded from aviation and defence into rail transport, the energy sector and industrial manufacturing.
Key specifications include:
- S1000D – technical publications
- S2000M – materiel management
- S4000P – product support engineering
- S6000T – training needs analysis and training system design
Oversight is provided by the AIA/ASD ILS Council, which supports further development and global harmonisation. The core objectives are interoperability, efficient collaboration across supply chains, and above all, the ability to work with data in an automated, standardised way.
Digital Twin as a Practical Implementation
Standards alone provide only a framework. The key element of their practical application is the digital twin — a digital model of the physical system.
A digital twin is not detailed manufacturing documentation down to the last screw, but a functional model divided into logical blocks. Each block carries essential parameters: cost, Mean Time to Repair (MTTR), Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF), service intervals or maximum number of cycles. These data are then used for simulations and optimisation.
The importance of a digital twin is twofold:
- In acquisitions it enables objective comparison of bids based on total Life Cycle Cost (LCC). Acquisition price alone is misleading; the digital twin provides data for informed decision-making.
- In operation it supports availability optimisation, maintenance planning, inventory management and efficient modernisation programmes.
LCC and the Czech Context
Czech legislation allows the use of Life Cycle Cost as an evaluation criterion in public procurement. In practice, however, contracting authorities still often rely solely on the lowest purchase price. The reasons include limited experience, lack of methodological guidance and concerns about administrative complexity.
A digital twin offers a way to overcome these challenges. It enables transparent and standardised comparison of different bids and operational scenarios. Abroad, this approach is standard practice: suppliers provide a system model, which is then independently verified and used for the LCC calculation. Decision-making is therefore based on data rather than impressions.
Optimisation in Practice: The F-35 Example
Digital twins also play an essential role in operations. Advanced analytical platforms enable complex simulations and optimisation based on the digital model. A real example can be found in the F-35 programme:
- The initial aircraft availability hovered around 60%. Thanks to optimisation projects based on the digital twin and modelling, availability was increased to over 80%.
- The introduction of life-cycle modelling, simulation and optimisation software resulted in savings of approximately 8.5% in inventory costs, without compromising operational readiness.
This example shows that the real value of a digital twin lies not only in precise calculations, but also in the ability to respond flexibly to real-world operational conditions.
Systems Supporting LCM and ASD
A number of solutions supporting ASD standards and digital twin methodologies are available on the market. Key examples include:
- Simplicio NXT (Issel Nord) – originally developed for the maritime industry, now a universal supportability management platform
- Eagle (Raytheon/RTX) – primarily for aerospace systems
- Opus Suite (Systecon) – a comprehensive set of solutions for life-cycle modelling, simulation and optimisation, widely used across NATO and the defence sector
- Siemens Teamcenter – a robust product data and life cycle management system with ASD support
The common denominator across these platforms is the ability to integrate data from multiple sources, utilise standardised formats and enable analytical evaluation.
Trends and Future Developments
The importance of digital twins will continue to grow. Integrating artificial intelligence and machine learning opens the door to predictive maintenance and dynamic optimisation. At the same time, the emphasis on cybersecurity of data models is increasing, as digital twins often contain sensitive information about critical infrastructure or defence systems.
Organisations that wish to remain competitive will need to adapt. This is not only a technological shift, but a change in mindset — from short-term focus on price to long-term value and efficiency management.
Conclusion
Life Cycle Management and digital twins are now strategic instruments of modern industry. They enable cost optimisation, increased availability, and greater transparency and objectivity in decision-making.
While the ASD S-Series standards provide an essential framework, the real benefits come from their practical implementation through digital models and specialised software systems.
For Czech industry and the public sector, adopting these principles is both a challenge and an opportunity. If organisations can move beyond the traditional focus on acquisition price and embrace life cycle cost-based decision-making, they can become stronger partners in international projects and enhance their competitiveness on the global market.
Ing. Tomáš Ječný, Business Development Director, PragoData a.s.
The article was published in the CAD supplement of IT Systems 9/25.