Launch of new "design studio

Citation

(2002), "Launch of new "design studio", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 74 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2002.12774bab.016

Launch of new "design studio"

Keywords: Computer Science Corporation, Thales Defence Information Systems, Aircraft, Defence

Computer Sciences Corporation (NYSE: CSC) and Thales Defence Information Systems have announced the opening of a design studio in support of the Thales Mission Support Systems (MSS) programme. The new studio, which is the second to open at Thales' site in Wells, North Somerset, is a major part of a change management programme to help the company become a model defence contractor and to meet the UK's Ministry of Defence's demands for "faster, cheaper, better" engineering. It is the first time that CSC has been responsible for launching two studios at one site in the UK.

Thales provides mission support systems in support of the RAF Nimrod fleet patrolling UK territorial waters. The programme has been running successfully for 20 years and, with the prospect of further expansion, Thales has invested in a major revamp of the office environment as well as the organisation's business processes. Taking both a top-down and bottom-up approach, the change programme was consequently designed to focus on developing strong project management skills, which in turn would increase the effectiveness and speed of project mobilisation, enhance team communication and motivation, and reduce crucial project delivery time-scales, whilst maintaining Thales' high standards for systems development work.