In the space of three brief presentations at the Dassault Systèmes Customer Conference – Innovation in Life, I experienced the broad reach of the possibilities opened up to innovators as they seek to bring their ideas to market. It’s not simply a question of being able to generate a 3D model of a design, or even using that model to refine an initial idea so that is as close to your vision as possible before a single dollar is spent on materiel. It’s the fact that the potential of 3D modeling enables the designer, inventor, innovator and his or her team to reach beyond the concept to envision what it will take to make that product or object at scale.

I understood the scope of Dassault Systèmes products in enabling designers to realize their vision in 3 dimensions but I had little comprehension of how vastly they could transform the manufacturing process. My realization came as I saw two presentations in the DELMIA product track and one in the Consumer Products Group track at the conference that made me question the value of planning without the power of these visualization tools. DELMIA’s digital manufacturing solutions enable manufacturers across all industries to virtually define, plan, create, monitor and control all production processes.

The first presentation was by Gustavo Borba Guimaraes, Senior Manager of the Embraer Legacy 450 and 500 (business jets being produced in Brazil) designed to carry 7 to 8 passengers over 2,300 nautical miles and due to take flight in 2013. In his presentation, Gustavo explained how the versatility of the 3D modeling solutions his team were using enabled them to now only design piece parts, and determine how best to position them in the airframe for ongoing maintenance, but also how best to design the production facility to maximize utility, accessibility and safety. The ability to scale up and down the production line and up and down the supply chain has meant huge savings for Embraer and makes this company such a tough and versatile competitor in the global business jet marketplace.

At the other end of the aircraft manufacturing spectrum was a presentation by Nathan Mike, a Manager with the Boeing 787 Aircraft Final Assembly team. Where Gustavo showed the impact of 3D modeling in relation to rapidly scaling production, Nathan’s presentation showed the value of modeling at a scale and complexity many times greater than that of Embraer. Boeing’s Commercial Aircraft division, with $32B in revenues and 31,000 employees, is responsible for delivering aircraft to market in a way that is not only scalable, but also pushes the boundaries of what it means to manufacture an aircraft. With 28,000 suppliers the complexity of manufacturing at this scale cannot be denied and the power of 3D modeling enables these pieces to be knit together much more readily than without.

Prior to the 777 and 787 programs, from conception to delivery of a commercial aircraft had taken decades. In fact, the amount of time to produce the original 747 Jumbo Jet took so long it is legendary for almost bankrupting the Boeing Company. Today, even with the challenges of suppliers who were unable to deliver to their commitments, Boeing has been able to produce and deliver a ground-breaking aircraft in the 787, with a large majority of its body being made of composites, in only six years.

Combined with this landmark design breakthrough there has been a huge breakthrough in production capability, also supported by the application of 3D modeling. From early process planning and assembly simulation to a complete definition of the production facility and equipment, using DELMIA assisted Boeing in achieving maximum production efficiency, lower costs, improvements in first time quality and reduce time to market. All of which means money in the bank to Boeing as the 787 has become the fastest-selling wide-body airliner in history as, according to Boeing’s website, by October 2011 797 Boeing 787s had been ordered by 57 customers.

So what does this have to do with embroidery?

The last of the three presentations I observed was by Jonathan Riss the Artistic Director of the JAY AHR Fashion House. Jonathan’s use of 3D modeling software take the scale in a completely different direction. Where Boeing and Embraer play at the macro level, JAY AHR plays at the micro level. This fashion house uses the power of 3D modeling to visualize designs, in a way that enables and sustains remote, global collaboration down to the most fine level of detail. Jonathan recounted the countless trips between his base of operations in Paris and China where he would provide artistic input and guidance to skilled artisans providing embroidery and design services for his haute couture and jewelry lines and for his special project focused on embroidery. Today, through the power of 3D modeling he can minimize his travel and focus more directly on the artistic design and creativity required to keep his fashion house moving.

Designing and producing at all scales benefit from the use of 3D modeling as a powerful interpretive and communication tool. By making visualization more accessible and engaging it saves time and effort in translating design into reality and reduces the time from vision to customer experience. Which is where innovation truly is most meaningful and valuable – in the hands of a customer.