Designing for The Government/Military

The most decorated American Marine, Lt. General Lewis “Chesty” Fuller, is quoted as saying: “Paperwork will ruin any military force.” It’s unlikely he was referring to digital product lifecycle management (PLM) as a better option, but the military loves its rules and the rules need to be recorded somehow.

When it comes to design and engineering for the government and military clients, recordkeeping supports compliance efforts. For example, businesses that want to supply products to the military need to not only prove their products meet tough military specifications, but also comply with International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) in addition to proving their policies are compliant with rules governing how data is secured. The trick is to compile the necessary data efficiently and store it securely.

The rapid rate of change in technology may appear to be at odds with the amount of red tape government and military contractors need to navigate to employ it, but the two intersect in many ways. In this special digital issue, we round up articles and videos focused on designing for the government/military, meeting the military’s engineering requirements and keeping track of compliance efforts.

For example, we show several examples of how the military is working with academia and private businesses to expand the use of additive manufacturing—to prove its worth to efficient supply lines, make it more secure and ensure its materials are combat ready. We also explore options for cloud computing without running afoul of ITAR compliance and more.