Avionics News July 2016 - 54

series
At a recent AEA International Convention & Trade Show, AEA President Paula Derks asked member companies the following
question: What's working for you? Derks challenged AEA members to share their success stories, best practices and ideas
that are working for their respective companies. This article is part of a series that highlights how AEA member companies
recognized challenging economic circumstances, and how they responded and overcame them.

What's

Working?

Business initiatives that are elevating companies to success
S T O R Y

B Y

T H O M A S

I N M A N

Sky Definition Aero Systems
hopes to change the future
of in-flight cabin displays

layton M. Christensen, the Kim B. Clark Professor
the scene, Western Union's customers didn't want it, neither
of Business Administration at the Harvard Busidid Western Union's investors. At the time, telephone technolness School, wrote a best-seller titled The Innovaogy was not suitable for business use. As a result, the comtor's Dilemma. This book described how companies can fail
pany did not invest in the telephone. Telegraph technology has
due to new and disruptive technolobeen absent now for more than a century.
gies. He documented how business
Currently, the days are numbered for
practices that lead to the success of a
the telegraph's replacement, the wired
business can ultimately lead to failure
telephone.
when disruptive technology is introBill Baltra and Steve Nishikawa have
duced. There are several other books
decided to ride the next wave of disrupIS TO PROVIDE PREMIUM
published with co-authors that build
tive technology - the 4K cabin display.
PRODUCTS, WHILE
on this theory. The first three books
Ultra-high-definition is one of the newest
MAINTAINING
VALUE,
document methods of predicting
viewing technologies available. With
SAFETY AND QUALITY THAT
industry change and creating sustainfour times the definition of common
WILL BE REMEMBERED.
able, successful growth.
high-definition displays, the 4K monitors
In these books, the history of diskoffer extremely sharp on-screen imagery.
drive companies is described. Initially,
Baltra, director of engineering for Sky
Harvard studied these companies, because they seemed to be
Definition Aero Systems in Redmond, Washington, has 20
the business equivalent of fruit flies - starting, thriving and
years of experience at Boeing. Nishikawa, chief executive offailing during a short period of time. Once the theories were
ficer, brings his business acumen to the mix, and said, "We are
developed, Christensen determined they could be applied to
not encumbered by history."
other companies such as Western Union.
The pair met in 1987 at an aerospace company that designs
In Western Union's case, the telephone was the disruptive
flight deck avionics equipment for commercial aircraft. They
technology. Western Union had a successful telegraph comboth had recently graduated college and were beginning their
pany. The technology worked. When the telephone came onto
careers in the design, test and certification of avionics equip-

SKY DEFINITION'S
MISSION

avionics news

july

2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News July 2016