How ARA Uses TIP Technologies for High-Stakes Quality

High-Stakes Quality Requirements

Antenna Research Associates (ARA), a long-standing provider of advanced RF antenna systems for defense, aerospace, and public-safety applications, delivers mission-critical technologies that support high-stakes work across communications, surveillance, electronic warfare, and SATCOM. In environments where the margin for error is slim and compliance is critical, ARA supports customers with complex products, stringent quality requirements, and high customer expectations.

The Challenge: Making Quality Software Work

With these demands, ARA needed a quality management approach that strengthened control and visibility while maintaining the flexibility their teams rely on.

When they set out to modernize and streamline their quality operations, they weren’t looking for another rigid system that forced them to change the way they worked. They wanted a quality solution that could adapt to their processes, strengthen compliance, and empower their teams - from receiving to in-process inspection and supplier oversight.

Like many manufacturers in the defense industrial base, ARA needed a system that could support a process-driven quality culture, reduce manual work and eliminate duplicate records, strengthen compliance with ISO9001 and customer requirements, provide clear, end-to-end visibility across inspections, nonconformances and suppliers, and scale as the organization and its programs grew.

Yet the biggest obstacle wasn’t technology; it was ensuring the software fit their workflows, not the default way the system was set up. ARA needed a solution that could be configured to meet their needs with governance built in - not bolted on - and without operational disruption.

At Deltek ProjectCon 2025, ARA shared how they are approaching the implementation of TIP Technologies with a simple philosophy: software should work for you, not the other way around. Their experience offers valuable takeaways for any aerospace and defense manufacturer looking to transform quality and compliance without disrupting mission-critical operations.

A Practical, Process-Based Path Forward with TIPQA

ARA is approaching the TIPQA solution within the Deltek platform using core implementation principles that prioritize clarity, control, and confidence, guiding a seamless and sustainable transition.

They emphasized understanding current processes before configuring the system. Instead of digitizing old habits, they used TIPQA to design their future-state workflows, ensuring the platform reinforced best practices rather than outdated ones.

This meant mapping core processes, identifying pain points, defining desired outcomes, and aligning TIPQA configurations to real operational needs.

This flexible configuration capability allows the team to build workflows that mirror how they want to work, supporting consistency and control without forcing change.

Building Confidence Through Phased Adoption

Rather than activating everything at once, ARA rolled out TIPQA modules in manageable phases - starting with high-impact areas such as Receiving Inspection, In-Process Inspection, Nonconformances, and Supplier Management.

This approach allowed teams to build familiarity one module at a time, show early wins to increase organizational buy-in, and maintain momentum without overwhelming users. TIPQA’s modular design makes it easier to scale the rollout while maintaining clean, auditable processes.

The team validated new workflows by comparing outputs with those from legacy processes before the full transition. This provided a “safety net” that reduced resistance to change, a way to confirm TIPQA’s data, reports, and approvals are aligned with expectations, and a smooth transition with minimal disruption.

As confidence continues to build, legacy processes are being phased out — reducing risk while maintaining continuity.