Beyond Software: iBase-t Embeds ROI Accountability in A&D Manufacturing

LAKE FOREST, CA – August 05, 2026 – In a strategic move that signals a significant evolution in enterprise software partnerships, iBase-t, a provider of Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM) software, has announced the formation of a new Value Realization Organization. The initiative aims to shift the vendor-client relationship from a transactional software sale to a deeply integrated, long-term partnership focused on delivering and quantifying operational success. Leading this charge is the newly promoted Vice President of Customer Success, Chelsea Morgan, an industry veteran with deep roots in aerospace and defense operations.

The restructuring moves beyond traditional customer support, which is often reactive. Instead, it embeds quantitative accountability and operational expertise directly into the customer lifecycle, from the initial sales pitch to long after the software goes live. For the high-stakes aerospace and defense (A&D) sector—where iBase-t’s clientele includes giants like Northrop Grumman, Rolls Royce, and Pratt & Whitney—this pivot from selling a product to guaranteeing its value could set a new benchmark for commercializing complex technology.

A New Standard for Enterprise Accountability

The concept of “value realization” is gaining momentum across the enterprise software landscape, particularly as the industry gravitates toward cloud-based, subscription models. In a SaaS world, customer retention hinges on a vendor’s ability to continuously prove its worth. This has pushed companies beyond simply providing a functional product to demonstrating meaningful business results. Industry analysts at firms like Forrester have increasingly weighted their evaluations on a provider's ability to deliver tangible outcomes, reflecting a market-wide demand for accountability.

iBase-t’s initiative, however, appears to be a more formalized and aggressive application of this principle. While many software companies have customer success teams focused on adoption, this new organization is explicitly designed to measure what was promised against what is delivered. This addresses a common pain point in large-scale digital transformations: the difficulty of quantifying the return on a multi-million-dollar software investment. By building a framework for ROI tracking into the relationship from day one, the company is placing a direct bet on its platform's ability to perform.

This move is particularly astute in the A&D space. According to recent Gartner market analysis, iBase-t is unique in its focus, with over 90% of its customer base in aerospace and defense. Competitors like Dassault Systèmes, Siemens, and PTC offer powerful, broad platforms, but iBase-t’s deep specialization allows it to tailor a service model that speaks directly to the sector’s unique challenges—stringent regulations, complex MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) processes, and the critical need for a traceable “digital thread.”

From the C-Suite to the Shop Floor

The architecture of the new Value Realization Organization is built on two newly created, distinct roles that bridge the gap between strategic goals and tactical execution. This dual approach is designed to ensure that the adoption of iBase-t’s Solumina platform is treated as a strategic business initiative, not just another software deployment.

The first role, the Client Value Partner, engages with customers during the initial scoping and procurement phases. Their primary function is to work with the client to define what success looks like in concrete operational terms, tie those objectives to a projected ROI, and maintain a “value realization framework” throughout the relationship. This framework breaks down performance by business unit and even individual shop floors, creating direct traceability from the ROI promised at purchase to the actual value realized over time. This creates a documented, quantitative relationship that can survive executive turnover and shifting priorities, a common challenge in long-cycle A&D programs.

Complementing this strategic oversight is the Lean Operations Consultant. These are not software support technicians; they are seasoned operations and lean manufacturing experts who embed themselves on the customer’s shop floor. Their mandate is to identify production bottlenecks, help eliminate waste, and translate process improvements back into the Solumina platform as new standard work. They bring shop-floor fluency, understanding concepts like takt time and manufacturing archetypes. This hands-on expertise directly tackles the persistent problem of slow or incomplete software adoption by providing the practical guidance needed to integrate the technology into complex, real-world workflows.

“Our customers need a team that understands their operations, measures what was promised against what's been delivered, and stays engaged long after go-live,” said Chelsea Morgan, Vice President of Customer Success. “This organization is built to make that real with quantitative value tracking, dedicated operational expertise on the shop floor, and a framework that holds us accountable for results.”

The Architect of Value

At the heart of this transformation is Chelsea Morgan, whose background makes her uniquely suited to lead the initiative. With over two decades of experience across software engineering, operations management, and technology leadership within the A&D industry, she brings a level of credibility that is critical for earning the trust of sophisticated manufacturers. Her career includes leading transformative supply chain analytics at GE Aerospace, where she improved supplier commitment accuracy by 28% across a $7 billion sourcing desk. She also spearheaded ERP and manufacturing system deployments for classified programs and led digital sustainment efforts for next-generation fighter jets.

Her credentials—including an MBA in Supply Chain, a Professional Certificate in Systems Engineering from MIT, and Six Sigma Black Belt certification—reflect a deep understanding of both the technological and operational levers that drive performance in A&D. This expertise ensures the Value Realization Organization is not just a marketing concept but a functionally robust program grounded in proven methodologies.

“Chelsea is one of those rare leaders who understands our customers' missions as well as they do,” noted Scott Baril, Chief Operating Officer at iBase-t. “Her deep aerospace and defense expertise, combined with her ability to translate complex customer needs into measurable outcomes, has made Chelsea indispensable. We're investing in customer success because we believe the real measure of our platform is the value our customers realize from it, and Chelsea is the right leader to drive that.”

By placing a leader with such a specific and relevant track record at the helm, iBase-t is sending a clear message: it understands the intricate challenges of A&D manufacturing and is building its commercial strategy around solving them, not just selling software. This customer-centric approach, championed by Morgan, is designed to turn clients into long-term partners who see the Solumina platform as an indispensable part of their competitive advantage.