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Stoke Space<\/a>, a company that\u2019s developing a fully reusable rocket, has unveiled a new tool to let hardware companies track the design, testing and integration of parts. The new tool, Fusion<\/a>, is targeting an unsexy but essential aspect of the hardware workflow.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a solution born out of \u201cubiquitous pain in the industry,\u201d Stoke CEO Andy Lapsa said in a recent interview. The current parts tracking status quo is marked by cumbersome, balkanized solutions built on piles of paperwork and spreadsheets. Many of the existing tools are not optimized \u201cfor boots on the ground,\u201d but for finance or procurement teams, or even the C-suite, Lapsa explained.<\/p>\n In contrast, Fusion is designed to optimize simple inventory transactions and parts organization, and it will continue to track parts through their lifespan: as they are built into larger assemblies and go through testing. In an extreme example, such as hardware failures, Fusion will help teams connect anomalous data to the exact serial numbers of the parts involved.<\/p>\n Image credit: Stoke Space<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cIf you think about aerospace in general, there\u2019s a need and a desire to be able to understand the part pedigree of every single part number and serial number that\u2019s in an assembly,\u201d Lapsa said. \u201cSo not only do you understand the configuration, you understand the history of all of those parts dating back to forever.\u201d<\/p>\n While Lapsa clarified that Fusion is the result of an organic in-house need for better parts management \u2013 designing a fully reusable rocket is complicated, after all \u2013 turning it into a sell-able product was a decision that the Stoke team made early on. It\u2019s a notable example of a rocket startup generating pathways for revenue while their vehicle is still under development.<\/p>\n Fusion offers particular relevance to startups. Many existing tools are designed for production runs \u2013 not the fast-moving research and development environment that many hardware startups find themselves, Lapsa added. In these environments, speed and accuracy are paramount.<\/p>\n Brent\u00a0Bradbury, Stoke\u2019s head of software, echoed these comments.<\/p>\n \u201cThe parts are changing, the people are changing, the processes are changing,\u201d he said. \u201cThis lets us capture all that as it happens without a whole lot of extra work.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n