06/23/2026
Most digital engineering strategies fail for one simple reason:
They start with tools.
In this episode, hosts Juliann Grant and Jonathan Scott sit down with Chris Finlay, Vice President of Engineering Innovation at SAIC, to discuss his journey helping organizations adopt MBSE, digital engineering, digital thread strategies, and AI-enabled engineering practices across the defense industry.
But adoption isn’t a tooling problem—it’s an ex*****on problem.
Finlay’s “Five Firsts” flips the script:
→ Do before you perfect
→ Use data to challenge process
→ Upskill instead of waiting for unicorn hires
→ Prioritize interoperability over vendor silos
→ Share information instead of protecting it
Because digital engineering doesn’t stall on technology—it stalls on behavior.
If you’re serious about moving from pilot purgatory to scaled impact, this is the field guide you’ve been missing.
Watch full podcast here: https://staysharpindigitalengineering.com/finlays-five-firsts-a-field-guide-to-digital-engineering-adoption/