Traditionally, one set of engineers designed a part, and only then passed it on to manufacturing. If a problem arose on the supplier side, the design was kicked back and the process started over. “Jobs are combining in this digital world,” Mr. Lammas said.

Greenville’s own equipment has been a Predix guinea pig. The machinery and factory were retrofitted with data-generating sensors and the software. Matt Krause, the plant manager, said that last winter, when a snowstorm shut the factory for a day, the sensor network detected that the plant had consumed 1,000 pounds of argon, an inert gas used in coatings for parts. The leak was fixed, saving $350,000 a year.

“We can see things we never did before,” Mr. Krause said. Over all, 60 of 200 steps in design and production have been automated or eliminated, reducing work time by 530,000 hours over three years, G.E. estimates.

Not all the start-up ideas that G.E. is trying to breed translate comfortably to heavy industry. Lean proponents urge companies to come up with “minimum viable products,” particularly test versions of software programs. But no one wants a minimum viable jet engine or power generator.

Yet in Greenville, engineers in the design stages are encouraged to move faster in smaller steps, conduct more experiments, and be willing to fail and try again. It amounts to a sea change in the engineering culture of heavy industry.

“As an engineer, not getting it right the first time, I find painful,” said Bill Byrne, an engineering manager. “It’s uncomfortable. But it’s been incredibly liberating.”

The old ways, said Mr. Lammas, the engineering chief, had merit. Each step and rule was logical on its own. But the emphasis on flawless execution and perfection fostered a fear of failure. “Overcoming that culture was probably the biggest challenge,” he said.