What manufacturing company hasn't faced unnecessary rework, confusion on the shop floor and thus missed delivery dates? The cause can repeatedly be traced to unclear, ambiguous documentation often found in 2D drawings. Help is at hand, fortunately. An evolving solution for authoring product definition and design intent, sourced at the CAD models, is gaining recognition.
Read More“As it stands, companies are missing the opportunity for an $8B bottom line impact. PLM investments could generate up to 50 percent higher returns if companies apply a sharper prioritization toward digitalization and pursue PLM programs as a means for true transformation.” We talk with 10s of companies per week. And the recurring theme is the same. Companies continue to use emails, spreadsheets, and unstructured file folders ...
Read MoreAbout sixteen years ago, I joined Technicon. At that time, we came out with one of the leading CPQ products for large manufacturers in North America. My background revolved around some of the aspects that can be associated with CPQ such as CAD and mechanical engineering. By selling Intel products, I also got a good feel for the complexities and issues in generating quotes and the proposal process for manufacturers. Since then, for the last sixteen years, we have been deploying systems for very large manufacturers in North America. Companies like Eaton, Borg Warner and Phillips are Technicon customers. Today, Technicon is a leading CPQ provider in North America.
Read MoreAn Interview with Scott Heide, CEO of Engineering Intent - PPLM: Welcome, Scott. Thank you for spending some time with us. We are happy to have you bring additional perspective to our topic of CPQ. Before we start, give us a quick backgrounder as well as what you are doing today. Scott: I started out with an interesting educational combination, both engineering and computer science degrees. After I graduated with a master’s in science from MIT in the mid-80s, I immediately joined a company that was a pioneer in engineering automation called ICAD. They developed the concept of what was then called “knowledge-based engineering,” now more often called “engineering automation,” and were able to deliver some eye-opening applications to a wide variety of high-end customers.
Read MoreCPQ can be implemented in a range of product configuration options. As a starter for your strategic planning, here’s a generally accepted definition of “To-Order” options that will be your strategic choices. Assemble-to-Order (ATO) – products with standard sets of predefined features and options. The customer selects specific features and options to develop the unique product configurations. Orders are typically processed by an ERP system, for example, computers ordered over the Internet.
Read MoreThe change management application breaks into three parts. There is our CMII compliant change package that is the most comprehensive. It includes the PR, ECR and ECN processes which are typical industry standards. We also have a midline called the Express package that includes the ECO, DCO and something new called the EDR. And finally, we have a simplified version that moves the change process along much more rapidly. An important enhancement we just released is the Impact Matrix. The current tool gives users the ability to see the impact of their proposed change. So, if they were releasing say a part, they would be able to see the possible impact on other parts or assemblies. With our upgrade they could also see what models, drawings, and/or documents might be affected. Instead of a user having to dig through the various relationships, the Impact Matrix does that work to help the user make a decision.
Read MorePLM inherently touches multiple departments and areas of responsibilities. The value of part and product data, files, drawings, specs and schedules for example, extend beyond the engineering and manufacturing departments. But, the reality is various teams/groups in the organization invariably acquire technology solutions specific to their needs. Hence the silos of data and disconnected processes are perpetuated.
Read MorePLM inherently touches multiple departments and areas of responsibility. It can start at sales, but at a minimum will involve engineering, planning, production and segments of manufacturing. If your responsibilities are in engineering, then getting other departments to buy-in can be challenging. Executive sponsorship cuts across these boundaries. So, the real question is “how do I get the bosses to buy-in?” The short answer is, in part, by identifying the business values at the P&L level. PLM values can be tied to one or all of three areas on the P&L: revenues, cost of goods sold (CoGs) and overhead. Thus, doing more for less will most likely be found in CoGs and overhead.
Read MoreBy Ben Desmarais, vdR Group Senior Implementation Manager
I’ve been doing PLM solutions for nearly two decades now. Crafting workflow solutions are essential for most any implementation effort. I was recently involved in designing and configuring workflow processes for a project, and a couple of things occurred that prompted me to want to share some thoughts.
First, lifecycle stages go hand-in-hand with workflows. Think of workflows as moving a collection of items through a process. As an item moves through the process, it is likely to change states. For example, if an item is being changed, then once a change process is activated for that item, the lifecycle state might be assigned to “work-in-process” or WIP...
Read MoreMartin: Before we start, give us a quick background of your experience and what you are responsible for today.
Lopa: I’m a mechanical engineer by education, and I have been in PLM and the enterprise software space for my whole career. I started in services with SDRC Metaphase and then moved to Aspect Development/i2 in their supplier relationship management area. I gained great experience in both services and presales working with utility companies, high-tech, apparel, retail, industrial and the auto industry. Prior to joining Aras, I spent a number of years at Siemens PLM working with Teamcenter.
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