Applying the Agile Project Management Methodology

Applying the Agile Project Management Methodology

PPLM:  Ben, you recently participated in a significant Aras PLM implementation effort that spanned most of this past year.  The Agile project management technique was used.  Give us a net-net of what it meant to use this approach. Ben:  Yes, it was a significant effort.  In fact, I can’t imagine not having used the Agile approach.  For this project, the so-called “water fall” approach would have been a disaster.

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Wrangling Engineering Change Orders

Wrangling Engineering Change Orders

Earlier this month, Desktop Engineering published an article by Brian Albright that provides a refreshing perspective on a familiar topic – engineering change.  Albright suggests that many of the strategies and techniques used to manage engineering change (EC) are quickly becoming obsolete due to increasing product complexity and market demands.  While this concept is not new, the article looks at the root causes of this issue and explores actionable solutions.  The urgency of the problem is highlighted by thoughts and comments from industry experts and day-to-day EC practitioners.  These perspectives represent a range of organizations, including Arena, M-Files, Omnify, Oracle, Synergis and others.  It quickly becomes clear that a new approach to information management – whether it be PDM, ECM, or PLM – is key to modernizing EC.  However, Albright is careful to avoid picking sides.  Despite this impartial analysis, PLM seems to break away from the pack.

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Tech Tips - Extend Aras Innovator to CAD Workgroups

Tech Tips - Extend Aras Innovator to CAD Workgroups

As much as we like to talk about all the wonderful things you can do with Aras Innovator as a PLM solution, it can easily be used as a product data management (PDM) platform to manage CAD data.

Recognizing this need, Aras developed best-in-class PDM functionality inside Aras Innovator.  You can effectively manage all your CAD data and share this across the business.

To support this, Aras offers an open, CAD-neutral environment for developing packaged and custom integrations.  It is used by various CAD Connector partners as the basis of their Connector products and can be used by customers or partners to develop custom PDM solutions.

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Proposal Management Module

Proposal Management Module

A “Quote-to-Cash” Extension for Engineer/Build-to-Order Organizations

You may have heard about this expression “Quote to Cash.”  Admittedly, it can sound a bit flippant.  If only it were that easy.  But, what if you could create significant efficiencies in the proposal process and drive cash in a shorter period of time?

Well, that’s the idea behind one of our newest lab projects… the Proposal Management Module.  The goal is to help sales capture requirements, repurpose those into a proposal, pass the information on directly to planning and engineering, and do this without loss of “data fidelity”.  If this process can be accelerated, then it stands to reason that the potential for delivery and invoicing are shortened as well.

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