“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 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 More“Our processes just evolved, and now we’re cornered.” We’ve heard this and similar sentiment numerous times. It’s completely understandable. We all get so busy. There are orders to process and get products out the door. Who has time to be intentional? Any way, it seems to do the job for now.
Earlier this year, Peter Schroer, President of Aras, called this the PLM Underground. Effectively, companies have established their “plm” (in little letters) environment using email, elaborate spreadsheets, undocumented file folder structures and culturally developed processes. All this is in response to “how do I deal with all this data” rather than “how can we drive business value.”
Last year Aras was the first PLM vendor to provide embedded CAD to 3D PDF conversion capabilities. It is now an inherent part of the Aras Innovator PLM for subscribers and enables users across the enterprise to view all formats of product data in a single, common user interface without buying additional software. As a result, there is no need for a separate visualization tool. One of the powerful 3D tools available in the Adobe Reader is the 3D measurement tool. Anyone with Adobe Reader XI can easily measure and markup rich engineering data saved in the 3D PDF file format.
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 MorePeter Schroer, the Aras CEO and Founder, recently penned a compelling article that contrasts the irony that exists for many manufacturers today. He notes that sophisticated design technologies are used for 3D CAD, analysis and simulation, and DMU (digital mock-up) work. Yet, to manage the resulting data, manual steps, paper, email, Excel, Lotus Notes, DropBox, FTP, and homegrown systems are used.He refers to these design technologies as the "science of engineering." He further states, "Leaving other critical processes, including software, electronics, requirements, process planning, technical publications and quality – the "business of engineering" – is disconnected and underserved." It's the contrast between the "science of engineering and the "business of engineering."
Read MoreRequirements Management is another one of our applications that pairs with Aras Innovator and is part of the subscription model. Its primary capabilities are twofold. You can create individual requirements and requirement documents that are a collection of requirements. Typically, you are generating a requirements document or documents as you are designing a product or perhaps documenting regulatory requirements. That is the type of usage we see from our various customers.
Read MoreAutodesk Vault was used for the CAD workgroup. Once designs were released, renditions were manually created and then loaded into SharePoint. The bills we exported to a spreadsheet and manually entered into their ERP solution. Purchasing would go to SharePoint to access and print the rendered drawings. These would be associated to purchase orders.
Read MoreDo you have P&L responsibilities or hope to have someday? Then if PLM is not part of your strategy, you may want to reconsider. PLM is just as vital as your ERP solution and some will argue that it is the most important aspect for any engineering/manufacturing business.
Read MoreCopyright 2024 | The vdR Group, Inc, All Rights Reserved
Terms & Privacy | info@vdr.com | 1.714.921.9300
