September 28, 1998

2PDM www.johnstark.com

Volume 1 Number 3

Page 1 - Feedback Page 2 - VPD Page 3 - News Page 4 - Brief lines

*Feedback* First of all, a few replies to reader's e-mails about previous issues. Several readers have asked if 2PDM is really free or if there are strings attached. Yes, it is free. No, there are no strings attached. Some people have suggested the size of the characters in the text should be increased. Others say it is fine as it is. We will stay with the current size for a few more issues, take note of additional feedback and then decide what to do. Several people have asked if they can put 2PDM on their mailing list or corporate Intranet. We gave them permission. Thank you for asking. Further to our comments on the size, cost and time of ERP implementations some readers suggest we collect details about specific examples. Please let us know if you have such information about ERP implementation, or can suggest good sources. EDM/PDM vendors among you might like to know that many readers are apparently printing out 2PDM 'pages' and then filing the paper. Any thoughts on the Paperless Office? *Groovy* Debbie wrote from California to congratulate us on the groovy e-zine. Although it is not our intention to be 'groovy' we thank her for her support. Again, EDM/PDM vendors among you might like to take note. When was the last time Debbie, or anyone else, called your system groovy? Also for the EDM/PDM vendors among you, when was the last time anyone called your Web site groovy? Your Web site gives everyone an impression of your company and your products. How do you think people think of you if your site is boring, full of meaningless hype, lacks a consistent look and feel, has frames that stick, banners that take several minutes to download, and Java that makes their systems crash? Agile Software's site shows what can be done with a little effort. If that's too cool for your liking, try Consensys Software's site - a very different feel, but also well designed and consistent. *PDM 2* Now to a slightly more technical question. People ask if 2PDM has links to PDM 2 or PDM II. The answer is no. From what we remember, PDM 2 was introduced by Sherpa to signify additional functionality. Just as MRP became MRP 2 when its functionality increased, the term PDM 2 was introduced to distinguish between systems with basic, limited functionality (PDM) and those with additional, more advanced functionality (PDM 2). 2PDM has links to neither Sherpa nor PDM 2.

	Want to instantly improve the value of your EDM/PDM or ERP solution? Add Imagenation. The award-winning viewer from Spicer Corporation. For total control over your documents, go to www.spicer.com. View - Markup - Scan - Edit - Print - Web

Page 2

*PDM II* Now to PDM II. IBM/Dassault/Enovia foresee a movement beyond today's PDM environment to a new generation of product development management capability that they call Product Development Management II (PDM II). PDM II encompasses two application areas - Virtual Product Development Management (VPDM) and Product Data Management (PDM). This approach should go down particularly well with CATIA users in aerospace and automotive industries - so it's no surprise to see that Chrysler is championing it. 2PDM doesn't have any links to PDM II or to IBM/Dassault/Enovia's Virtual Product Model and ProductManager product lines. *Different viewpoints on EDM/PDM* In the previous issue of 2PDM we looked at PDM from a viewpoint some way down the product life cycle. From that viewpoint, PDM vendors should be concerned about ERP vendors penetrating the EDM/PDM market. They should also be concerned about penetration by CAD and VPD vendors. VPD (confusingly meaning Virtual Product Development for some and Visual Product Data for others) starts right at the beginning of the life cycle - and that's where CAD and VPD vendors are attacking the EDM/PDM market. CoCreate recently announced its OneSpace VPD solution, and Unigraphics Solutions has just announced its ProductVision which will be integrated with IMAN. The VPD market is expanding rapidly with vendors such as Engineering Animation, Division and Tecoplan looking much more sexy, dynamic and successful than their counterparts in the PDM industry. And a new market is opening up with products such as WTC's OpCenter that allow the program manager, team members, and corporate executives to navigate the murky waters of program/project management in a product development environment. All the major CAD and VPD vendors will eat into the EDM/PDM space. Over the coming months we'll see how they slice and dice CAD, VPD and PDM functions based on the relative strengths of their particular products and market breakdowns. *What happens next?* As a result of all the pressure on the EDM/PDM market, we expect to see a radically new breed of EDM/PDM solution, based on the paradigms of 2000, emerging in the next 18 months. Many companies are struggling to use EDM/PDM systems based on the paradigms of the 1980's so they will be delighted to see new solutions. However, they will only benefit from new systems if they are well prepared. No system will work well for a company that doesn't have a very good idea of the way it wants to organize its product development environment. Computer systems are just a small component of this environment. Customer requirements, corporate structure, development process, change management, department / team organization, human resource, and product information issues also need to be addressed. We recommend the Engineering Vision 2000 and Engineering Strategy 1998 reports to companies that want to improve their product development environment.

	To learn all about EDM/PDM, make sure you attend Kalthoff Fall 98, September 28 - October 1, 1998 at the Omni Rosen Hotel, Orlando, FL. Day 1 is Tutorial day. The other three days offer a choice of five parallel tracks. Vendor Exhibition each day. 40 leading vendors present. More Information.

Page 3 News

Division Inc. announced it has acquired ObjectLogic, Inc. Spicer Corporation, publisher of Imagenation, announced the acquisition of UK-based Cimio Limited. Cimio develops CAD data format conversion, 3D CAD model viewing, and STEP products. SDRC announced the acquisition of certain software assets from Altris Software. SDRC paid approximately $3.0 million in cash for Altris' Rapid Information Presentation Services (RIPS) software product and associated product developers. Aspect Development, Inc. announced the appointment of George Popov to the position of Vice President of MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Operations) Business. Siemens Energy and Automation, Inc. announced that its Industrial Systems & Service Division's IT Group is providing a certified integration between Agile Workplace and SAP R/3. ACS Software, Inc. introduced Version 6 of AutoEDMS, optimized for Windows 98 and NT 5.0. CoCreate Software Inc. announced OneSpace, a Web-enabled, real-time product-development solution. Documentum announced it has certified Sybase Adaptive Server Enterprise for use with its Enterprise Document Management System 98 (EDMS 98). Formtek, Inc. named Vincent F. Zumbo as vice president of finance, human resources and operations. Unigraphics Solutions Inc. announced Version 1 of ProductVision, its new enterprise collaboration software package. Xerox Engineering Systems announced the Document Retrieval Tool, a multi-platform software package for scanning hard-copy engineering documents directly to networked client desktops. PAFEC announced it is to combine with SER, the German software and systems company. International CompuTex, Inc. announced that revenues for the second quarter ended June 30, 1998 were $1,545,821 with net income of $32,565, versus revenues of $1,511,872 for the quarter ended June 30, 1997, with pro forma net income of $269,223. Staffware announced that turnover for the six months to 30th June 1998 increased by 25% to £9.6m compared to £7.7m for the same period last year. Rasterex announced support of Microsoft Office for its range of viewing and API/OEM products. Kofax Image Products, Inc. and NovaSoft Systems, Inc. announced an alliance aimed at providing tightly integrated image capture and document management solutions for end users worldwide. MatrixOne, Inc. announced a worldwide Alliance Integration Partner Program. Informative Graphics Corp. announced that Documentum has selected Myriad as the viewing technology for their Enterprise Document Management System 98 product, DocViewer. Agile Software announced a partnership with Sierra Atlantic, Inc., for integration between Agile Workplace software and Oracle Applications for manufacturing and enterprise resource planning. Sherpa Corporation announced version 2.0 of its SherpaWORKS applications suite. *IPDMUG 1999 Conference Announcement* IPDMUG members, here it is! Register now for the upcoming IPDMUG conference in San Francisco on January 20-21, 1999. (The International PDM Users Group is a non-profit Organization consisting of, and dedicated to supporting the implementers of PDM systems, regardless of vendor solution. To find out more about IPDMUG, contact Bill Canal. To become an IPDMUG member, fill out a membership/survey application.)

For full information about the above announcements, all the other EDM/PDM news and articles to help your implementation succeed, subscribe to the monthly 16-page Engineering Data Management Newsletter. The annual subscription fee for 12 monthly issues is : US$ 345 in North America, South America, Africa, Asia (excluding Japan) and Australasia ; 39500 Yen in Japan ; 195 Pounds Sterling in the UK ; 426 Swiss Francs in Continental Europe.

Page 4 Brief lines

Subscription information To subscribe to 2PDM, fill in the subscription form or send an e-mail headed 'start subscription' to pdm@2pdm.com Subscription cost Subscribers receive 2PDM free of charge. Privacy policy We understand and respect your desire for privacy. The information we ask for at subscription time is the minimum necessary to effectively fulfill your subscription and communicate with you if and when necessary. We do not release the information you provide us to third parties. In case of further questions, you can reach us at pdm@2pdm.com Limited time We know you have a busy schedule. To reduce delivery and reading time, 2PDM has a simple format and concise content. Termination of subscription To terminate subscription, please send an e-mail headed 'stop subscription' to pdm@2pdm.com Sponsorship 2PDM is provided free of charge to its readers. Companies that share our objectives of promoting successful implementation of EDM and PDM systems and world-class product development performance may sponsor 2PDM. There is space for a maximum of one sponsor message per page, except on this 'Brief lines' page - where there is room for several short sponsor messages. Publication frequency 2PDM is published every two weeks. Copyright Copyright 1998 by John Stark. All rights reserved. Permission to reproduce text or graphics Applications for permission to reproduce part or parts of 2PDM (text or graphics) should be sent to pdm@2pdm.com Permission to make 2PDM available within an organization Applications for permission to make 2PDM available within a company or other organization (e.g. by internal mail, corporate Intranet, etc.) are usually accepted. Please send a request for permission to pdm@2pdm.com Disclaimer Information provided in 2PDM is intended solely to provide general guidance on matters of interest for the personal use of the reader, who accepts full responsibility for its use. Information is provided 'as is', with no guarantee of completeness, accuracy, or timeliness, and without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including, but not limited to, the warranties of performance, merchantability, and fitness for a particular purpose. Nothing in 2PDM shall to any extent substitute for the independent investigations and the sound technical and business judgement of the reader. Technology, laws and regulations are continually changing, and can only be interpreted in the light of particular factual situations. The information in 2PDM does not constitute technological, business, legal, investment or consulting advice, and should only be used in conjunction with appropriate professional advice obtained by the reader from a suitably qualified professional who understands the reader's particular factual situation.