February 14 2011 |
2PLM
John Stark Associates |
Volume 13 Number 23 |
Page 1 - Welcome Page 2 - News Page 3 - Brief lines |
* Welcome * Welcome to 2PLM, an e-zine distributed about every two weeks. This issue includes :
by John Stark Our PLM 2011 State-of-the-Art Workshop was announced last month. Although it was designed as a one-day Workshop, so far it's been presented as a two-day on-site Workshop and as a 4-hour Webinar. The two-day Workshop was for four PLM Team members in Europe. The Webinar was for a group of ten participants in the US. Fortunately, the modular design of the Workshop allows it to be presented in different formats. There are four parts to the Workshop: The Evolution of PLM (2001-2011) ; PLM in 2011 ; Typical PLM Strategies and Activities in 2011 ; and Progressing with PLM in 2011. The first two sessions address "What is PLM?" and "Why PLM?". The other two sessions address "What should we do next in PLM?" and "How to Implement PLM?" In the two presentations of the Workshop in January, the main interest of the participants was different. In each case, about one-third of the Workshop was customised to meet specific requirements. The resulting Workshops were rated "Excellent" and "Awesome". Consider the PLM 2011 State-of-the-Art Workshop if your PLM Team, or another group of people in your company, wants to get a quick, concise overview of PLM. To find out how the Workshop helps you understand the PLM State of the Art, identify high potential areas of PLM that are key to achievement of business benefits, and plan the next steps of your PLM project, contact John Stark at pdm@2pdm.com. * Nordic and German Collaborative Events * by Roger Tempest The global PLM Formalisation and PLM Showcase programme starts with two collaborative working events, one in the Nordic region and the other in Germany. PLM managers from different user companies will get together for 2 days to share their views and experiences in implementing PLM. Every PLM team in a national or multinational company learns lessons about how to apply PLM well, and develops its own set of rules, methodologies and best practices so that everyone can work in an effective way. These are sometimes formalised to become internal corporate standards. However, because they are developed internally they are difficult to apply across the customer and supply chains, and because every company faces slightly different challenges - each company's standards are different. We need to simplify PLM. The best way of doing this is to combine the knowledge from many implementations, and to shape the results into effective standards that everyone can use. By enabling users to share their experience directly, it will be possible to build a much greater PLM understanding than by working separately. New methods and tools can be developed which, in turn, can be used within future implementations to generate even better results. The good news is that collaboration brings its own rewards. PLM managers like to share ideas, and the PLMIG events let you do this in detail for two uninterrupted days. The Nordic workshop aims to have about 10 user companies working together, with one or two delegates each. It is an open workshop, so that should attract some vendors or integrators into the mix, and we should achieve a working group of about 25 enthusiastic people. This will create a landmark PLM discussion, and the structured format means that formal deliverables will be published after the event. The German workshop is being organised in parallel, and should be held soon afterwards. This will build on the Nordic results, and generate its own material. The series of events will continue in other countries during the year, and Nordic and German participants will receive ongoing summaries as the programme develops. PLMIG events are open to participants from all areas of the PLM industry, and from any country. We are now in a short discussion phase to establish the workshop locations and the details of the agenda. If you would like to know more information, or to add your input, then contact events@plmig.com. Roger Tempest is co-founder of the PLMIG. Membership of the PLMIG is available via membership@plmig.com. * Maximizing the Value of PLM/ERP Integration and Collaboration * by Dick Bourke Part 7: Introduction to PLM as the System of Record Before We Move Forward The past columns in this series defined and discussed some highlights of best practice collaboration and integration of product lifecycle management (PLM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems - and recognized the emerging interest in manufacturing execution systems (MES). Recall that this series is intended to be an introduction/ review of the concepts of PLM/ERP systems collaboration and integration. The "Additional Sources," cited at the end of this column, can provide you with numerous ways to gain further understanding. Preface Even with the economy rebounding, cost reduction is still a high priority. So is coping with relentless competitive pressures, such as reducing time-to-market that fuels the need for more efficient Collaborative Product Development (CPD) processes. Now is the time, therefore, to explore using PLM as the System of Record (SoR). It is an expanded vision for unifying PLM/ERP - plus MES in some industry sectors. SoR is based on manufacturing process management (MPM) processes aided by software capabilities. PLM as the System of Record - An Overview At this time, there is no known industry-wide accepted definition/scope of PLM as the SoR. For this column, an SoR is the authoritative data source for a given data element. It is also known as the "single source of truth," storing the authorized version only once for use by all systems and all users. The scope of SoR implementation, however, must be clarified relevant to an individual company's needs and ambitions. An Aberdeen report (2008) stated that scope could include many data elements/files of product definition: lifecycle stages, parts, routings, assembly instructions, labor and equipment resources, specifications, costs, quality, computer-aided-design (CAD) data and more. When did the quest for PLM as the SoR begin? Since the days when engineering parts lists (EPL) on blueprints were "thrown over the wall" to manufacturing. One result has been the constant concern to maintain product configuration integrity - acutely painful to achieve with non-integrated software systems and processes. Also, manufacturing had to restructure the EPL to meet its requirements for ERP processing, often different from the engineering view of the product structure. Alas, data "silos" were created, and the heated discussions began, "Who owns the BOM?" Collaborative Product Development Associates (CPDA) nailed the issue in 1997: "But, the right way to approach the PLM/ERP integration problem is not to write costly integrations - the right way is "to change the way the product is represented, until it is represented in a form that an ERP system can interpret easily." In other words - use MPM processes. MPM in PLM as the System of Record: Introduction MPM is the heart of PLM as the SoR concept. It is the collection of processes and technologies used to define how products are to be manufactured. It is an approach for unifying the eBOM/mBOM processes, and creating and maintaining the related information for bill-of-processes (BOP) for making parts. Currently, both PLM and ERP systems have product definition functions - some similar by name, but not by capability. Both PLM and ERP have bill-of-material (BOM) management capabilities, yet with distinct differences:
Final Thought The potential strategic value of PLM as the SoR, with MPM processes, suggests a thoughtful evaluation of its use to boost a company's CPD environment. Some consulting firms, e.g., Gartner/AMR and CIMdata, among others, have endorsed the SoR vision. But, not all PLM/ERP system users see eye to eye on this issue. In the next part, I will continue to examine this subject. For more detail, see Additional Sources of Information Contact Dick at dickb@bourkeconsulting.com. |
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Page 2 News |
* Corporate * Open Text Corp. announced it has entered into an agreement and plan of merger to acquire Metastorm Inc. Details * Financial * Cadence Design Systems, Inc. announced results for the fourth quarter 2010. Revenue was $249 million. Details CENIT AG released figures for 2010. According to preliminary, unaudited figures, sales totaled 92.5 m Euros. Details Cimatron announced Q4/10 revenues of $11M. Details CONTACT Software GmbH reported revenue and earnings growth for the financial year 2010. Details Dassault Systemes reported IFRS unaudited financial results for the year ended December 31, 2010. FY 2010 total revenue was 1,563.8 million Euros. Details Hexagon announced fourth quarter 2010 net sales of 4,638 MSEK. Details Lectra announced financial statements for the full year 2010. Revenues were 190.3 million euros. Details Open Text Corp. announced unaudited financial results for its Q2 ended December 31, 2010. Total revenue was $267.5 million. Details Sopheon plc announced that total revenues for the year ended 31 December 2010 are expected to exceed market expectations of £10 million. Details * People * BlueCielo ECM Solutions announced the appointment of Rainer Puittinen as the company's new CEO. Details Creaform announced the nomination of Stephane Galibois as VP of Technology Sales for North America. Details LEDAS Ltd. announced the appointment of Dmitry Ushakov as its new CEO. Details * Implementations * aPriori announced that BISSELL Homecare, Inc. has selected the aPriori Product Cost Management software platform. Details AVEVA announced that STX OSV AS has signed an agreement to purchase the AVEVA Marine solution suite. Details Dassault Systemes announced that BMW selected its V6 PLM solutions to develop the future electrical, electronics, and embedded software architecture of BMW cars. Details Dassault Systemes SolidWorks Corp. announced that SolidWorks software was used by Aries CCV, Schramm Inc., and Center Rock Inc. Details Mentor Graphics Corp. announced that Cypress Semiconductor Corp. has selected the Questa functional verification platform. Details Microsoft published a case study on successful deployment of Share-A-space at BAE Systems. Details nCode announced that Ford Motor Company has deployed nCode Automation software. Details Omnify Software announced that Pathway Medical Technologies selected the Omnify Empower PLM solution. Details Pilgrim Software, Inc. announced that Hema-Quebec selected Pilgrim. Details Pilgrim Software, Inc. announced that Megadyne Medical Products, Inc. will implement Pilgrim's Document Management solution. Details Siemens PLM Software announced that Aston Martin is standardizing its global sports car development process using NX and Teamcenter software. Details * Developments * Bentley Systems, Inc. announced its first release of eB Insight, the foundation of Bentley's AssetWise platform. (Bentley added eB software to its portfolio through its acquisition of Enterprise Informatics in February 2010.) Details BlueCielo announced the launch of BlueCielo Meridian Enterprise 2011. Details CCE announced the release of its newest ODX library - ODX/CAT6 - for accessing CATIA Version 6 data without requiring a CATIA Version 6 license or software. Details CCE announced the release of the 2011 version of EnSuite. Details CGTech announced VERICUT 7.1. Details Datakit announced expansion of its range of converters. Details Delcam announced a new data repair module for FeatureCAM. Details DP Technology Corp. announced the release of ESPRIT 2011 Software. Details Forming Technologies Inc. announced the release of BlankWorks v4.3. Details GlobalSpec announced its newest online directory product for industrial suppliers. Details Informative Graphics Corp. announced availability of Brava! 7 for OpenText eDOCS version 5.2. Details ITI TranscenData announced the release of Proficiency Collaboration Gateway 9.0. Details Lattice Technology Inc. announced it released upgraded versions of its XVL Converters. Details Luxion announced the release of KeyShot 2.2. Details NEi Software announced a FEA mobile application, NEi Stratus. Details Okino Computer Graphics announced that its SolidWorks CAD conversion system has been updated for SolidWorks 2011. Details PROSTEP AG announced the first version of its PROSTEP PDF Generator 3D for Adobe LiveCycle. Details Tech Soft 3D announced HOOPS 3D Framework (HOOPS 3DF) v19. Details * Relationships * Aras announced that HCL Technologies has joined the Aras partner program. Details Cadac Goup announced it has re-enrolled the Microsoft Partner Network. Details Catalog Data Solutions announced a partnership with CADworks. Details Cimatron Limited announced that Henrique Projetos Cadpro Ltda. has been appointed to serve as a reseller of Cimatron's products. Details CONTACT Software GmbH announced it introduced a cooperation opportunity for colleges and universities: the CONTACT University programme. Details Delcam announced a MOU between Hankook Delcam and Star-Korea Co. Ltd. Details FISHER/UNITECH announced it achieved number one Stratasys reseller status in the Americas for units shipped in 2010. Details Graphics Systems Corp. announced it was honored by Dassault Systemes SolidWorks Corp. as the Top SolidWorks Subscription Provider in North America. Details INUS Technology announced that several 3D scanner manufacturers have teamed up to offer Rapidform software with their 3D scanning hardware platforms. Details MecSoft Corp. announced a VAR partnership with ECCOM OU, located in Tartu, Estonia. Details QUMAS announced a partnership with Cegedim. Details Siemens PLM Software and VISTAGY, Inc. announced an upgrade and extension to their partnership. Details SpaceClaim announced an OEM contract with C&R Technologies. Details Technia announced a partnership with Infostrait bv. Details TraceParts announced the launch of an online parts library integrated with SpaceClaim's 3D design software. Details TradeStone Software announced a partnership agreement with 5 Horizons Group. Details Vero USA announced the appointment of TST Tooling Software Technology as its master distributor for the VISI Series product suite in North America. Details VISTAGY, Inc. announced that it has renewed its status as a Technical Partner to Lotus Renault GP. Details Zuken announced that Technical Systems Integrators, Inc. (TSI) has joined its expanding North American sales force. Details * Other * Arena Solutions announced an increase in net new subscription sales of 110% for the year ending December 31, 2010. Details BigMachines, Inc. announced the company achieved a record year in 2010 with 77 percent year-over-year growth in recurring revenue and 72 percent growth in total revenue. Details BigMachines, Inc. announced it was honored by salesforce.com customers with an AppExchange Best of '10 Award. Details CAD Schroer announced version 5 of its MEDUSA4 Personal software. Details The Coordinate Metrology Society announced the 2011 Coordinate Metrology Systems Conference, July 25 - 29, 2011, in Phoenix, Arizona. Details Dassault Systemes SolidWorks Corp. announced that one million SolidWorks licenses have been purchased by educational institutions. Details Endeca Technologies, Inc. announced the results of an eCommerce survey of business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) organizations. Details Eurostep announced the Share-A-space Forum, Stockholm, Sweden, May 19-20 2011. Details Eurostep announced the dates for PLCS and PLM training in the first half of 2011. Details Eurostep announced it is a sponsor of the NATO Configuration Management Symposium, 28 February - 2 March 2011 in Brussels, Belgium. Eurostep will present: "The PLCS Standards in use: Configuration Management Across Borders and to Forward Operations". Details IDOX plc announced the acquisition of McLaren Software. Details Infor announced strong momentum for sales of Infor PLM 8. Details IQMS announced its 2010 year in review recap, with 30% revenue increase over 2009. Details MecSoft Corp. announced sales growth for the calendar year 2010. Details OPEN CASCADE S.A.S. announced Open CASCADE Technology maintenance release version 6.4.1. Details OpenText announced it has been positioned by Gartner, Inc. in the "Leaders" Quadrant of the "Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Content Management". Details Siemens PLM announced Volume 8, Issue 2 of its PLM Knowledge 21 newsletter. Details Sopheon plc announced the appointment of finnCap Limited as Nominated Adviser and Broker. Details Stratasys, Inc. announced it received ISO 9001: 2008 certification. Details Tech Soft 3D announced its 2010 revenue grew by 40 percent. Details VISTAGY, Inc. announced the donation of 10 FiberSIM composites engineering software licenses to the UMass Amherst College of Engineering. Details |
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