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Sell before implementing Before trying to implement EDM/PDM, it is necessary to have converted many of the skeptics. The first activity for anyone trying to implement EDM/PDM is to sell the idea. This will have to be done with a mixture of carrots and sticks, bells and whistles. The bells and whistles of a new technology will attract some supporters - in particular those who are not focused on day-to-day business results, but are free to dream a little. Carrots come in the form of opportunities for those who can see that EDM/PDM can help them go further. Sticks come in the form of current problems, which can be applied, to the backs of those who suffer from them. Since there is a wide audience of potential customers who may be interested, there is not one easy message for selling EDM/PDM. Within one overall vision, an individually tailored message has to be found for each potential customer. The corresponding leverage, communication mechanism and timing must be identified. For an IS specialist, a bells and whistles approach may be tried. It may be possible to gain support by providing the opportunity to work with such up-to-date technology as Java and the World Wide Web. This is not the message for the Engineering VP though. What carrots and sticks can be found for the Engineering VP? Reducing the number of engineering changes could be a carrot. What sticks are usually used to beat the Engineering VP? (Examples showing Engineering in a bad light can probably be found. Perhaps some products have been very late to market, or perhaps exactly the same product has been designed twice). Could EDM/PDM help reduce the pain? (If products get to market earlier, customers will provide feedback earlier, and the next version will be even better. At last Engineering will be given credit for its wonderful products.) The TQM VP may be beaten with sticks such as scrap, rework and returns. These tend to have secondary costs such as inspecting returned goods, paying late delivery penalties and carrying excess inventory. If EDM/PDM can be shown to help reduce these, the TQM VP will be grateful. An even higher level message, referring back to specific corporate objectives, will have to be developed to convince corporate management of the need for EDM/PDM. EDM/PDM 'Dos and Don'ts' Do take account of organizational and cultural issues. Don't believe that purchasing an EDM/PDM system will automatically lead to successful use of EDM/PDM. Do remember that introduction of EDM/PDM is lengthy, costly and cross-functional. Don't look for a quick, cheap solution for one department. Do run EDM/PDM as a cross-functional, high-level activity reporting directly to top management. Don't treat it as a local issue that can be solved by a few programmers and data analysts. Do take the time to understand the many interrelated issues involved in EDM/PDM. Don't try to split off and solve one issue before attaining an overall understanding. Attain the overall understanding first, then look for the best issue to address. Do start by trying to understand the business objectives. Don't start by trying to model all the data flows in the engineering department. Do consider the many forms of data. Don't only address CAD data, or paper drawings, or alphanumeric documents. Do take the opportunity to improve the engineering workflow. Don't automate activities that add no value. Do take account of customers and suppliers. Don't only focus on internal activities. Do remember that different people have different objectives - fast access to data, more re-use of parts, reduction in engineering costs. Don't believe that everyone wants EDM/PDM for the same reason. Do remember the value of engineering information as a corporate asset. It must be valued and managed in the same way as other corporate assets such as money and plant. Do remember that only top management has the global view and power to modify the organization cross-functionally. Don't imagine you can do it alone, bottom-up, from a single function. Do involve top management. They have to create the right environment. Management needs to be committed to the long haul. This will involve changing the organization and the incentives. Change the organization before automating. Do remember the need for training and education. Don't think they are not needed if you acquire an EDM/PDM system. Do implement by steps, within an overall plan. Don't try to do everything in one Big Bang, mega-project. Do everything possible to understand the engineering processes. Don't think you can manage engineering data without understanding the processes that use engineering data. Do involve users and all other key players from the beginning. Don't try to go it alone. If you do, it won't be long before your project is stopped. Do make one person responsible - really responsible - for the EDM/PDM project. Don't try to share the responsibility, or give it to a committee. Do remember that there is a high risk associated with an EDM/PDM project. Don't assume it's easy. Remember that in the long run it's cheaper to take more time at the planning phase getting things right than to spend a lot of time and money correcting things after implementation. Do remember the only constant is change. Be prepared for it. |