What I learned as a follow up to my report on Product Data Accessibility is that there is a lot more angst about finding product data than I ever realized. I was amazed at the discussion generated by my blog post about accessing all product data regardless of how it is stored. In particular, there as a lot of PDA discussion on LinkedIn. For those that can’t access it (I was told you have to join the group) I decided to share some of what I learned from it here.

What I Learned

One of the key findings of the report was that “accessing product data and centralizing it are not absolutely linked.” That really seems to resonate with people. One person I spoke with (Skype, not in the LinkedIn thread or my comments) reiterated that point, saying that “you need control, but regardless of where you are with that you have to be able to find data.” That brings up some interesting thoughts about PDM. My report on the business value of Product Data Management highlights controlling/securing data, finding/reusing data, and sharing data as primary benefits of PDM. There is clearly overlap in finding/reusing data between PDM and PDA. My view is that PDM and PDA are complementary solutions, and the discussion seems to indicate that there is no requirement to have one in place before the other, either can help regardless of whether the other is in place. One example brought up in the LinkedIn group is how useful search can be after an acquisition, and not having to wait for systems to be migrated. This need (and opportunity) was echoed by others.

Time for a Maturity Model?

I have seen maturity models for PDM and PLM (among others), but given a lot of the comments and the research for the report about the need for product data accessibility I thought I would take a stab at a few levels of accessibility:

1. The Wild, Wild West – No formal accessibility strategy. From the discussions I have had, this is very common. Searching on document names and looking for things where they are “supposed to be.”
2. Basic Search – Ability to search for information in known locations based on known parameters, perhaps with some full text search thrown in.
3. Advanced Search – A formal strategy based on an index, most likely including helpful capabilities like saved and shared searches. One comment mentioned Zakta.com that offers guides for searches, although I am not familiar with the solution (but I guess I should be). I am feeling a matrix might be applicable here, though, because there are different approaches that include text, attributes, metadata, or shape (like what ShapeSpace or Siemens PLM’s Geolus solution offers), and I am sure others.
4. Access and Aggregate – Accessing disparate data and pulling it together to get a more full view of the product. Perhaps this is two levels, depending on the intelligence behind the aggregation, or maybe there is another matrix forming here. For example, using semantics to intelligently discover relationships like Inforbix does is more powerful than simply aggregating on part numbers.
5. Search Based Applications – Accessing, aggregating, and acting on product data. This would include Search based applications (SBA) such as Dassault Systemes’ Exelead (focused more broadly products) and Inforbix xApps. Perhaps another capability that belongs here (or another level?) is the ability to develop composite applications that can both access and update underlying data? Or maybe that belongs somewhere else, not sure.

Implications for Manufacturers

I am not suggesting that the above is ready for prime time, it needs some work in order to really be robust. And no maturity model should really include a level called “the Wild, Wild West.” But I hope it serves as a way to get people thinking about the different ways companies can access, aggregate, and use their product data to drive more business value.

I don’t see this as a replacement for centralizing and controlling product data. One commenter even mentioned it would be nice to link data to workflows. That starts to sound like  PDM and PLM to me. In fact, I think we will see incorporation of these capabilities in PLM, as well as offer independently. The value is clear, and there are options to pursue, so it’s time to take a look.

So those are some thoughts on product data accessibility, I hope you found it interesting. Who knew? I didn’t, if you did let us know about it. Another good resource on the topic is the Inforbix product data space blog. For full disclosure, Inforbix is a client, but they didn’t ask for this mention and I bring it up because Oleg has really taken the time to explore this issue and communicate about it. Let me know what you think.

A quick peek into some research on … the importance of accessing all product-related information, whether it is stored in a formal system such as Product Data Management (PDM) or not. The report, Issue in Focus: Product Data Accessibility: Getting Value from All of your Product Data, explains the importance for manufacturers to readily retrieve product data and points out that there are emerging technologies that can help.

The Research Findings

I have reported on the importance of product data many times, including Tech-Clarity’s The Business Value of Product Data Management: Achieving Rapid and Extendible Benefits and Managing Engineering Data – The Role of Product Data Management in Improving Engineering Efficiency. In the PDM report, I talked about three fundamentals of PDM:

• Control and secure product-related data
• Improve the ability to quickly find and reuse information
• Share product knowledge with other departments

But the report discusses the reality that, as the report says, “Many companies don’t have centralized product data, and even those that do typically have a lot of product-related data spread out across the business that isn’t centralized.” Manufactures have to live with the following realities:

• Not all companies have been able to control their product data in this way (due to software or implementations costs or other factors like acquisitions that leave companies with multiple processes and solutions)
• Many companies are handling the control of their data manually
• Most companies have product data that will probably never be under control of a formal system, including documents and spreadsheets that reference parts and products
• Most manufacturers have important information in their ERP, SCM, CRM, and other systems that can be valuable

The report also makes an important conclusion that “accessing product data and centralizing it are not absolutely linked, and there are emerging technologies that help engineers access data without having to consolidate it in a central location.” These new technologies can help engineers stop wasting time looking for data. In addition, they can intelligently aggregate (‘mash up”) if you will, data from different sources to see the big picture and make better decisions.

Implications for Manufacturers

I am not coming out against PDM. PDM offers valuable functions that allow companies to control their product data. Capabilities like revision control, check-in/out, and approval cycles are important. For companies that need to manage complex relationships between files, including 3D CAD assemblies, there are important features in PDM. But if you find yourself facing one or more of the realities above (I would bet that includes 90% or more manufacturers) then you have to live in your current reality. And realize that your reality may change in the blink of an acquisition.

Manufacturers should check out the new class of technologies that is evolving aimed at allowing companies to quickly assemble their information in much the same way that a search engine like Google. These technologies are absolutely worth a look. Should we call the “PDA” for Product Data Accessibility? Or product data search? But both seem to fall short when you consider what they can do to not only find but assemble and act on the data. Time will tell. Will they replace the need for PDM? Will they augment an existing PDM implementation (or multiple implementations, as some companies have)? It really depends on your business, but I envision it serving all of these needs. But the simple truth is that companies need to access all of their product data and put it into context in order to make good decisions. A product data accessibility approach allows them to access their information quickly, regardless of the reality they live in.

So that was a quick peek into some recent research on product data accessibility, I hope you found it interesting. Does the research reflect your experiences? Do you see it differently? Let us know what it looks like from your perspective. Please feel free to review more free research and white papers about product data and other enterprise software for manufacturers from Tech-Clarity.

What is the real story about PDM? Tell me what you think by taking this Design Data Management  survey and then I’ll send you the full report when we publish the results. No strings attached, no follow up marketing calls, I just want to know what is really happening out there with data management. Fair enough?

Oh, and if my free report isn’t enough to entice you (it should be, it will be very fascinating!), Siemens PLM has offered up two iPad 2 for a random drawing of the respondents and you could win one! *

Please take our data management survey now!

* *Two (2) respondents who complete the survey and provide contact information will be selected at random to receive an Apple Inc. iPad 2 from Siemens PLM Software. The drawing will take place on November 16, 2011, and the lucky participants will be contacted directly by e-mail. Click here for complete rules.

Hear Jim Brown share his views on … achieving business value by effectively managing engineering and product data.The report highlights findings from Tech-Clarity’s The Business Value of Product Data Management: Achieving Rapid and Extendible Benefits.

This is the first (and possibly only) edition of Tech-Clarity TV, let us know what you think. Should there be more? Or does Jim have a face more suited to audio-only podcasts. 

The topics include three consistent themes that participating manufacturers repeated:

• Importance of controlling product data
• Need to quickly find and reuse designs and data
• Value of sharing product knowledge across the enterprise

In addition, the video podcast (vodcast if you will) explains how companies can rapidly implement PDM (Product Data Management) to address these three needs.

Let us know what you think. Do you agree? Disagree? Have a great example to share? Please see the related post, download the report, or review more free research and white papers about PDM, PLM and other enterprise software for manufacturers from Tech-Clarity.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Hear Jim Brown share his views on … his recent report The Business Value of Product Data Management: Achieving Rapid and Extendable Benefits. This Tech-Clarity Snapshot is our first podcast, please let us know what you think!

The main topics covered include:

• The value received from PDM by three companies interviewed for the report
• How these companies achieved the value quickly
• The characteristics of the solution that helped them implement their solutions (out of the box, pre0configured, best practices)

Let us know what you think. Do you agree? Disagree? Have a great example to share?

Please feel see the related post, Can PDM Value be Achieved Quickly? Painlessly? or review more free research and white papers about PLM and other enterprise software for manufacturers from Tech-Clarity.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

A quick peek into some research on … the business value of PDM and how companies can implement PDM solutions in a way that helps them achieve value quickly and set themselves up for more value over the long term. The report, The Business Value of Product Data Management: Achieving Rapid and Extendable Benefits, shares the experiences of three small to midsize (SMB) manufacturers and discusses how they were able to take a more “out of the box” approach to PDM to implement it quickly, achieve the value they were looking for, and ensure they could continue to add on and upgrade the solution over time.

The Research Findings

The report is based on interviews with several SMB manufacturers in different industries, including:

• Veeraja Industries- A total solutions provider of coolant filtration, chip removal and coolant management
• Flovel Energy – A fully integrated hydro power equipment supplier
• Weir Valves & Controls – an end-to-end whole plant solutions to nuclear, fossil-fired and renewable power stations

The findings are similar to other research I have done into product data management solutions, including Managing Engineering Data – The Role of Product Data Management in Improving Engineering Efficiency. Manufacturers are using PDM to get control of their product-related data and better share it across their business. In specific, the report identifies several repeated themes that companies report as valuable results of implementing PDM:

• Control and secure product-related data
• Improve the ability to quickly find and reuse information
• Share product knowledge with other departments

This report examines how companies can achieve these benefits rapidly. The companies surveyed took more “out of the box” approaches to implementing PDM. This helped with faster time to benefit from PDM, but also set them up to leverage more of the solution in the future (and take future upgrades without having to reconcile modifications with the new release). Specifically, they used a solution that allowed them to:

• Take advantage of PDM systems with pre-configured, best practices for security, part numbering schemes, and other common information required to set up a the system
• Leverage standard best practice workflows such as “release to manufacture” and “engineering change control” to speed implementation
• Limit customization of PDM in order to achieve rapid time to benefit and simplify future maintenance and upgrades

Implications for Manufacturers

The research provides a way to view how PDM helps improve business performance. I am still surprised to find companies that haven’t implemented PDM, while others are on their second or third generation or have extended the value to a full PLM solution. The barriers to implementing PDM have come down dramatically in recent years, and there are now more pre-configured solutions on the market that can help companies implement without reinventing the wheel. Even for smaller companies, there is a PDM solution that is right for them and can help control the complexity of today’s engineering environment.

So that was a quick peek into some recent research on PDM and how to implement it quickly, I hope you found it interesting. Does the research reflect your experiences? Do you see it differently? Let us know what it looks like from your perspective.

Please feel free to review more free research and white papers about PLM and other enterprise software for manufacturers from Tech-Clarity.

What I learned this week … came from some reflection on PDM-less PLM: Is It Pragmatic or Just Problematic? on engineering-matters. Chad Jackson raises some great questions about whether PLM can be achieved without PDM. I wanted to share some of my thoughts on managing product data and managing product-related processes. I don’t think you can draw such a hard line between processes and data. This brings me back to a lot of my conversations with Oleg in PLM think tank on which is more important – data or business processes.

A Better Definition for PLM

First things first. Chad references the definitions of PDM and PLM in Wikipedia. I will save you the trouble of looking them up, they are entirely circular definitions.

They  just take the words in the acronym and expand them into sentence structure. While there is some good information in the entries, defining PDM as “managing product data” (paraphrased) and PLM as “managing the lifecycle of a product” (and adding some color to what lifecycle means) is pretty worthless. That is what I call one of the “Myths of PLM.” Here is what I use:

• PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) is a software-enabled strategy to improve processes to conceptualize, design, develop, and manage products and drive higher levels of product profitability.

I find this more useful because I don’t think that anybody ever earned one more penny by “managing the lifecycle of a product.” They make money by effectively bringing innovative products to market. The other definition makes it sounds like implementing PLM is an end to itself, and not a means to an end. Is that important? When I continue to see people implementing software (PLM and others) for the sake of the software and no concept of what business value they will get from it, I say yes. OK, I will now step down from my soapbox. And while I am on the soapbox, I have to admit that I don’t really care that much about the definition of PDM. To me, PDM is just the data management portion of PLM (see the definition above). Don’t get me wrong, it is vitally important, I just think it needs to in the context of business value.

Who Cares about Acronyms?

PLM, in my opinion, started as the maturation of PDM. Once companies had their data under control, wasn’t it just natural to try to do something with it? Starting with adding engineering change control, perhaps, as a starting point? Many would argue today, of course, that change control is a basic function of PDM. So where does PDM end and PLM start? PLM was developed as PDM that understood processes, as I think Chad would agree. Now, the lines between PDM and PLM are really blurry. PDM is core capability of most PLM suites. Can you have PDM without PLM? Of course. Can you have processes without underlying data? I don’t think so. There are clearly PDM solutions that are just focused on managing product data, particularly 3D CAD. If it doesn’t add process on top, is that a basic PLM system that handles PDM or a different kind of system. Once you add processes to it, does it change? I don’t see it. PDM is a capability of a PLM solution.

The Real Questions? Engineering Data Management and Integration?

Clearly process-oriented applications are acting on something. They need data. So maybe the real question is do you need to manage CAD data to have PLM? I would say that you need PDM capabilities to run in a 3D CAD environment effectively, see my Managing Engineering Data report. But do you have to have CAD? No, as many companies in the process and CPG industries have proven by getting value from PLM when CAD is not at the core of their products. But they do have a lot of product data that needs to be managed. So do you need rich product data to run processes? No. But as Chad points out, people need access to product data. The more product information available (to the right people at the right time) provides value.

So maybe the real question is integration? Can you have a PLM solution that includes a PDM system from one vendor and process enablement from another that sits on top? As Chad says, integrating “these two systems”? I suppose that a PLM solution can be integrated from a best-of-breed PDM with processes added on top, but isn’t that just a PLM system “mashed up” by integrating solutions from two vendors? Yes, its possible. But is it practical? To me, the rich integration of product data and processes is a big part of the value available from PLM (or any enterprise application).

Implications for Manufacturers

Chad hits the nail on the head with his conclusion. The conclusion is a resounding “it depends.” You need to understand what you are trying to accomplish in your business and then find applications that support it. My guess is that leads to both data and processes together. Maybe not CAD data, although if you have it then it needs to be managed anyway and why not have it integrated. But the plan on what to implement when – the path to PLM – should be based on business requirements and business value.

So those are my thoughts on PDM and PLM, I hope you found it interesting. I realize they are a bit scattered, maybe I am missing something. Or maybe I just don’t care that much acronyms.

A quick peek into some research on … how effectively managing engineering data can improve engineering efficiency. Beyond just efficiency, the study looks at how solutions that manage engineering data – whether you call them PLM, PDM, cPDM, EDM, or any other acronym – can play a critical role in helping manufacturers realize their business strategies.

The Research Findings

Past Tech-Clarity research, including Tech-Clarity Insight: Innovating Through an Economic Downturn and Tech-Clarity Insight: Engineering’s Role in Surviving a Down Economy, make it clear that manufacturers are facing difficult times. Although there are positive signs about the recovery, there are lingering impacts on today’s manufacturing business including:

• Companies have to innovate to capture their share of a smaller market (some say they have to increase market share just to stay still due to lower overall sales volume)
• They need to bring products to market faster in today’s competitive, global environment (even before the downturn)
• They are running lean (and recent studies including one from Aberdeen Group indicate that they plan to add resources back in slowly)

What does that mean? As the recently published report Tech-Clarity Insight: Managing Engineering Data – The Role of Product Data Management in Improving Engineering Efficiency says, “manufacturers need to be able to design and develop products extremely efficiently to get the most out of their engineering efforts.” Perhaps that’s always true, and somewhat obvious. But what can they do about it? The report reviews the experience of three manufacturers, including AMETEK (rotary and linear motion control products and electronic instruments), SchuF-Fetterolf (industrial valve company specializing in the design and manufacture of process critical valves), and Visa Lighting (manufacturer of performance decorative lighting). The research finds that managing engineering data has a positive impact on:

• Gaining control of product data
• Collaborating across sites and sharing information
• Automating (and streamlining) product-related processes
• Leveraging PDM beyond engineering data

In turn, these improvements drive business level results including increased engineering efficiency and faster time to market. Looking back at the challenges companies face in a tough economy, these are important benefits!

Implications for Manufacturers

The research indicates that solutions to manage engineering data drive important business benefits. Product Data Management (PDM) is an important discipline and software enabler in manufacturing companies today. Regardless of whether the PDM is a part of a larger Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solution or a simpler solution that focuses only on the PDM aspects, it is a must for manufacturers today. Manufacturers that haven’t invested in these solutions have a choice to make. They can choose a PLM solution from vendors like Dassault Systemes, PTC, or Siemens PLM. They could choose to get PLM from an ERP vendor such as Oracle or SAP. Others will choose a more focused PDM solution. Which is right? It depends on the business strategy and what the company wants to accomplish – now and in the future.

PLM is expanding to cover a lot more than data management, as I discuss in What I Learned: PLM Please Take 3 Giant Steps Forward. For some companies that fits their strategy well. For others (including some interviewed for this paper) that seems like too much for them. Instead of investing in PLM and using a subset, they chose to work with a simpler solution. Solutions from companies like Arena Solutions or Synergis Software can offer a lighter weight solution for these companies to meet their PDM needs. To be fair, some of the large PLM vendors also offer a simpler solution (although that is too much to get into here). They may not have all of the capabilities that the larger PLM systems do, but if the business isn’t ready for PLM they can offer a long-term PDM solution or a stepping stone to get data in order on the path towards a more broad PLM strategy. Regardless of what path they choose, the study is further evidence that manufacturers are getting real value from PDM.

So that was a quick peek into some recent research on the importance of managing engineering data well, I hope you found it interesting. Does the research reflect your experiences? Do you see it differently? Let us know what it looks like from your perspective.

Please feel free to review more free research and white papers about PLM and other enterprise software for manufacturers from Tech-Clarity.

I had the chance to talk with … the team at Synergis Software about their engineering document management solution, Adept. Synergis focuses on providing a simple solution to manage engineering documents – including CAD files – than a full PLM solution. For companies without big plans for PLM, particularly smaller companies, Synergis offers an alternative option. Perhaps they are on to something, 2009 was a tough year in our industry and Synergis reports having a very good year. 

What do they Do? 

First and foremost Adept is not a PLM system. Some would probably call it Product Data Management (PDM), but certainly not PLM. The solution is intended to help companies get control of their engineering information. The solution primarily manages documents. On the other hand, Synergis can help solve some PLM problems. One of the core needs for PLM is to get data under control. Engineers have documents of all types, including office productivity applications like spreadsheets. This is what Adept is designed to manage.

But most engineers also manage CAD files in Adept. In fact, Synergis has invested in integration with SolidWorks and Autodesk Inventor that rivals many PDM systems. They have developed an integrated plug-in that sits in SolidWorks that allows users to perform searches and do check-in/check-out from a right-hand pane in SolidWorks. They have integrated with Inventor as well, and have announced a new plug-in application for that environment.  

What do they Offer 

I had the chance to talk with … Tim Frost of Burner Systems International (BSI) about their adoption of Product Data Management (PDM) to improve engineering and new product development performance. Tim explained to me that one of the primary goals for their adoption of PLM was getting a handle on their product data. But BSI also wanted to expand collaboration outside of Engineering and improve their time to market. The case study, Tech-Clarity Business in Focus: Burner Systems International – Improving Collaboration with Product Data Management, describes BSI’s experience from recognizing the need for action due to increased complexity in their business all the way through today’s benefits and plans for the future.

What do they Do?

BSI is a supplier to the OEMs that manufacture gas appliances. Like most suppliers, they compete very aggressively with their competition. They compete based on innovation, but most importantly on agility. They need to be able to react quickly to customer needs and bring the right component to market. Due to increased competition, growth by acquisition, and globalization BSI faced a huge challenge. As Tim tells me “We ended up with plants all over the globe, and we had to integrate engineering functions and data.”

What did they Do?

Recognizing the increased complexity, BSI took action. “You can use folders and you might get away with it for a while, but with multiple revisions you can’t manage it,” Tim explains. The solution was to implement a Product Data Management (PDM) system.  Just as importantly, they wanted to improve collaboration across departments. Tim describes how they implemented a PLM system (which includes PDM) that can be used by engineers and non-engineers alike. We discussed how departments like Quality, Manufacturing, Purchasing, and Sales get involved in the product design and development process.

What are the Results?

The new PDM system has shrunk cycle times and helped them make fewer manufacturing errors. According to Tim, those errors can cost up to $100,000 each. BSI is pleased with the results. “We know that we are faster in developing new products, I would estimate 25% faster,” Tim says. “We know that we are better prepared for launching production due to better input and collaboration from Manufacturing, and we know that we are less likely to make bad parts due to out of date drawing revisions.” The project is a success, and BSI is looking to further their gains by continuing to go beyond PDM to a more full PLM solution, leveraging the infrastructure they have in place.

 Implications for Manufacturers

 Burner Systems is a great example of a smaller company that desperately needed to get product data under control. At the same time, they have managed to achieve even more strategic benefits through collaboration and improved time to market. PDM is often the first step in a broader PLM Program.

So that’s what I hear from BSI, I hope you found it useful. What do you think? What else should I have asked them? A summary of the report is available from the Tech-Clarity site, and the full report is available for free from Siemens PLM, the provider of the Teamcenter Express software that BSI uses (and the sponsor of the report). Please feel free to review more free research and white papers about PLM and other enterprise software for manufacturers from Tech-Clarity.