Business Value of Eliminating Non-Value Added Work
Recognize the Time Required for Check-ins
Outdated Information Impacts Engineering Changes
The Impact of Outdated Information on Collaboration
Identifying the Top Performers
Technology As a Collaboration Solution
Consider the Security Risks of Email
The Benefits of Real-Time Data Updates
Recommendations
About the Research
Executive Overview
Engineering Is Key to Competitive Differentiation
Today's market is so competitive; it is hard to stand out. To be successful companies must empower their engineering teams to differentiate products on innovation, quality, performance, and cost. While balancing all those criteria can be a challenge, it is made even harder as engineers report they waste a third of their time on non-value added work. Even worse, 20% of their time is spent working with outdated information, leading to more wasted effort and rework. One way companies can improve this situation is to provide engineers with real-time access to design data, in the right context. The result should be increased engineering bandwidth so engineers can focus more effort on making products more competitive.
Determining Best Practices
To determine best practices for accessing design information, Tech-Clarity analyzed survey responses from nearly 250 manufacturers to understand how they manage data, communicate engineering changes, and collaborate with both internal and external members of the development team.
The research shows that companies who are most successful, Top Performers, are nearly 2-times more likely to maintain up-to-date models. PDM/PLM makes these real-time updates possible.
What Can You Learn from This Research?This report explores best practices for streamlining access to design data in real-time. It also exposes some challenges manufacturers should be aware of as they strive to maintain a competitive edge in today's complex and cutthroat environment. The report also reveals how manufacturers can plan for a design environment that will prepare them for long-term competitiveness.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Next Steps
Based on industry experience and research for this report, Tech-Clarity offers the following recommendations:
Understand how engineers spend their time and improve processes to minimize time wasted on non-value added work
Consider solutions such as PLM or PDM to centralize design information and support change management and collaboration
Evaluate options to design in the context of the assembly to improve collaboration and understand the impact of changes
Consider real-time updates to keep CAD data up-to-date while minimizing or eliminating check-in times
Establish means for secure, real-time collaboration with third parties to minimize delays in getting updated CAD data from them
*This summary is an abbreviated version of the eBook and does not contain the full content. A link to download the full eBook is available above.If you have difficulty obtaining a copy of the research, please contact us.
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[post_content] => What should you think about when selecting a software solution to support the development of medical devices while considering the Case for Quality and the EU MDR?
Tech-Clarity’s Medical Device Manufacturers' Software Selection Guide helps manufacturers identify the right buying criteria for software solutions to support developing, producing, and servicing medical devices. The guide also includes additional considerations for utilizing the Internet of Things (IoT) and other technological advancements such as augmented reality (AR) and 3D printing. Unique needs for medical device companies are also taken into account in the buyer’s guide, including regulatory compliance and support for the FDA’s Case for Quality and the European Union Medical Design Regulation (EU MDR).
Tech-Clarity’s Buyer’s Guides go beyond software functionality to provide a framework of requirements that impact implementation success and long-term ROI, including:
Software capabilities
Implementation
User adoption
Support
Vendor characteristics / attributes
Unique business needs
Please enjoy the summary* below. Please visit our sponsor PTC for the full research(registration required).
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Overview
Identify Your Challenges
Transition from Document Centric to Product Centric
Consider the Complete Lifecycle
Manage the Product
Manage Requirements (Customer Needs to Regulatory)
Support Product Development for Hardware
Support Software Development
Enable Smart and Connected Products
Ensure Regulatory Compliance
Support Quality Management
Plan for Manufacturing
Control Suppliers
Plan for Service
Assess Implementation Requirements
Consider Vendor Attributes
Identify Specific Needs for your Company
Conclusion
Recommendations
About the Author
About the Research
Acknowledgments
Executive Overview
The Opportunity for Medical Device Companies
It’s an interesting time for medical device companies. Initiatives such as the FDA’s Case for Quality and new regulations like the European Union Medical Design Regulation (EU MDR) are shifting the traditional focus of regulatory compliance from a documentation driven approach to one that requires a greater focus on device quality and effectiveness. As discussed in Tech-Clarity’s Preparing for EU MDR – Product Submissions: A Sustainable Approach, while the changes may be challenging in the short term, in the end they can also create opportunity through more efficient processes that result in better devices and improved patient outcomes. In many cases, medical device companies will need to adopt new approaches. These new approaches may be an adjustment, but medical device companies that implement the right technology to support these new methods should find themselves at an advantage. The challenge is figuring out which technology to select.
Let’s start with the fundamental goal for medical device companies. They are in the business of making people’s lives better. As Joel Hembrock, Senior Designer and CAD Administrator at Medtronic says, “Our patients are the people who benefit from our products. Restoring life is our main focus. [We want] to be giving people their lives back, restoring their health, allowing them to actually live again and not have their disease or any other ailment keep them from being able to live.” Technology advancements have opened up new and exciting opportunities that have the potential to further this mission. On top of this, an aging Baby Boomer population will create additional demand for medical devices. Consequently, the industry should see significant growth. In fact, the Evaluate MedTech World Preview 2018, Outlook to 2024 [1] report forecasts a 5.6% growth rate every year for the next five years.
There Are Challenges to Overcome
However, it will be the companies who can overcome the unique challenges in the industry who will be best positioned to take advantage of this growth. With lives at stake, patient safety is of the utmost importance. As such, the industry faces heavy regulations. Compliance is so critical that if medical device companies do not adhere to FDA, EU and other worldwide standards and regulations, they will not be profitable. However, so much time, effort, and cost go into compliance documentation; it takes resources away from innovating and ensuring high quality products. As a result, it is harder to take advantage of opportunities that will boost profitability.
On the other hand, medical device companies who adopt practices focused on high quality devices can expect greater patient satisfaction, improved competitiveness, and higher profits. In fact, McKinsey estimates that firms who embrace quality focused best practices can increase profits by 3% to 4% of revenues. They predict the revenue increase alone could be a $3.5 billion opportunity for the industry [2] and this doesn’t even factor in the profitability improvements of avoiding costly quality issues.
Unfortunately, for the industry, quality has been getting worse, not better. The FDA’s Medical Device Recall Report FY 2003 to FY 2012 found that recalls nearly doubled over the decade, showing a striking 97% increase in the number of recalls. Since 2012, the Stericycle Recall Index has continued to track regular increases on a quarterly basis in medical device recalls seeing a 39% increase in just four years from 2013 to 2017 [3]. To reverse this trend, medical device companies should adopt new approaches that enable a greater focus on quality.
Shift from Document Centric to Product Centric
One way to achieve this is by shifting from a document centric process to one that is product centric. This shift enables more focus on high quality, innovative products that meet patient needs. The good news is that this is possible with investments in the right software solutions. Software solutions can reduce manual, time intensive reporting processes to a push of a button. Rather than structuring processes around documentation, software solutions can allow you to focus on developing the right products and services that will meet patient needs.
For these reasons, some medical device manufacturers integrate quality processes into their core product lifecycle management activities. By integrating quality processes throughout the product design and delivery lifecycle, companies can improve efficiency. With this approach, instead of wasting efforts searching for compliance supporting documentation and reporting, companies can use that valuable time for quality and innovation. The result will be higher profitability.
Enabling Outcome-Based Healthcare
Other changes in the medical device industry come from recent trends such as the transition to outcome-based healthcare in the US. In some cases, to be compensated, medical professionals must show positive patient outcomes. A way to accomplish this is to take advantage of innovation enabled by the Internet of Things (IoT). For example, IoT combined with software capabilities can be used to meet requirements for Unique Device Identifiers (UDIs) that will provide new levels of traceability and communication to demonstrate device effectiveness. The right software solution must be in place to effectively manage it.
While UDIs present one possible use case for IoT, the potential opportunities for IoT go even further. IoT and other technological advancements such as augmented reality (AR) and 3D printing, create new opportunities for profitable new business models by enabling services that align with customer and patient needs. However, companies stuck following traditional document centric workflows may struggle to find the bandwidth to innovate with these new technologies. Meanwhile, competitors who can devote the resources to innovation will be well positioned to capture a leading market position. This situation makes it an ideal time to invest in a software platform that enables a product centric approach for the entire lifecycle of your device.
Plan for the Right Software Platform
As you evaluate your current needs, think through how your business needs may evolve due to the impact of technological advances in medical devices. For example, designing for connectivity may require new approaches to design. You will now need to consider things like sensors, ecosystems, and new IT development roles that will play a critical part of product development. Ensure your software platform will be able to meet both current and future needs as your product portfolio evolves.
While you consider investments in software solutions, leverage existing systems that are working well. The new solution should use a platform that will leverage and extend the investments made in existing solutions, such as Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) if you are happy with them. However, the platform should support traceability across all systems to support compliance reporting and so that documentation can be updated once after changes without worrying about conflicting documentation that will put compliance at risk.
Learn More By Downloading the Buyer's Guide
With so much to consider, how do you select the right software technology to support the lifecycle of your devices? This buyer’s guide will serve as guidance to help you choose the right solution for your company.
This guide consists of four major sections covering software tool functionality required for medical device companies, implementation requirements, vendor attributes, and unique company considerations (Figure 1). Each section includes a checklist of key requirements to investigate when selecting software tools. This guide is not an all-encompassing requirements list. It provides a high-level overview.
[1] “Evaluate MedTech World Preview 2018, Outlook to 2024,” Evaluate, September 2018 (http://www.evaluate.com/thought-leadership/medtech/evaluatemedtech-world-preview-2018-outlook-2024).
[2] Ted Fuhr, Katy George, Janice Pai, “The Business Case for Medical Device Quality,” McKinsey Center for Government, McKinsey & Company, October 2013
[3] “Number of Medical Device Recalls in the U.S. from 2013 to 2017,” Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/618125/medical-device-recalls-in-the-us-by-number/
Conclusion
The Cost of Poor Quality
Medical device companies looking to improve profitability should shift their focus from a document centric process to a product centric process that will enable them to concentrate on quality. The cost of poor quality can be significant. In fact, McKinsey estimates that non-routine quality events cost the industry up to $5 billion. On the other hand, companies that focus on high quality enjoy a significant advantage with a potential increase in profits of 3% to 4% of revenues, according to McKinsey. The FDA has also concluded that a greater focus on quality is required. For example, they have found recalls have increased by 97%, with design errors being the leading cause. With the Case for Quality initiative, quality should become an area of heightened focus, which a product centric approach supports. Unfortunately, making this shift, while still meeting regulatory requirements is hard. However, with the right technology, companies can make it much easier.
The Right Solution
The right solution should consider all aspects of the product lifecycle from requirements, through design, testing, manufacturing, and service. It should streamline the regulatory process and automate as much as possible. With traceability across the lifecycle and all deliverables, it will be much easier to provide regulatory compliance documentation. That traceability should also extend to suppliers. The right software solution can make it much easier to bring the right, high quality medical device to market, providing a competitive advantage. This will also support the additional data requirements of the EU MDR for product submissions.
When making such a significant investment, you should also anticipate how your requirements will evolve to remain competitive in the future. Technological advancements such as IoT, AR, and 3D printing create opportunities for very profitable new business models that can increase the quality of patient care considerably. Features such as predictive and remote service offer flexibility around downtime to minimize the impact on patient health. These technologies can help medical device companies advance their mission of making people’s lives better.
Recommendations
Based on industry experience and research for this report, Tech-Clarity offers the following recommendations:
Identify the top challenges your company needs to solve when bringing medical devices to market.
Consider a solution that can support the entire lifecycle of your product, from patient needs and requirements to, design, test, manufacturing, and service.
Look at solutions that will support the Case for Quality. A product centric approach and an integrated PLM and Quality Management System can help keep the focus on quality throughout the entire lifecycle and will also make it easier to comply with the EU MDR.
Use a vendor who is familiar with medical device regulatory requirements and has the technology to reduce the manual effort required to comply with regulations.
Ensure you can manage the device and all associated documents, design details, and changes while having traceability across everything.
Support requirements with a solution that will work across all disciplines and has traceability across all stages and deliverables to support changes and compliance.
Empower each team member including design, quality, procurement, manufacturing, and service with tools that work for them, while still ensuring a single source of truth for product information.
Support quality management with traceability from requirements to test and reporting tools to ensure monitoring of trends that impact quality.
Ensure tight controls on suppliers so as not to put compliance at risk.
Select a solution that will support manufacturing so that you produce devices as designed and meet regulatory requirements.
Think about medical device service requirements and use a solution that will support current and future service models such as predictive and remote service.
Select a vendor who can integrate with your existing solutions while implementing new solutions where needed.
Consider future needs for potential revenue streams and future needs for technologies such as IoT, 3D printing, and Augmented Reality.
*This summary is an abbreviated version of the research and does not contain the full content. A link to download the full report is available above.If you have difficulty obtaining a copy of the report, please contact us.
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[post_content] => How can the cloud help manufacturers improve product development to drive higher levels of profitability? Tech-Clarity surveyed over 300 companies about cloud product development to find out.
The Cloud Improves Product Development Speed and Collaboration
Researchers discovered that product development speed drives profitability, but that today’s status quo hampers time to market because product development resources waste too much time on non-value-added activities. On the other hand, companies that use the cloud for product development find it easier to collaborate, waste less time, and are less likely to report missing due dates due to product development challenges.
Please enjoy the summary* below. Access the full eBook from our sponsor, Onshape (registration required).
Table of Contents
Profitability Demands Product Development Velocity
Companies are Wasting too Much Development Time
Wasted Time Leads to Costly Errors and Delays
Increased Reliance on Others will Increase Wasted Time
Benchmarking Product Development Performance
The Cloud Enhances Product Development
The Cloud Fuels Collaboration
Cloud Benefits for Product Development
Conclusions
About the Research
Acknowledgments
Profitability Demands Product Development Velocity
The Need for Speed
Let’s start with the business in mind. Product development is critical to a profitable manufacturing company. Manufacturers must innovate quickly to respond to market and customer needs. Responding companies confirm this, with over one-half selecting product development speed as a driver of their business success and profitability over the next three years, making it the most prevalent factor.
Design Necessities
Cost, quality, and performance are also commonly reported drivers. Our product development research, however, consistently shows that these are market necessities and not necessarily differentiators. Our experience shows that most companies choose to delay product delivery to satisfy quality and performance goals, sacrificing due dates, market speed, and associated leadership opportunities.
Companies are Wasting too Much Development Time
Non-Valued-Added Activities Lose Precious Time
Although time is critical, product developers spend a significant amount of time waiting for others and working on non-value-added activities. Survey respondents report waiting for data, waiting for others to finish designs, and the ever-present challenge of finding the data they need to do their jobs. Beyond that, they report losing time attending non-productive meetings.
Technical Resources Waste One-Half of their Time
The amount of wasted time is significant. Respondents report that technical resources such as designers and engineers only spend about 47% of their time directly on product innovation, product development, and engineering. Manufacturers can’t afford this when time is so crucial to profitability. Just imagine the benefits of eliminating these challenges and the impact it would have on product development speed.
Conclusions
Key FindingsCompanies need to move fast in product development in order to drive profitability, but currently waste too much time on non-value-added product development activities and suffer from delays. Many of the challenges that hamper product development speed relate to waiting for others. Unfortunately, reliance on others – both internally and externally - is both highly valuable and growing.
Top Performers, however, are more likely to use cloud systems for product development and are better able to collaborate and waste less time than Others. Both Top Performers and companies that use the cloud report much easier collaboration, both internally and more importantly externally. The bottom line is that companies that use the cloud waste less time and are less likely to miss due dates, driving the product development speed that leads to business success and company profitability.
*This summary is an abbreviated version of the research and does not contain the full content. A link to download the full report is available above.If you have difficulty obtaining a copy of the report, please contact us using the "Contact" link below.
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[post_content] => How do your product innovation processes stack up against your competitors? Against top innovators? What practical steps can you take to improve it? Watch this webcast to understand how to benchmark your digital innovation maturity.
Benchmark Your Digital Innovation Maturity
This webcast shares definitions and details about the four pillars of digital innovation maturity:
Digital Twin
Digital Thread
Digital Manufacturing
Digital Innovation Platform
The webinar also shares some results from our digital innovation research and a demonstration of Tech-Clarity's Digital Product Innovation Maturity Assessment.
In addition, Scott Clemmons, Director of Global Industry Marketing at Siemens Digital Industries Software, shares the Siemens' perspective on digital product innovation.
Watch the webcast replay now, sponsored by Siemens (registration required).
Or, benchmark your digital innovation maturity now (no registration required).
[post_title] => Benchmark Your Innovation Processes and Systems (webcast)
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[post_content] => Why are manufacturers pursuing the digital thread? What is the right PLM system to support a digital thread initiative? Jim Brown joins PTC's Jeff Zemsky to share results from Tech-Clarity's recent survey on PLM and the Digital Thread. Jim and Jeff discuss the goals and benefits of the digital thread, followed by requirements to ensure that companies select the right PLM to provide the digital thread backbone.
Register for PTC sponsored the webcast now.
Please also see our related eBook, Choosing the Right Enterprise PLM to Support Digital Thread Initiatives.
Webcast Announcement
Leading manufacturers are embracing the digital thread to streamline product development and create digital continuity across the product lifecycle.
The digital thread is a strategic initiative that provides significant, measurable benefits including, increased engineering efficiency, improved quality, faster time to market, enhanced innovation, and better compliance.
The backbone of the digital thread is enterprise PLM. PLM is a key digital enabler according to a recent Tech-Clarity survey, finding that top performing companies are 73% more likely to use PLM to support the digital thread.
Join our panel interview hosted by Jim Brown, President of Tech-Clarity and Jeff Zemsky, Senior Director of Product Management, PTC. The panel will share recent survey results on PLM and the digital thread and discuss how to select the right PLM solution to meet digital thread objectives. The webcast covers:
The strategic value of the digital thread
How to create digital continuity across the product lifecycle
Key requirements of a supporting solution
Special considerations for Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Service, and IT
Other requirements critical to achieving digital thread value' is supposed
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[post_content] => How can engineers avoid wasting precious design time on non-value-added data management tasks? Take a look at our new infographic Avoiding Time Wasters in CAD Design to see a graphical representation of our research. The "CAD Design Challenge" turns design into a board game that highlights key time wasters in design and the best practices that help engineers avoid them.
We've shared the introduction and the first challenge that leads to wasting design time - the inability to reuse data - below. To view the full infographic, please visit our sponsor Siemens Digital Industries Software (no registration required)
*This summary is an abbreviated version of the research and does not contain the full content. A link to download the full infographic is available above.If you have difficulty obtaining a copy of the report, please contact us using the "Contact" link below.
[post_title] => Avoid Wasting Design Time (infographic)
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[post_content] => How can manufacturers improve their product innovation processes to outperform their competition? Jim Brown shares his perspective on digital transformation for innovation and invites manufacturers to take a free digital innovation assessment in his guest post on the Siemens Thought Leadership Blog.
Top Innovators have Digitally Transformed Innovation
Product innovation requires inspiration and a conducive culture to flourish. It is also heavily reliant on effective product design, development, and engineering practices. Turning an idea into a profitable product takes a coordinated effort supported by the right processes and tools. Our research shows that top innovators – those companies that outperform their competitors in revenue growth, profit margin expansion, and product portfolio freshness – have digitalized their product innovation process. These companies have embraced digitalization across four pillars:
Digital Twin
Digital Thread
Digital Manufacturing
Digital Innovation Platform
Read More
Please click the synopsis below to read the full guest post on digital transformation for innovation including:
The four pillars of digital innovation
How to understand your digital innovation maturity
How to benchmark your maturity and get customized recommendations
An invitation to take the assessment to benchmark your company
Next steps
Ready to take the assessment? You can reach the Digital Innovation Maturity Assessment directly here. Or, read more about the assessment tool here.
[post_title] => Digital Transformation for Innovation (guest post)
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[post_content] => [caption id="attachment_8669" align="alignright" width="261"] IT/OT convergence is beneficial and while mindsets must change, today's technologies make it possible to converge plant data.[/caption]
How can plants leverage all of their data more effectively? One foundation is for IT and OT to converge. But that does not have to be far in the future. My guest blog Practical Approaches to IT/OT Convergence discusses why and how to tear down the wall between manufacturing engineering and their operational technology (OT) and IT and their information technology (IT).
For the full post, please visit the Critical Manufacturing blog.
Blog topics:
Benefits of better IT/OT convergence, which are many and proven
How current technologies can support this convergence at every stage of data:
Gathering data effectively
Putting IT and OT data into context
Gaining consistent access
Increasing visibility into performance
Practical questions to ask to explore your next steps toward IT/OT convergence
What’s the cost of poor-quality plastic parts? How can you avoid that cost?
Findings from Tech-Clarity’s eBook, How-to Guide for Designing and Molding Better Plastic Parts reveal that 96% of surveyed manufacturers report finding manufacturing defects during mold trials. Highlighting why that's so painful, manufacturers report that correcting these defects during the mold trial adds 26% to the total cost of the mold. Interestingly, many of these defects could be avoided with adjustments to the part design. The challenge is identifying potential problem areas earlier during the design process to make the necessary corrections so that plastic parts are produced as designed.
This eBook compares the needs of both part designers and mold designers, sharing their personal advice. It reveals five recommendations to help you improve the quality of plastic parts.
Please enjoy the summary* below. For the full report, please visit our sponsor SOLIDWORKS (registration required).
TABLE OF CONTENTS*
Opportunities for Better Plastic Parts
How Do You Stay Competitive
Common Design Challenges
The Impact of Manufacturing Defects
Where to Focus to Improve Part and Mold Design
The Needs of Part and Mold Designers
Conclusions
Recommendations
About the Research
Acknowledgements
Opportunities for Better Plastic Parts
Lower the Cost of Quality
What’s the cost of poor-quality plastic parts? Tech-Clarity research finds that part quality is critical to product success, yet manufacturing defects in plastic parts is one of the top issues that negatively impacts product competitiveness. Unfortunately, it is hard to avoid manufacturing defects as 96% of surveyed manufacturers report finding them during mold trials. The cost is quite high as manufacturers find
that correcting these defects during the mold trial adds 26% to the total cost of the mold. Imagine if you could lower some of that cost by making better decisions during design to avoid those issues before the mold trial?
This research study, based on a survey of 265 manufacturers, examines common challenges with plastic part and mold design, their impacts, and how to overcome them. The research reveals five best practices to help you ensure your plastic parts will be produced as designed.
How Do You Stay Competitive?
Getting Ahead
What's most important to winning your customer’s business? It doesn't matter if you are designing plastic parts or the mold; companies indicate quality, cost, and reliability are most important (see lower graph). Unfortunately, if you don't meet these objectives, not only will you fail to win new business, but the final product will be less competitive.
What Hurts Competitiveness?
If you can't produce plastic parts as designed, the entire product will be less successful. Companies rate manufacturing defects as the top issue to negatively impact competitiveness. Defects can range from cosmetic problems such as flow lines or burn marks to more severe issues that hurt the structural integrity. These problems ultimately gives customers the impression that the product suffers from poor quality.
Other resulting issues include market delays and excess cost. Problems found during the mold trial will contribute to both of these issues as the troubleshooting, reworking of the mold, or part design changes consume both time and budget. During that time, a competitor may beat you to market, or you may have a reduced window of opportunity to collect revenue. Excess costs either cut into profitability or dictate a less competitive price.
Improve Design
These problems reflect poorly on the entire product. Even an exceptional design will not realize its full market potential if the plastic parts give the impression the product is inferior. It’s critical to properly design plastic parts and ensure the mold produces them as designed.
Recommendations
Recommendations and Next Steps
Based on industry experience and research for this report, Tech-Clarity offers the following recommendations:
Facilitate collaboration between part and mold designers. Mold designers can provide insight to optimize the part design for injection molding, and part designers can clarify part requirements for the mold designer.
Use technology to supplement experience. Modern software tools contain many automated features that will guide designers.
Support design for manufacturability with injection molding simulation. Injection molding simulation will catch many manufacturing defects during design so that you can correct them early on, reducing the number of problems found during the mold trial.
Use injection molding simulation early and regularly. The earlier you use injection molding simulation during part design, the more you can optimize the part for injection molding, so there is less risk of manufacturing defects, and the mold design can optimize cycle time.
Integrate injection molding simulation and design. An integrated solution streamlines the process of preparing the design model for analysis, reducing a barrier to simulation.
*This summary is an abbreviated version of the research and does not contain the full content. A link to download the full report is available above.If you have difficulty obtaining a copy of the report, please contact us using the “Contact” link below.
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[post_content] => How has one of the largest integrated suppliers to the wood processing industry used the IoT to digitally transform their business and deliver new revenue? Learn how BID Group has improved throughput and performance for their customers by remotely monitoring their equipment through the IoT. Join this interactive IndustryWeek webcast, How BID Group Delivers New Revenue and Customer Value with the IoT, to hear Tech-Clarity's Jim Brown and Bid Group's Sefton Jubenvile discuss IoT remote monitoring goals, value, success, and adoption. Jim will discuss perspectives from Tech-Clarity's recent Service Transformation by Monitoring Customer Equipment eBook and Sefton will share his experience helping transform BID Group into a digital business.
Register for the PTC sponsored IndustryWeek webcast now (registration required).
Synopsis
BID Group is one of the largest integrated suppliers in the wood processing industry and is the North American leader in their field. Achieving this position required the company to gain a deep understanding of how their products and services help their customers to operate at the highest level of profitability.
This discussion will look at:
How BID Group developed a solid digital transformation strategy for service verse building an in-house solution
The importance of listening to customers and how to best incorporate those insights into a solution to guarantee added value
The value of their production health module and how this improves customer satisfaction
The unique benefits that are passed on to customers to improve mill efficiency and profitability
[post_title] => Digital Transformation at BID Group using IoT (webcast)
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[post_content] => How can PLM enable manufacturers to streamline engineering and create digital continuity with a cohesive digital thread? What should they look for in a PLM system to support their digital thread initiative? Our new eBook, Choosing the Right Enterprise PLM to Support the Digital Thread, shares survey results analyzing the value of the digital thread and shares requirements to achieve the practices of top-performing companies.
Please enjoy the summary below. For the full report, please visit our sponsor PTC (registration required).
Table of Contents
Choosing the Right PLM
Introducing the Buyer’s Guide
The Digital Thread Imperative
What to Look for to Streamline Engineering
What to Look for to Create Digital Continuity
Digital Thread Business Value
Considerations by Role – Engineering
Considerations by Role – Manufacturing
Considerations by Role – Quality
Considerations by Role – IT
Considerations by Role – Service
PLM is the Digital Thread Backbone
Special Considerations – Emerging Technologies
Special Considerations – Industry Requirements
Implementation Considerations
Vendor Considerations
Conclusions and Next Steps
About the Research
Acknowledgments
Introducing the PLM for Digital Thread Buyer's Guide
Digital Thread and PLM Survey Highlights
A recent survey of over 250 manufacturers and engineering firms highlights the strategic value of the digital thread and the vital role that PLM plays to achieving their objectives. In fact, over three-quarters of manufacturers view the digital thread as either important or critical to achieving their business strategy.
Structure of this Guide
This buyer’s guide analyzes the strategic value of the digital thread and then shares the things companies should consider when choosing a supporting solution. The guide shares functional requirements needed to streamline engineering and create digital continuity across the product lifecycle. It also shares some critical things to look for by key roles in the manufacturing enterprise.
The guide then goes beyond functional considerations to identify special considerations, vendor requirements, and important factors to ensure successful implantation and adoption.
The Digital Thread Imperative
Business Strategies Demand a Cohesive Digital Thread
Over three-quarters of companies say that the digital thread is either important or critical to achieving their business strategy.
Surveyed companies report a variety of important goals for their digital thread initiative (see chart). The range of goals highlights the many potential digital thread benefits.
While definitions vary, there are two primary values of the digital thread; streamlined engineering and digital continuity.
Streamlined Engineering
The digital thread streamlines design by allowing product development teams to share and reuse design data across the stages of innovation. Design continuity along the digital thread allows designers to add their design information to a cohesive design model, directly incorporating and extending design data from prior steps.
Digital Continuity
The digital thread ties product information, decisions, and history together in a structured, integrated way that captures product innovation and knowledge throughout the product lifecycle. It establishes traceability from early in the front end of innovation through development, manufacturing, service, and field operation.
Conclusions and Next Steps
Invest in the Digital Thread
Invest in the digital thread to streamline engineering and create digital continuity. Top Performers are 2.6 times as likely to view the digital thread as critical to supporting their business strategy.
Extend the Thread across the Lifecycle
Adopt a comprehensive scope that incorporates cross-departmental data. Top Performers are more likely to include manufacturing, quality, and service plans in the scope of their digital thread, and enrich it with actual data from the IoT.
Leverage PLM as the Digital Manufacturing Backbone
Adopt PLM to support the digital thread. Top Performing companies are 2.4 times as likely to view PLM as critical to supporting the digital thread and are much more likely to use PLM to support the digital thread.
Enjoy the Benefits
The digital thread provides significant, measurable benefits including, increased engineering efficiency, improved quality, faster time to market, enhanced innovation, and better compliance. Top Performers gain even higher benefits than others. For example, these more successful product developers enable their technical resources to spend 27% more time, on average, on value-added activities than their poorer performing counterparts.
*This summary is an abbreviated version of the research and does not contain the full content. A link to download the full report is available above.If you have difficulty obtaining a copy of the report, please contact us using the "Contact" link below.
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[post_content] => What should manufacturers look for in a solution to digitalize and transform service through IoT remote monitoring? What can they do to change the relationship they have with their products and customers to increase business value for themselves and those using their products?
Join this interactive webcast, How to Select the Right Digital Transformation Solution, to hear Tech-Clarity's Jim Brown and PTC's Jon Kadane discuss IoT remote monitoring goals, value, and adoption requirements. Jim will discuss perspectives from his recent Service Transformation by Monitoring Customer Equipment eBook and Jon will share related experience working with customers.
Register for the PTC sponsored webcast replay now (registration required).
Synopsis
Service transformation is the new frontier of innovation. Industrial machine builders create equipment that includes multiple digital computers and controllers. These complex machines are high-value, capital equipment requiring high uptime and continuous availability. To stay competitive users cannot afford downtime and expensive outage.
During this 30-minute webcast Jim Brown, President Tech-Clarity and PTC discuss digital transformation. In the discussion, they review how to develop a solid IoT strategy compared to building an in-house solution. Moreover the discussion focuses on how to monitor customer equipment to increase customer value, drive greater efficiency, and improve profitability.
This discussion is a must for any manufacturer looking to make an informed decision about implementing an IoT solution to transform their business.
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[post_content] => Julie Fraser here, and if you came in through Iyno Advisors, let me explain why I’m so excited to be part of Tech-Clarity now.
Focus on making the business value of technology clear
Greater visibility in the market and more activity on the website
Better capabilities to conduct original research
Broader focus on the full lifecycle of manufacturing enterprise software needs from concept, engineering and planning through manufacturing and service
Video and other multi-media approaches as well as papers and webcasts
An amazing team with deep expertise and values I share
Please stay in touch on your journey. Also, please sign up for our newsletter!
[post_title] => Welcome to Tech-Clarity from Julie Fraser
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[post_content] => Is your company prepared to respond to the critical business issues facing the high-tech industry? What key issues must your business prepare for in this fast paced high-tech market?
Tech-Clarity’s Solving High-Tech’s Top Six Critical Business Issues eBook identifies the top six critical business issues that high-tech companies should address. This will help them respond to market disruption and to stay relevant. As new technologies such as 5G, artificial intelligence, machine learning, quantum computing, and others create opportunities for innovation, there is even more pressure on development teams. The pace of innovation is so fast, high-tech development teams cannot afford to be hindered by process bottlenecks.. This eBook provides recommendations and guidance to enable greater agility to help high-tech companies stay competitive.
Please enjoy the summary* below. For the full report, please visit our sponsor SOLIDWORKS (registration required).
TABLE OF CONTENTS*
Opportunities and Threats for High-Tech Companies
The Speed of Innovation in High-Tech
High-Tech Business Drivers
Product Challenges Facing High-Tech
How to Address the 6 Business Issues
1. Take Cost Out
2. Avoid Quality Problems
3. Enable Higher Productivity and Operational Agility
4. Facilitate Innovation
5. Ensure Performance and Reliability
6. Comply with Environmental and Regulatory Requirements
Conclusions
Acknowledgement
The Speed of Innovation in High-Tech
Technology Is Disruptive
Imagine all the ways technology has impacted our lives. It can be mind-boggling. Just think, how many high-tech products do you rely on every day that didn’t even exist not so long ago? Can you imagine life without the internet, smart phones, or a GPS? Not only are those relatively newer technologies commonplace, they’ve led to numerous other high-tech businesses, many of which have been disruptive.
It Is Hard to Stay Relevant
It is hard to believe today’s high school students don’t remember a world without the iPhone or have no concept of waiting to develop film after a family vacation. At the same time, some of today’s hottest products will eventually meet the same fate as the Walkman and VHS player, products we could not live without in the 80s, but are completely irrelevant today. In the high-tech industry, if you are unable to rapidly respond to today’s critical business issues, you risk becoming tomorrow’s Palm, the first company to produce personal digital assistants (PDAs), but it did too little, too late to maintain its market share. Interestingly, a study conducted by Innosight projects that nearly 50% of the current S&P 500 will be replaced over the next decade. Consequently, high-tech companies should take the right steps now to avoid that fate.
Implement Solutions for Today’s Critical Business Issues
The number of companies expected to fail highlights that too many companies rely on their current success. They avoid putting solutions in place for today’s critical business issues. Unfortunately, old approaches that helped you get by in the past, may no longer be enough. The significant competitive pressure leaves little room for missteps, so it is critical that you address these important issues to position your company to win.
Product Challenges Facing High-Tech
The Unique Challenges for High-Tech
To address these business issues, there are several challenges high-tech companies must consider to succeed. The difficulties arise from unique design trends in the high-tech industry.
Miniaturization
One key design trend is miniaturization. While electronics get smaller and smaller, more innovative features and function must be packed into those tiny packages. Miniaturization leads to greater complexity and very dense packaging. The situation is only going to get harder as Tech-Clarity research3 finds that 56% of high-tech companies continue to feel pressure to incorporate even more software and electronics into their products over the next five years. Increased density brings with it more challenges as engineers have to manage heat. With heat being a leading cause of electronics failure, cooling solutions become a critical design requirement.
Smarter and More Connected ProductsAnother key trend is that products are becoming smarter and more connected. Product intelligence requires more engineering disciplines, making collaboration across the team critical, especially to overcome the inherent silos within engineering disciplines.
Ignoring this trend is not an option as 50% of high-tech companies report they will lose market share if they don't make their products smarter, and 50% also say they will lose revenue. Further, high-tech companies also feel pressure to make products connected. As can be seen in the graph, 57% of high-tech companies say it is a competitive response which means it is a trend they can not ignore because their competitors are already looking at connectivity. However, while connectivity will make them more competitive, it adds to the complexity and extends the need for excellent collaboration
Conclusions
It is a very exciting time for the high-tech industry. Companies have lots of opportunities to innovate with options such as smart and connected products. At the same time, the market moves at a rapid pace. Plus design trends such as miniaturization create unique challenges for high-tech companies. By supporting excellent collaboration with an integrated ECAD/MCAD design environment, companies can overcome many challenges. To address the top critical business issues facing the industry, high-tech companies should focus on the following:
Take cost out
Avoid quality problems
Enable Higher Productivity and Operational Agility
Facilitate Innovation
Ensure Performance and Reliability
Comply with Environmental and Regulatory Requirements
By focusing on these issues, hi-tech companies will be better positioned to develop and produce products that will be highly competitive in today’s global economy.
*This summary is an abbreviated version of the research and does not contain the full content. A link to download the full report is available above.If you have difficulty obtaining a copy of the report, please contact us using the “Contact” link below..
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[post_content] => Tech-Clarity is pleased to announce that we are expanding our research team and extending our coverage to manufacturing operations software! Industry veteran and long-time research analyst Julie Fraser joins Tech-Clarity as Vice President of Research, Manufacturing Software. Julie brings with her a wealth of depth in manufacturing, scheduling, quality, maintenance, and smart manufacturing. Please visit Julie's bio page for more on her background.
As a team, we look forward to expanding and deepening our coverage of software across the manufacturing lifecycle. New technologies are emerging and existing technologies are converging, allowing manufacturers to digitally transform their business. Leading manufacturers are eliminating the gaps between product innovation, product development, engineering, manufacturing, and service. Today's leading software vendors are expanding their product portfolios to support this trend, developing comprehensive solution portfolios across the product lifecycle. Product Innovation Platforms offering CAD, CAE, PDM, and PLM are aligning and integrating much more closely with manufacturing operations solutions including MES / MOM, QMS, and more. "This is a strategic move," explains Jim Brown, President and Founder of Tech-Clarity. "As manufacturers integrate engineering and manufacturing operations, it's important for us to cover a broader perspective of the manufacturing and engineering systems landscape. Julie brings great experience and credibility, we are excited to have such a proven analyst join our team to help continue our mission of making the value of technology clear.”
Julie’s research focus will include smart manufacturing, Industry 4.0, manufacturing, quality, maintenance, scheduling, and related technologies. Please follow Julie on Twitter and join our mailing list to read Julie’s research.
For more information or to schedule a briefing please feel free to contact us.
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Julie Fraser is the Vice President of Research for Operations and Manufacturing for research firm Tech-Clarity. She covers Industry 4.0, Smart Manufacturing, MES/MOM, QMS, APS, APM/CMS, IIoT, AR/VR, other technologies and solutions for manufacturing.
Julie has over 25 years as an industry analyst in addition to experience in marketing and strategy (Berclain/Baan, now Infor) and editorial roles for computer and technology publications. She worked as an assembler over college summers and that got her hooked on manufacturing. She has a BA in German and French, Magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from Lawrence University in Wisconsin. She is also a certified business change agent and conscious business ambassador.
Julie’s current areas of research include the realities of moving Industry 4.0 from vision to reality; the role of MES/MOM in the new landscape; incremental vs. transformational change in manufacturing; approaches to empower plant workers and their leaders; IT/OT convergence; personalized and local manufacturing; and more. She is fascinated by the organizational, cultural and personal transformations required to drive success with new technology and approaches to manufacturing.
Julie is a certified yoga and meditation teacher. When she’s in love with life, good things like the opportunity to work for Tech-Clarity come at the right time.
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[post_content] => Simulation for design engineers can be a powerful tool to provide directional insight and guide design decisions. But, are your design engineers using the right tool?
When design engineers use the right simulation tool, they can save your company time and lower the cost of innovation. However, the wrong tool can make it significantly harder to realize the potential value. Tech-Clarity’s 6 Issues to Avoid in a Simulation Tool for Design Engineers checklist identifies what a company should avoid when looking for a simulation tool for design engineers.
To learn more, please see the full infographic from our sponsor PTC (no registration required).For more information, see the related Simulation Buyer’s Guide.
[post_title] => Simulation for Design Engineers: 6 Issues to Avoid
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[post_content] => How can equipment manufacturers transform their customer and equipment relationships to drive greater value for themselves and their customers? Digital service transformation by monitoring equipment via the IoT holds the key to improving service, satisfaction, and customer success.
Please enjoy the summary below. For the full eBook, please visit our sponsor PTC.
Table of Contents*
Digitally Transform Customer Relationships
Practical First Step: Remote Monitoring
Connect and Communicate with Equipment
Put Equipment Data to Work
Next Steps
Acknowledgments
Digitally Transform Customer Relationships
Digital Transformation is Critical
Equipment manufacturers are making major business improvements by digitally transforming customer relationships using the Internet of Things (IoT). They’re moving beyond selling a machine to providing ongoing value throughout the life of their product.
Service transformation lowers costs and drives more service revenue. Some companies expand on this value, exploring new business models like selling outcomes versus products or shifting to a predictive service model.
Become a Strategic Partner
Beyond direct financial benefits, digitalizing service allows manufacturers to become a strategic partner by increasing the value their customers gain from their equipment, improving both customer satisfaction and success.
Start with Remote Monitoring
The most common (and achievable) first step is remotely monitoring your equipment in customers’ facilities. This gives you the real-time information you need to quickly identify issues and fix equipment more efficiently, improving service and reducing cost while also supporting high customer productivity.
This eBook shares suggestions on what equipment producers can do to get their machines connected, start gathering data, and put the data to use to improve customer service, satisfaction, and success. Let’s get started!
Next Steps
Start Small and Gain Value Quickly
Remote monitoring using the IoT can provide rapid value by helping your company gain visibility to your equipment. The value is strategic, but getting started doesn’t need to be intimidating. You can start small and grow value over time. Your investment can provide a valuable foundation to build on as you connect more equipment or implement more advanced features.
Select the Right IoT Platform
It’s important to find an IoT platform that offers a variety of predefined connectivity and application options so you don’t need to undertake a large integration project from scratch. Find a solution and IoT-savvy partner that can get you started with a simple project, but that offers the business knowledge and advanced tools needed to help you expand on your early success.
Get Started
Remote equipment monitoring lets companies reduce service cost, increase service revenue, develop stronger customer relationships, and start the transition to proactive and predictive service. It also increases a company’s value as a strategic partner by allowing them to improve their customers’ productivity. It’s time to get started to improve value for your company and your customers.
*This summary is an abbreviated version of the research and does not contain the full content. A link to download the full report is available above.If you have difficulty obtaining a copy of the report, please contact us using the "Contact" link below.
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Why should manufacturers make the cloud transition for product innovation and engineering solutions like CAD, Simulation, and PLM? Our research shows it's not what you think.
Cloud Transition is a Means to an End
The decision on cloud timing varies based on each company’s scenario. The first step in the transition is to understand what your company’s goals are in the first place. The change driver may be reaching the limits of an existing solution, requiring new capabilities to support digital transformation, consolidating acquisitions, or choosing to modernize IT infrastructure. The impetus for moving to the cloud helps set the right objectives.
Our prior posts discussed a variety of benefits related to cost, risk, time, and resource requirements. They also looked at some special areas that the cloud offers unique for collaboration and simulation. Cloud innovation and engineering software offers some very tangible value when companies are ready to make the move. But what is the overarching value of adopting cloud product innovation and engineering software? What should you consider for cloud justification?
The cloud should not be the driver, in the same way that the goal of a software implementation should never be to “go live” with the software. There has to be some tangible business value. For product innovation and engineering software, what better reason could there be than to improve product innovation and engineering performance? The cloud is a means to an end. The real value is helping manufacturers improve the pace and level of innovation
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The post goes further to discuss:
How to improve the pace of innovation (not just of your products, but your engineering processes)
How to improve the level of innovation (including how your company works and procures solutions)
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[post_content] => How can a company better utilize engineers’ time?
Today's market is hyper competitive; it is hard to stand out. To be successful, companies must empower their engineering teams to focus on product innovation, quality, performance and cost. Balancing those key criteria is challenging enough, but made even more challenging as engineers report they waste a third of their time on non-value added work. Tech-Clarity’s How-To Guide: Avoid Non-Value Added Work For Engineers explores how to overcome this challenge. Based on a survey of nearly 250 manufacturers, the report reveals best practices for managing data, communicating engineering changes, and collaborating with internal and external members of the development team. Together, these practices will help engineers focus more of their effort on making products more competitive.
Please enjoy the summary* below. For the full report, please visit our sponsor Dassault Systèmes (registration required).
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Identify Bottlenecks
Assess Non-Value Added Time
Business Value of Eliminating Non-Value Added Work
Recognize the Time Required for Check-ins
Outdated Information Impacts Engineering Changes
The Impact of Outdated Information on Collaboration
Identifying the Top Performers
Technology As a Collaboration Solution
Consider the Security Risks of Email
The Benefits of Real-Time Data Updates
Recommendations
About the Research
Executive Overview
Engineering Is Key to Competitive Differentiation
Today's market is so competitive; it is hard to stand out. To be successful companies must empower their engineering teams to differentiate products on innovation, quality, performance, and cost. While balancing all those criteria can be a challenge, it is made even harder as engineers report they waste a third of their time on non-value added work. Even worse, 20% of their time is spent working with outdated information, leading to more wasted effort and rework. One way companies can improve this situation is to provide engineers with real-time access to design data, in the right context. The result should be increased engineering bandwidth so engineers can focus more effort on making products more competitive.
Determining Best Practices
To determine best practices for accessing design information, Tech-Clarity analyzed survey responses from nearly 250 manufacturers to understand how they manage data, communicate engineering changes, and collaborate with both internal and external members of the development team.
The research shows that companies who are most successful, Top Performers, are nearly 2-times more likely to maintain up-to-date models. PDM/PLM makes these real-time updates possible.
What Can You Learn from This Research?This report explores best practices for streamlining access to design data in real-time. It also exposes some challenges manufacturers should be aware of as they strive to maintain a competitive edge in today's complex and cutthroat environment. The report also reveals how manufacturers can plan for a design environment that will prepare them for long-term competitiveness.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Next Steps
Based on industry experience and research for this report, Tech-Clarity offers the following recommendations:
Understand how engineers spend their time and improve processes to minimize time wasted on non-value added work
Consider solutions such as PLM or PDM to centralize design information and support change management and collaboration
Evaluate options to design in the context of the assembly to improve collaboration and understand the impact of changes
Consider real-time updates to keep CAD data up-to-date while minimizing or eliminating check-in times
Establish means for secure, real-time collaboration with third parties to minimize delays in getting updated CAD data from them
*This summary is an abbreviated version of the eBook and does not contain the full content. A link to download the full eBook is available above.If you have difficulty obtaining a copy of the research, please contact us.
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How can a company better utilize engineers’ time? Today’s market is hyper competitive; it is hard to stand out. To be successful, companies must empower their engineering teams to focus on product innovation, quality, performance and cost. Balancing those key criteria is challenging enough, but made even more challenging as engineers report they waste a…
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