Does your company excel at meeting and managing product requirements? If not, this webinar will help you develop better requirements management practices. During this on-demand webinar, Tech-Clarity’s Michelle Boucher and Anshuman Prakash from Siemens share perspectives on better requirements management. They also provide advice to make the process easier. During the webinar, you will learn:…
- How to address common challenges that lead to missed requirements
- How to easily assess the impact of proposed design changes
- What strategies can keep budgets in check when requirements change
- How to manage requirements across mechanical and electrical domains


Requirements Management Is Critical to Project Success
When PMI dug deeper into the reasons for project failures, they found that the top three issues include changing priorities, changing objectives, and inaccurate requirements gathering. While these problems create substantial challenges, they can become easier to manage with improvements to requirements management. Requirements management has a significant impact on project performance. Getting it right can mean the difference between a successful new product development project or a failure.New Ways of Working Are Needed
So how do these issues impact requirements management? The critical point is adapting to change, which companies must do to survive in today's competitive global economy. For a new product development project, getting the design right starts with the requirements. However, markets are evolving so rapidly, no wonder there are changing priorities and objectives. Disruptive technologies are bringing new sources of innovation and changing how we do business. Alternative sources of funding like Kickstarter have lowered the barriers to entry for start-ups, and the internet and cloud technology have expanded companies’ global reach so that even small companies can operate like larger ones. Responding to these trends impacts requirements, but if you cannot adapt quickly, you risk losing market share. With today's changing market dynamics, old ways of working may no longer be enough. You may need to find new ways of working to be competitive Continue to the Siemens Solid Edge blog for the full post. For more information on requirements management, access the on demand webinar titled, Better Requirements Management to Save Your Bottom Line. (registration required). [post_title] => Better Requirements Management: An Immediate Payback (Guest Post) [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => better_requirements_management [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2022-11-14 22:26:06 [post_modified_gmt] => 2022-11-15 03:26:06 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://tech-clarity.com/?p=7382 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [2] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 7369 [post_author] => 2 [post_date] => 2019-01-03 08:23:54 [post_date_gmt] => 2019-01-03 13:23:54 [post_content] =>
Introduction
Working with contract manufacturers can be one of those “you can’t live with them, you can’t live without them” scenarios. Leveraging contract manufacturing organizations (CMO) is a reality for many companies and can be a great way to jumpstart a product when you don’t have the time or capital to bring up your own plants. What’s more, manufacturers with complex, digital products like telecommunications or other electronic devices may not have another viable option. They simply can’t get from prototype to scale on their own given the required time, money, and manufacturing knowhow. But working with third parties can be frustrating, particularly if you’re used to making all of the calls and you’re new to the process. It doesn’t seem like it should be so hard, but there’s a lot that can go wrong – and it usually does. You may find yourself asking some frustrating questions, but there are ways to manage the inherent challenges and be successful. Let’s explore five questions you may find yourself asking during your CMO partnership, and what you can do about them. Continue to the upchain site for the full post. [post_title] => 5 Frustrations of Working with Contract Manufacturers (guest post) [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => contract-mfg-challenges [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2022-11-14 22:25:36 [post_modified_gmt] => 2022-11-15 03:25:36 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://tech-clarity.com/?p=7369 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [3] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 7356 [post_author] => 2 [post_date] => 2018-12-13 09:30:15 [post_date_gmt] => 2018-12-13 14:30:15 [post_content] =>
Table of Contents
- What to do When You've Outgrown Your PDM
- Introducing the Buyer’s Guide for a More Capable PDM Solution
- Top Ten Signs You've Outgrown Your PDM System
- Extending the Control - Access - Share Basics
- Going Beyond PDM Basics
- Extended PDM Requirements
- New Considerations for Service, Vendor, and Special Considerations
- Next Steps
- About the Author

Introducing the PDM Buyer’s Guide
Exceeding the Limits of Basic PDM Although our PDM Buyer’s Guide recommends “considering both current and future needs” when evaluating solutions and “building a foundation to grow on,” there are many valid reasons companies end up outgrowing their system:- Product complexity has increased
- Product development complexity has grown
- Business has expanded
- Business has globalized

Next Steps
Extend Basic PDM Investment to Increase Value Companies that have outgrown their PDM system can leverage their existing investment in organizing CAD files and adopt a new system to take advantage of more mature capabilities. Our research shows the value of the transition. Top Performing companies are more likely to have structured, collaborative systems like a more mature PDM or a PLM system. It’s time to go beyond EDM or basic PDM systems to help unlock innovation and improve product development efficiency. The requirements set forth in this guide can help frame the software selection and decision-making process to find the right system. Companies should start by focusing on the highlighted areas in the Control - Access – Share sections. This is where less capable, “generalist” file management solutions fall short because they lack an intimate understanding of processes for product innovation, product development, engineering, and support. Companies should also consider the requirements in the four new areas discussed in this guide. Create the Foundation for Further Growth As companies adopt a more advanced PDM system, it’s important to give themselves room to expand to more mature capabilities over time. For many companies, that involves adopting advanced PDM capabilities as part of a more comprehensive PLM system to address additional aspects of products, process, departments, and product lifecycles. These are the key areas that expand PDM to PLM, and areas that PLM vendors continue to expand their solution scope. Consider a Platform for the Greatest Potential Value One good option manufacturers should consider to meet extended PDM needs is adopting a Product Innovation Platform (PIP). A PIP offers manufacturers the ability to expand PDM today and create room to grow as they are ready to adopt more, or more mature, processes. A PIP with a modular approach will allow them to scale and add capabilities as they need them. Some common areas that manufacturers extend include:- Requirements Management
- Quality Management
- Product Costing
- Product Compliance and Sustainability
- Manufacturing / Bill of Process
- Service Lifecycle Management
- Systems Engineering
- Program Management
*This summary is an abbreviated version of the report 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. [post_title] => Expanding Beyond Your Outgrown PDM System (Buyer's Guide) [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => outgrown-pdm [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2022-11-14 22:27:55 [post_modified_gmt] => 2022-11-15 03:27:55 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://tech-clarity.com/?p=7356 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [4] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 7325 [post_author] => 2 [post_date] => 2018-11-19 09:10:21 [post_date_gmt] => 2018-11-19 14:10:21 [post_content] =>Manufacturing is going through a significant, digital transformation that's disrupting the industry status quo. Companies are investing in digital transformation, smart manufacturing, Industry 4.0, Internet of Things (IoT), and other related initiatives. What are they prioritizing? And, what are they actually taking action on? Tech-Clarity surveyed over 130 manufacturers to find out. The report analyzes companies strategic priorities including Industry 4.0, IoT, IIoT, Digital Twin, Digital Thread, Augmented Reality (AR), and Virtual Reality (VR). It also investigates how they're executing against them as an enterprise including:
- If they have executive sponsorship
- Whether they're budgeted
- If a cross-functional team is deployed
- How systems like PLM can help
“Digital” is Viewed as a Significant Business Priority
Executive Overview Manufacturers are weighing their options and considering a number of strategic manufacturing initiatives. Many of them are related and all are competing for budget, time, and attention. Which investments are getting the most attention? How are manufacturers addressing the opportunities? How are they leveraging PLM solutions as an enabler? Tech-Clarity conducted a survey of over 130 manufacturers to find out. The program most frequently cited as critical to the business strategy is Digitalization / Digital Enterprise. More than one-half of respondents say that these digital initiatives are “important” if not “critical” to their business strategy.
A Variety of Digital Initiatives are Deemed Strategic
Digital Transformation is the Leading Priority Surveyed companies report Digital Transformation as the initiative most critical to achieving their business strategy. The second most commonly cited initiative is IoT (Internet of Things). IoT may be a subset of an overall digital transformation initiative. In fact, “Digital Transformation” may serve as a strategic umbrella for many of the initiatives investigated. Industry 4.0 is a High Priority Beyond digitalization, reported on par with IoT initiatives, is Industry 4.0 which was defined as “Industry 4.0 / Smart Manufacturing.” Roughly one-half of companies surveyed say that these initiatives are important or critical to achieving their business strategy.
Initiatives Vary in Level of Executional Traction
Investigating Initiative Traction The initiatives most frequently reported as critical to the business strategy are Digitalization, IoT, and Industry 4.0. Let’s look beyond what companies say is important to understand what they’re doing about it.
PLM is Key to Strategic Manufacturing Initiatives
PLM Enables Digital Transformation The survey analyzed how PLM supports the strategic initiatives manufacturers recognize as important to their business strategy. The responses show that PLM plays a critical or significant role in many of the initiatives. This highlights the importance of PLM as the innovation backbone for the digital enterprise.
Conclusions and Next Steps
The Manufacturing Industry is in a Revolution The manufacturing industry is changing rapidly and companies have to digitalize or risk losing their market position. Manufacturers are responding, targeting a number of important strategic initiatives related to becoming a digital enterprise. The Digital Transformation Has Begun Digital Transformation is seen as the most critical initiative for the manufacturing industries. Research for this report shows that digital transformation has significant support at the Board level. It’s also a funded initiative that’s more likely to have cross-functional teams executing the program. Industry 4.0 and IoT Initiatives are also frequently viewed as contributors to the corporate business strategy. Although the other initiatives may not have as much executive and enterprise traction, they are also being addressed and play important roles in the overall digital transformation of the company. PLM is a Key Enabler to Support the Digital Revolution PLM plays a key role in supporting digitalization initiatives, serving as the digital innovation backbone. PLM also supports important digital capabilities, including Digital Twin and Digital Thread, which show promise but require some additional education for many companies. PLM is important to the entire Digital Transformation strategy because it provides the product context, history, and details required to support the digital product and manufacturing strategy. Recommended Next Steps Activity level is high, and so are the stakes in terms of impact on business performance. We believe it’s time for manufacturers to review their business strategy, make sure they are educated on these high-level initiatives, and determine how to put these strategies into action. [post_title] => The State of Digitalization in Manufacturing (survey results) [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => state-digitalization [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2022-11-14 22:28:49 [post_modified_gmt] => 2022-11-15 03:28:49 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://tech-clarity.com/?p=7325 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [5] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 7314 [post_author] => 2 [post_date] => 2018-11-12 16:06:31 [post_date_gmt] => 2018-11-12 21:06:31 [post_content] =>
Has your PLM Value Stalled?
It’s time to re-energize your PLM solution. Most companies start their PLM implementations with high ambitions for strategic business results. Too often they get through the first implementation, typically supporting core Product Data Management (PDM), and stall. Companies like this are missing a golden opportunity. Once the PLM foundation is in place, there’s a lot more than can be done to leverage it for greater value. Our research shows that companies gain significantly higher levels of ROI from supplemental PLM projects than from their initial implementation. “Expanding capabilities is much easier when you have the foundation in place and a community with PLM skills,” offers the manager of a leading transportation equipment manufacturer.
Even if your company has already gone beyond the basics, it’s likely that changes in your business have opened up opportunities that weren’t considered earlier. Beyond that, the manufacturing industry’s shift to the digital enterprise offers compelling new opportunities that can expand PLM value including IoT, Digital Twin, Augmented Reality (AR), and more. There are proven ways to do it. Let’s explore how your company can leverage what you have to do more.
Expanding Your PLM Value
Most companies have a lot more value to extract from PLM. Even if your company has completed all of your planned phases and met your original goals, it’s very likely they could go beyond what they initially expected. Many companies can get more by simply extending what they have. The digital evolution of the manufacturing industry and PLM’s adoption of platform and cloud architectures have unlocked significant new opportunities for business value for those that want to go further. It’s time for companies to start with the business in mind, make sure they’ve locked in the value available from the basics, and then look to achieve more. “Think of it as an ROI driven investment,” advises the manager of the transportation equipment manufacturer. “Don’t just do it because it’s cool, have a vision for where you want to go and how the tools will get you there. Do the evaluation to make sure it’s worthwhile for the business. Keep improving so you don’t become stagnant.” PLM helps companies manage complexity, improve productivity, and reduce cost. But PLM can do more, enabling top-line growth and margin expansion. It’s also important to recognize that digitalization is changing the market landscape. PLM can provide the foundation to support IoT and other transformational initiatives that may significantly change your company’s value proposition and competitive standing. It’s time to get started. [post_title] => 5 Ways to Get More Business Value from PLM [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => more-from-plm [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2022-11-14 22:27:53 [post_modified_gmt] => 2022-11-15 03:27:53 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://tech-clarity.com/?p=7314 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [6] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 7303 [post_author] => 2572 [post_date] => 2018-11-01 13:57:03 [post_date_gmt] => 2018-11-01 17:57:03 [post_content] => If you are in the medical device industry, are you prepared for the EU MDR?In this on-demand webcast, Tech-Clarity's Michelle Boucher interviews Caroline Byrd, regulatory expert at Abbott, about the steps Abbott has taken to prepare product data for EU MDR compliance. They discuss:
- Significant changes between the MDD and MDR
- How to prioritize the work required to ensure you have the product data to comply with the EU MDR
- Key roles and responsibilities to define to support the compliance efforts
- The role of technology, including PLM, to create a digital thread that will support complete submissions


Improving Productivity Through Digitalization
The Strategic Importance of Digitalization Digitalization is changing the landscape in manufacturing as companies adopt Industry 4.0, Smart Manufacturing, and Digital Transformation initiatives. In fact, a recent Tech-Clarity survey shows that over one-half of manufacturers believe that digitalization / digital transformation initiatives are “important” if not “critical” to achieving their business strategy.

Next Steps – Getting Started
Develop Your IoT Analytics ROI Using The OEE Framework Whether you’re trying to grow OEE from the middle of the pack or trying to eek out additional improvements to continuously approach 100%, IoT analytics is a very good option. Companies can use the framework in this eBook to estimate the business value of an IoT analytics initiative based on research and case studies, tailoring the assumptions to fit their business and adding costs to develop an ROI and justify their efforts. Start Small and Expand Of course it’s important that companies recognize that they should start small, gain tangible value, and create a foundation to expand on. Early projects should be valuable and measurable with tangible business results, not just technical proofs of concept. They should identify and prioritize opportunities in the plant based on the ability to improve OEE. For example, they can use IoT analytics reduce equipment downtime for a problem workcell or improve yield for a challenging product. At the same time, they should keep costs low and set the foundation for the future by using a scalable, platform-based approach. Get Started It’s time to improve productivity by reducing the 6 Big Losses of OEE and driving improvements to Availability, Performance, and Quality. Pick a project and scale up the value by extending to new products, production lines, plants, or geographies. It’s time for manufacturing to drive meaningful change with IoT analytics and set the stage for future improvements beyond the plant. Remember, a small improvement to OEE can drive significant bottom line results, and the foundation created by Manufacturing can open up new business models and revenue opportunities across the business. *This summary is an abbreviated version of the report 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. [post_title] => Improving Manufacturing Performance with IoT Analytics (eBook) [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => iot-analytics [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2022-11-14 22:28:13 [post_modified_gmt] => 2022-11-15 03:28:13 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://tech-clarity.com/?p=7279 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [8] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 7236 [post_author] => 2572 [post_date] => 2018-10-23 15:57:02 [post_date_gmt] => 2018-10-23 19:57:02 [post_content] => How can you strengthen your engineering team with new hires who have the required engineering skills to quickly become productive members of the team?Hear from Tech-Clarity's Michelle Boucher and Dora Smith, Senior Director of Siemens PLM's Global Academic Program, as they discuss the required skills for new engineering graduates to be successful on today's product development teams. This 25 minute interactive discussion reveals research findings such as:
- What skills Top Performing companies look for in new graduates
- The types of experiences that provide engineering students with the right practical skills
- What your company can do to strengthen the pool of engineering graduates



- Reenergize your PLM strategy and implementation plan
- Expand PLM capabilities around product processes
- Identify other functional areas and processes beyond engineering who can benefit from PLM
- Provide better data access and insight for downstream functions


- What do we think of the Siemens PLM strategy?
- What were our impressions of how Siemens' views the digital twin?
- What are our views on the way that Siemens is incorporating the technology - and the thought leaders - from their significant acquisitions?
- How do we perceive the integration across the Siemens PLM platform?
- What did we observe about the role Siemens PLM plays in the broader Siemens community?
- What else did Allan want us to chat about?


Multi-CAD Mayhem
Does this sound all too familiar?- We spend hours working on suppliers’ designs before we can do any real value-added work
- We waste time re-importing design changes from partners and still have to redo all of our modifications like adding ribs or creating tool paths
- The engineering firm that does our advanced FEA faces the same inefficiencies with our files
- Our industrial designers need features that aren’t supported by our design engineers’ CAD
- We have to rework every design before we send it to the shop floor
- We have years of effort and knowledge in old CAD files so we have to pay for licenses, but we still end up remodeling for the next revision
- We want to move CAD to the cloud, but we’re don’t want to leave our IP behind on the desktop
- We can’t afford to retrain all of the engineers from the company we just acquired and migrate them to our “primary” CAD tool

Evaluating Your Survival Options
You may have ended up in a multi-CAD situation due to legacy CAD files, customer mandates, supply chain realities, internal requirements, or all of the above. Regardless of the reason, this is the way it’s going to be. Now, what are you going to do in order to survive? We explore four options:- Option 1: The Status Quo
- Option 2: Standardize on a Common CAD System
- Option 3: Common, Interoperable CAD Data
- Option 4: Incorporating Non-native CAD with Associativity
Next Steps
Pack Interoperability in your Multi-CAD Survival Kit It’s time to adopt non-native CAD with associativity capabilities to take away the multi-CAD productivity penalty. These capabilities are applicable to many different kinds of scenarios and companies. “For a job shop that machines for others if the customer changes a STEP file and changes a face it would they would need to redo 50% for their CAM program because it lost all of the references, but it would be easy with associative CAD interoperability,” explains KMP Drivetrain Solutions’ Alferink. Interoperability and Productivity go Hand-in-Hand The bottom line is that you should demand this kind of interoperability. It exists. Associative interoperability is the new best practice and state of the art to survive the reality of multi-CAD. “In the end, CAD interoperability drives efficiency. Without it, somebody will make a change a part and it will take much longer because you have to redo a lot of work. Associative CAD interoperability will be more efficient for design changes,” concludes KMP Drivetrain Solutions’ Alferink.

Digital Thread
Let’s start with the digital thread. That’s probably the most straightforward concept and one that provides tangible value. The digital thread, in its simplest definition, is the collection of information used to define, engineer, and develop a product. Ideally it moves beyond the manufacturer into the in-service part of the equipment lifecycle. It offers a view of the digital continuity of the life of the device. The value for medical device companies, in a nutshell, is end-to-end traceability. It’s the connection between everything from patient needs and early requirements through the patient experience, including post market surveillance requirements required by the EU MDR. It provides a broad base of information that allows medical device companies to analyze and learn from history, for example tracking down root causes for a CAPA. The digital thread also clearly supports regulatory requirements related to these needs including the DHF and UDI, including all of the local variants of the regulations. In addition, the digital thread also provides an integrated source of data that can be used to prepare submission documentation. With the digital thread as the trusted data source, medical device companies can automate much of the process to generate these crucial reports.Digital Twin

Connected Digital Twin
The value of the digital twin expands dramatically when it goes beyond device production and into usage. Some would say a digital twin without connectivity isn’t a complete twin, but regardless of definitions a digital model is highly valuable. But a connected one adds significantly greater value. The rise of the IoT adds a new dimension to the value available from the digital twin. Companies can collect real-world device performance and associate it back with the intention of the design model. This can help identify issues where devices are not performing as designed, and may provide an early indicator of a potential variance. A second aspect of the digital twin is identifying differences between predicted and actual device performance where the device is operating as designed, but not as intended. In these cases, there are gaps in the simulated performance of the digital model that can be addressed to improve simulations and understanding of how devices perform in the field. Medical device companies gain significant value from the connected digital twin. It rounds out the information in the DMR and supports a more robust data set for UDI. It could also be used early in the lifecycle to help support clinical trials, as well as other regulatory demands throughout the lifecycle.Digital Twin of the Plant
Another aspect of the digital twin is creating digital twins of the equipment used to produces devices. Companies can create fully functioning models of machines, lines, and plants to design, simulate, and optimize production. As with the digital twin of the product, connecting the digital twin provides even greater value. In this case, it may include the IIoT in addition to the IoT. The digital twin of the plant helps medical device companies validate production methodology, SOPs, and set critical control points to improve control, reduce variability, and improve quality. It can also be used to validate process control intent with regulatory bodies. These twins, along with the digital twin of the device (which should be integrated) can also help automate regulatory submissions. Again, we see significant overlap in the use of digital tools in the medical device industry.Analytics

IoT
The last area to discuss is the IoT. We’ve already mentioned it while discussing the earlier digital topics, it’s hard not to given it’s significant potential to change the relationship between medical devices, the manufacturer, healthcare professionals, payers, and the patient. But there is much more to this topic, so we’ll save this for a later post.Our Take
Digitalization of the medical device industry takes the value of new technologies and techniques and extends them to improve both company profitability and patient outcomes. In the end, the buzzwords represent new capabilities with real potential to help medical device companies innovate, drive rapid product design, speed approvals, improve quality, and achieve higher levels of compliance. These are all important for them to continue their mission to improve patient welfare in today’s complex healthcare environment. You can find more information about digitalization for medical devices from our sponsor, Siemens PLM. You can also find more information from Tech-Clarity on digitalization in the medical device industry please see our The Digitalization Opportunity for Medical Device Companies (video) or Digitalization in the Medical Device Industry (animation). [post_title] => Translating Digital Buzzwords to Real Value for Medical Devices (post) [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => med-dev-digital-buzz [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2022-11-14 22:28:28 [post_modified_gmt] => 2022-11-15 03:28:28 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://tech-clarity.com/?p=7178 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [14] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 7171 [post_author] => 2 [post_date] => 2018-09-25 10:20:58 [post_date_gmt] => 2018-09-25 14:20:58 [post_content] => How can manufacturers and service providers drive additional productivity and profitability by developing equipment intelligence by monitoring equipment health? Learn how the IIoT, edge computing, and analytics help companies predict and mitigate equipment issues before they disrupt production. Manufacturers can now identify trends and data relationships that previously went undiscovered by combining data from multiple sources with information from sensored equipment, whether they are monitoring their own facilities or products they service at their customers' sites. Watch the Engineering.com webcast replay, sponsored by Siemens (no charge, registration required).
- How manufacturers and service providers are expanding data gathered from equipment, both new and old
- How edge computing and analytics can turn mass volumes of data into actionable intelligence
- How an IIoT platform can help companies more rapidly take advantage of these opportunities

Table of Contents
- Improve Service ROI, Build your IoT Foundation for the Future
- Remote Monitoring Drives Service Performance *
- Access Equipment and Equipment Data *
- Communicate with Equipment *
- Leverage the Edge to Pre-Process Communication *
- Share Actionable Service Information *
- Implementation and Adoption *
- Selecting a Strategic Partner *
- Next Steps
- Buyer’s Guide Checklist *
Improve Service ROI, Build your IoT Foundation for the Future
Companies are leveraging the IoT to digitally transform their business and the results are impressive. But many struggle choosing a place to begin. One proven way to get started is by remotely monitoring machines. This initiative allows manufacturers to quickly achieve IoT value while paving the way for even more substantial benefits over time.
Next Steps



How can companies manage their portfolios and product development processes in order to more reliably hit their product innovation and commercialization challenges? How does digital transformation raise the bar on product portfolio management? Tech-Clarity was commissioned by Planview, Inc. to conduct their Sixth Product Portfolio Management Benchmark Study to find out. The research uncovered five best practices that Top Performers follow more frequently than others, resulting in their higher performance in revenue growth, profit margin expansion, and percent of sales from new products than their competitors. The survey also took a hard look at how digitalization impacts product planning and development, and finds that the transition to smarter, more connected products makes current PPM challenges worse.
Analyzing Product Innovation Performance
This Sixth Product Portfolio Management Benchmark Study surveying more than 400 industry practitioners finds that companies continue to struggle to meet product innovation and commercialization targets. Survey respondents indicate they hit product launch dates just 54% of the time, on average, and meet revenue targets only 55% of the time. New results from the ongoing product development benchmarking research commissioned by Planview show that companies continue to grapple with some of the same challenges they have for the last decade, including having too many projects for their resources. Despite proven best practices for developing successful, pr products, many companies continue to suffer the pitfalls of poor Product Portfolio Management practices.Digital Transformation Raises the Bar on Product Innovation and the Product Portfolio Management Discipline
Now is the time to address Product Portfolio Management process and performance gaps. New survey questions gauging how the transition to smarter, more connected products and the digital enterprise impacts product innovation indicate that current challenges are about to get worse. This is critical given the major digital transformation facing the manufacturing industry. According to McKinsey’s Why Digital Strategies Fail, only 8% of companies said their current business model would remain economically viable if their industry keeps digitizing at its current course and speed. Manufacturers that don’t successfully digitalize, even the largest companies, stand the risk of losing market share, and they are responding accordingly about 13% are currently delivering smarter, more connected products, another 44% are either actively developing or actively researching them. A further 27% are considering adding them. This is having a significant, direct impact on product – and Product Portfolio Management – complexity.The Best Practices

- Have access to more accurate, timely portfolio data to make decisions
- Follow portfolio processes more consistently
- Reallocate people and money to higher value innovations
- Have better portfolio and capacity management and planning
- Use PPM technology to enable these best practices
Conclusion
Companies continue to miss their product development targets, most notably time to market and related product revenue goals. Too many still fall victim to common Product Portfolio Management challenges, despite the availability of proven best practice processes and technology. Analyzing the Top Performers provides a roadmap that can help other companies overcome challenges and achieve higher levels of innovation and product profitability. Others can learn by example, recognizing that leading companies have better data, follow more consistent processes, are able to reallocate people and money to higher value innovations, and have better control of resource capacity – enabling all of this with the use of PPM software. The time to improve Product Portfolio Management performance is here. As the benchmark study shows, the move toward smarter, more connected products and digitalization will significantly increase product and product development complexity. Product Portfolio Management best practices can improve development of current products and prepare companies for the heightened challenges of digital transformation. PPM technology is positioned to address real challenges and improve value today and throughout the digital transformation. *This summary is an abbreviated version of the Executive Brief and does not contain the full content. A link to download the full research is available above. If you have difficulty obtaining a copy of the report, please contact us using the "Contact" link below. [post_title] => Five Things Top Performers Do Differently to Deliver Profitable, Innovative Products (PPM survey results) [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => ppm-benchmark [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2022-11-14 22:28:37 [post_modified_gmt] => 2022-11-15 03:28:37 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://tech-clarity.com/?p=7116 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [18] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 7107 [post_author] => 2 [post_date] => 2018-08-21 12:30:09 [post_date_gmt] => 2018-08-21 16:30:09 [post_content] =>
Webcast Description
Does this sound all too familiar? Spending hours working on customers designs before we can do any real value-added work. We waste time re-importing design changes from customers and still have to redo all of our modifications like adding ribs or creating tool paths. There is no way we can afford a license for all the different CAD software packages.
- Why multi-CAD impacts productivity and profitability
- How CAD Interoperability allows you to overcome the challenges and work better internally, with customers, and with the supply chain
- What to look for in your CAD solution

Product Innovation Platforms
Before talking about the evolution to the cloud, it’s important to understand how software for product innovation, engineering, and manufacturing has evolved. CAD and other engineering software tools have allowed Aerospace and Defense (A&D) companies to design products that were previously unachievable. They have evolved to model and simulate new materials, advanced manufacturing methods, and multiple aspects of products to more accurately predict behavior. Engineering tools are integrated with data and process management solutions that support products, processes, and programs. These product lifecycle tools have evolved to support a broader view of the product and support a wider range of processes ranging from ideation to certification. Now, the move to the digital enterprise demands more. Software systems must support a more fully integrated approach, enable data-driven design, and support model-based systems engineering. They have to encourage real-time collaboration across disciplines and the supply chain, and support digital continuity where different domains contribute their design perspectives into a comprehensive, cohesive product model. This is the Product Innovation Platform (PIP), which creates a comprehensive digital thread, supports a cohesive digital twin, and breaks the paradigm of disparate, file-based systems. And, it’s moving to the cloud. Given that, we conducted a survey to find out how manufacturers are approaching the cloud opportunity. We gathered over 250 survey responses from manufacturing and engineering services firms, and took a closer look at approximately 70 of them that serve the A&D industry. Let’s take a look!
A&D is (Generally) Open to the Cloud
Manufacturers across industries have begun to adopt cloud solutions, and Top Performing manufacturing companies are more open to using cloud solutions, although it’s important to note that this finding is not specific to the Product Innovation Platform. This survey shows that A&D is actually a bit less conservative about the cloud than some might think, at least on a general level. When asked about their company’s strategy or standard for the use of cloud IT solutions, over one-third say they choose the most capable solution, and another 15% favor or use the cloud unless no other software is available. On the other hand, only about one-quarter of A&D companies surveyed say they do not consider or allow cloud.
(more in the full eBook)
A&D has Mixed Views on PIP in the Cloud
Views on the cloud change when related to the PIP. We asked companies about their views on software to support the product lifecycle including CAD, ALM, EDA, CAM, simulation, PDM, PLM, MES / MOM, product analytics, or other related solutions – effectively the components of the PIP. About one-quarter of A&D companies indicate that they use the cloud for some elements of the PIP, and about another one-quarter are implementing, planning to implement, or researching the cloud opportunity. (more in the full eBook)Conclusions and Recommendations
Implementing a cloud solution offers benefits along implementation, operational, and business dimensions. While these cloud-specific benefits are important, it’s important to recognize that most companies rightfully place a higher priority on PIP functionality. A&D companies are not willing to trade off the PIP features that directly impact their success drivers – quality, performance, reliability, innovation. But A&D companies also need to reduce cost. PIP capabilities can deliver on this need, and cloud deployments can further reduce cost even further. Cloud has value, but A&D companies face a number of challenges when implementing it, including security, performance, and availability. These are important concerns that should be addressed through SLAs, standards, and audit procedures. It’s important to understand, though, that in many ways cloud deployments actually help with these aspects by offering shared services with dedicated specialists. The cloud also provides unique opportunities not available with traditional implementations. These include instant scalability, “elastic” computing power, and the valued-added services capability viewed very favorably by survey respondents. A&D has been using the cloud for some time, and are generally open to the cloud, but they’re mixed on the use of cloud for PIP capabilities. This is especially true for suppliers, who are perhaps waiting for the OK from the majority of their OEMs. These views may change with better education about standards and audit processes. Cloud benefits are available, and they’re compelling. Today’s highly capable solutions are bringing the power of mature PIP capabilities with cloud benefits. We expect to see usage continue to grow, although cautiously. *This summary is an abbreviated version of the report 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. [post_title] => Aerospace and Defense Adopting Cloud Innovation Platforms (survey results) [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => cloud-ad [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2022-11-14 22:28:49 [post_modified_gmt] => 2022-11-15 03:28:49 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://tech-clarity.com/?p=7042 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 1 [filter] => raw ) ) [post_count] => 20 [current_post] => -1 [before_loop] => 1 [in_the_loop] => [post] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 7392 [post_author] => 2572 [post_date] => 2019-02-04 14:33:22 [post_date_gmt] => 2019-02-04 19:33:22 [post_content] => Does your company excel at meeting and managing product requirements? If not, this webinar will help you develop better requirements management practices.During this on-demand webinar, Tech-Clarity's Michelle Boucher and Anshuman Prakash from Siemens share perspectives on better requirements management. They also provide advice to make the process easier. During the webinar, you will learn:
- How to address common challenges that lead to missed requirements
- How to easily assess the impact of proposed design changes
- What strategies can keep budgets in check when requirements change
- How to manage requirements across mechanical and electrical domains

All Results for "All"
Better Requirements Management: An Immediate Payback (Guest Post)
Did you know that 9.9% of every dollar spent on projects is wasted due to poor project performance? This startling statistic comes from research done by the Project Management Institute (PMI), published in their 2018 Pulse of the Profession® report. In a guest post on the Siemens Solid Edge blog, Michelle Boucher outlines some key reasons why…
5 Frustrations of Working with Contract Manufacturers (guest post)
What challenges do manufacturers encounter when working with contract manufacturers? What should they do to reduce the frustration and streamline the relationship? Jim Brown introduces five questions you may find yourself asking if you’re working with a CMO, CDMO, or other supply chain partners and then offers recommendations based on our experience and research in…
Expanding Beyond Your Outgrown PDM System (Buyer’s Guide)
What should manufacturers look for when it’s time to replace their outgrown PDM system? Our research shows a high correlation between elevated business performance and strong product data management capabilities. Unfortunately, we find many manufacturers have already stretched the limits of what their basic Product Data Management (PDM) system can do. In most cases, it meets…
The State of Digitalization in Manufacturing (survey results)
Manufacturing is going through a significant, digital transformation that’s disrupting the industry status quo. Companies are investing in digital transformation, smart manufacturing, Industry 4.0, Internet of Things (IoT), and other related initiatives. What are they prioritizing? And, what are they actually taking action on? Tech-Clarity surveyed over 130 manufacturers to find out. The report analyzes…
5 Ways to Get More Business Value from PLM
How can manufacturers extend their PLM investments to gain higher levels of business value? The new 5 Ways to Get More Business Value from Your PLM System offers practical approaches for companies to leverage their existing Product Lifecycle Management investment to improve top-line and bottom-line performance, including tips gained from two leading manufacturers. Please enjoy…
EU MDR: How Abbott is Getting Their Digital House In Order (webcast)
If you are in the medical device industry, are you prepared for the EU MDR? In this on-demand webcast, Tech-Clarity’s Michelle Boucher interviews Caroline Byrd, regulatory expert at Abbott, about the steps Abbott has taken to prepare product data for EU MDR compliance. They discuss: Significant changes between the MDD and MDR How to prioritize…
Improving Manufacturing Performance with IoT Analytics (eBook)
How can manufacturers improve OEE with IoT Analytics? How can they leverage IoT and IIoT data to drive higher performance and extend the advantages they’ve gained from Six Sigma and other productivity improvement programs? Improving Manufacturing Performance with IoT Analytics takes a look at how to improve Operational Equipment Effectiveness through digitalization. Specifically, the report…
Closing the Engineering Skills Gap (webcast)
How can you strengthen your engineering team with new hires who have the required engineering skills to quickly become productive members of the team? Hear from Tech-Clarity’s Michelle Boucher and Dora Smith, Senior Director of Siemens PLM’s Global Academic Program, as they discuss the required skills for new engineering graduates to be successful on today’s…
Five Ways to get More Value from your PLM System (webcast)
How can manufacturers expand their PLM implementation to get more value from their Product Lifecycle Management system? Join this webcast to hear Jim Brown shares his perspective and research, including interviews with two manufacturers that have gone beyond their initial PLM footprint. Implementing PLM successfully is more of a journey than a destination. In a recent…
Industry Analyst Discussion on Siemens PLM Strategy Conference (video)
What do leading industry analysts think about Siemens PLM strategy and execution? Industry analyst Allan Behrens of Taxal hosted a discussion about Siemens PLM with two other analysts, Monica Schnitger of Schnitger Corp and Tech-Clarity’s Jim Brown. The Disruptive presentation was a unique glimpse at industry watchers (trying not to call ourselves “experts”) sharing our key…
Sixth Annual Product Portfolio Management Benchmark Study
Tech-Clarity was commissioned by Planview to conduct their 6th Annual Product Portfolio Management Benchmark Survey, titled The Business Transformation Required to Innovate in the Digital Era. The survey evaluated trends in managing product portfolios including challenges, processes, and technologies used to make portfolio decisions. Tech-Clarity applied our performance banding methodology to determine what Top Performers…
The CAD Interoperability Survival Guide (eBook)
How can manufacturers survive when they can’t consolidate on a single CAD format? Is that even a possibility? Given the unavoidable reality of multi-CAD, let’s see if there’s a better way to manage the mayhem without spending so much non-value-added time. This eBook shares our perspective on the most practical way to manage designs created…
Translating Digital Buzzwords to Real Value for Medical Devices (post)
Tech-Clarity research shows that the majority of manufacturers believe that digitalization is important or critical to achieving their business strategy (see figure). Over one-third say that it’s critical. Digitalization in medical device design and manufacturing has significant promise, but what does it actually mean? Medical device companies, already struggling with how to address critical initiatives…
IoT Equipment Health Monitoring (webcast)
How can manufacturers and service providers drive additional productivity and profitability by developing equipment intelligence by monitoring equipment health? Learn how the IIoT, edge computing, and analytics help companies predict and mitigate equipment issues before they disrupt production. Manufacturers can now identify trends and data relationships that previously went undiscovered by combining data from multiple…
Improving Service with IoT Remote Monitoring (Buyer’s Guide)
How can companies improve service and gain tangible ROI by remotely monitoring equipment using the IoT? This buyer’s guide offers practical advice for companies starting their remote monitoring journey to transform the way they service their equipment whether it’s on site, in the field, or at a customer location. At the same time, it offers recommendations to…
How Digital Chemical Labs Drive Innovation (infographic)
How do Top Performers in the chemical industry leverage digitalization in the chemical lab to overcome their innovation struggles? A Tech-Clarity survey shows that chemical companies face a myriad of innovation-related challenges including cost pressure, sustainability, more customer-driven products, and specialized / performance materials. This infographic provides a graphical snapshot of the research sharing that…
Five Things Top Performers Do Differently to Deliver Profitable, Innovative Products (PPM survey results)
How can companies manage their portfolios and product development processes in order to more reliably hit their product innovation and commercialization challenges? How does digital transformation raise the bar on product portfolio management? Tech-Clarity was commissioned by Planview, Inc. to conduct their Sixth Product Portfolio Management Benchmark Study to find out. The research uncovered five…
The CAD Interoperability Survival Guide (webcast)
How can engineers be productive and innovate when suppliers, customers, other departments, and even different design teams use a variety of CAD tools? This webcast shares how CAD interoperability helps companies survive when multi-CAD is simply the reality they live with every day. The webinar shares customer stories and best practices from our recent eBook…
Aerospace and Defense Adopting Cloud Innovation Platforms (survey results)
How can Aerospace and Defense companies leverage the cloud to improve innovation, engineering, and manufacturing across the product lifecycle? We surveyed over 250 companies and analyzed the progress, plans, and success factors for supporting product innovation with cloud solutions of over 70 of these companies that serve the A&D industry. The research analyzes both challenges…