Your manufacturing business is complex and constantly changing; how can you choose a system to manage it now and into the unknown future? MES is a foundation for digital transformation, and choosing it is a journey. The right MES for a company’s specific needs can accelerate success, while choosing poorly can be an expensive detour. 
[post_title] => The Game of Avoiding Wasted Time in CAD Design
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In the latest episode of 
Addressing Pain Points
Small engineering teams have many of the same challenges as larger ones, but have fewer resources to address them. How can small design teams manage product development complexity through better collaboration and design data management and the cloud to meet their design targets?
Wasted Engineering Time
Implement PLM
How Vertex Overcomes Common Collaboration Challenges
Vertex can do more than just support collaboration by sharing 3D data, but it’s a great example so let’s start there. There are some key challenges manufacturers face when sharing data. Vertex has some clever approaches to address these.
- Accessibility – Downstream departments typically don’t have access to 3D CAD software. The same is true for many others who value 3D data at their suppliers and customers. Vertex delivers an interactive 3D viewer that is accessed with through the cloud with no installation necessary. It provides support across any device by using web components and their patented context-aware pixel streaming.
- Compatibility – Manufacturers commonly struggle to share 3D data from engineering and suppliers with others due to compatibility issues caused by data stored in a variety of CAD Formats. Vertex interprets 3D and stores it securely in the cloud. It can combine data from multiple CAD formats into its data model. It’s also important to share that it can also bring in and combine data from other systems like ERP.
- Context – Sharing 3D is a challenge, but sharing manufacturing-oriented 3D data is more challenging because it must understand and respect the complex relationships between the data. Vertex’s solution shares associative, context-aware pixels based on BOM data and associated CAD metadata.
- Performance – 3D CAD data is commonly very complex and is stored in very large file sizes. Companies typically have to share partial data or reduce data fidelity to share this kind of data, particularly for complex, discrete manufacturing assemblies. Vertex’s approach supports high-fidelity scalability by streaming pixels instead of sharing files.
- Security – Finally, companies are rightfully concerned about sharing 3D product data because it contains highly valuable intellectual property (IP). Vertex’s streaming approach also means no files are shared, and no data is stored on the client as they view data.
Beyond Collaboration
We don’t have enough time to dive into all of the ways that streaming contextual 3D can drive value for manufacturers, but here are a few to consider that go beyond simple data sharing:
- Digital twins
- Model-based definition (MBD) and semantic PMI
- Shop floor applications
- Product support and field service
- Customer and distributor-facing applications like parts catalogs
- Request for quotations (RFQ)
Vertex’s platform provides an open capability to support use cases like these and more. It provides a data model and database that can ingest 3D CAD data so manufacturers can build apps to serve it to the right people in the right context.
Final Thoughts
We were impressed with the large OEM customers they work with, including John Deere, Atlas Copco, and Caterpillar, and believe they are an important player to watch in this space. We’re excited to follow their development and see how broadly Vertex will be adopted. Thank you to Vertex Software for reaching out and to Brent Arndorfer and Chris McMillan for sharing their company's strategy and capabilities.
What can startups in the new space industry do to rise above the status quo and win the new space race? How can they overcome technical and value chain complexity to meet project deadlines, costs, quality, performance, and reliability by operationalizing collaboration? 
The Business of Space is Hard
Collaborate in a Complex, Multi-CAD Environment
The time to get started is now. Succeeding in the space industry is challenging, demanding both technical and business savvy. Space startups need to be fast, innovative, accurate, and nimble to beat the competition. The current product development status quo is not sufficient. 
I’ve had the chance to speak with 
Managing the Configuration Lifecycle
Configit can be implemented in a variety of ways depending on what the manufacturer needs, including acting as a component in an existing product configuration system ecosystem or as a more comprehensive solution. It can also be adopted in a broader CLM approach to coordinate configuration across the lifecycle, but there are options to start small to solve more focused problems and grow over time. Modeling and implementation are part of the implementation strategy, where Configit brings a methodology and not just technology. Their implementations also tend to integrate across multiple systems that contain information that either feeds or receives crucial configuration data, including close ties with Product Lifecycle Management (PLM).
What value does the product digital thread offer manufacturers? How important is integrating data and systems across the digital thread to achieving that value? We set out to better understand the value of product digital thread integration and how top performing companies overcome implementation, operation, and maintenance challenges to achieve it. Did we find the magic bullet to effective product digital integration? The answer may surprise you. 
Challenges Impacting the Maintenance Lifecycle
Implementing integration across data and applications along the digital thread is only the first step. Integration requires care and feeding to keep it running. It's important to acknowledge that, like the products they manufacture, integration involves many moving parts, at least metaphorically. Manufacturers report that managing change is difficult, including both keeping up with releases for different systems and adjusting as business processes change.
Manufacturers also point to challenges related to continued cost and business risk in the maintenance phase. Additionally, about one-half reported that integration challenges disrupt operationsand that validating integration consumes about 25% of systems upgrade efforts. There is clearly room for improvement, and it's no surprise that manufacturers lack the integration they need.
Maintenance Challenges Vary by Approach
Some integration approaches lead to more maintenance difficulties than others. For example, about two-thirds of companies report "point to point" integration as a top challenge, and about one-quarter report that too much custom code is an issue. These approaches are more prone to require manual updates when underlying systems or processes change. We'll look at manufacturers' approaches to integrate their product digital threads shortly.
The product digital thread is very important or critical to business success and profitability. Manufacturers are turning to the digital thread for a variety of significant business benefits, including product quality, better decision-making, engineering efficiency, product development speed, and product traceability.
The Product Digital Thread Requires Assembly
The product digital thread doesn't come in a single system. It lies across an ecosystem of applications and data sources. Manufacturers recognize the importance of integration to achieve their business goals.
Integration is Challenging
Product data is complex and requires technical and business expertise to interpret its meaning and the contextual relationships that make up the product digital thread. The current state of integration leads to data problems and challenges in implementation, operation, and maintenance. These challenges make it harder for manufacturers to achieve their product digital thread goals.
Develop Top Performing Integration Capabilities
The Top Performers, those with better integration capabilities, have accomplished more significant and more enterprise-wide integration. At the same time, they face fewer challenges in all phases of the integration lifecycle, including:
In addition, respondents will be entered into a drawing for one of five $20 Amazon gift cards.*
Is it time to rethink the role of PLM in managing the digital thread? Should we evolve beyond the idea of “a single source of truth” and pursue digital thread orchestration to integrate product data and processes, recognizing that the data will span multiple systems? Our latest eBook addresses these questions and more.
Click here for the 
Recognize the False Hope
Let’s face it, the digital thread is now too detailed and complex to be contained in a single system. Individual workgroups and disciplines require specialty design and engineering tools including one or more mechanical CAD (MCAD), electrical CAD (ECAD), and software development kit (SDK) solutions. Beyond these, specialists need best-in-class tools to design and analyze chips, digital communication protocols, interfaces, heat transfer, magnetic interference, and other intricacies of today’s software- and electronics-drive devices.
Each of the tools engineers use creates valuable data. They develop too much detailed information, in varied formats, with their own individual lifecycles, to manage centrally. Instead, engineering teams may consider workgroup orchestration and design data management and centralize only the results. “The PCBAs we design have rich component information, but in the ERP world they are a BOM line item because we manufacture out of house,” says the R&D Director. “But we need to have that information available because we need visibility to the high value components on the board to be able to manage things like component shortages.”
Centralize Selectively for Control
Not all detailed data needs to be centralized and managed, but some information should be centrally available in order to manage change and release management. Take software development as an example. PLM should be concerned with released software but few would suggest it controls software sprints. Instead, PLM can manage the big picture so that device engineers, developers, and manufacturing resources are kept aware of progress and how changes impact different disciplines.
Leverage PLM to Enable Rich Collaboration
When PLM is used as an orchestration tool, it has the right data and context to allow engineers and others to collaborate in the context of their product development projects, products, and releases. PLM can act as the place where designs from multiple disciplines come together. Centralizing the right data allows design teams to review the implications of their designs in the context of other designers and design disciplines, and a place to work through conflicts and optimize system performance.
PLM can also keep engineers informed of design changes that impact their work. For example, they could get an alert of a changed design through PLM or in a separate tool like Slack. This way, individuals within workgroups, across workgroups, and across the supply chain can be kept in the loop on changes they need to be informed about. PLM should also provide a forum for designers to share their feedback with each other and store that feedback for future reference, for example, for the next revision of the product.
Multidiscipline Collaboration Example
The Director of R&D for the electronic device supplier we interviewed for this research shares an applicable example. “When a PCBA is ready for a revision, it goes to PLM. That’s where the mechanical and electrical designs come together,” explains. “Then our MCAD picks up the PCBA and creates a joint view in our PLM and makes sure the dimensions of the fiberglass work.” Viewing design data in context helps companies uncover clashes or disconnects early to prevent integration mistakes across mechanical, electrical, and software components. It can also help Manufacturing see changes to design files and can provide feedback quickly if there is an issue that impacts manufacturability.
PLM can serve as a system for orchestration, but let’s not forget it provides value on its own. PLM has expanded in multiple dimensions and although today’s PLM offerings can’t do everything for everyone, they provide extensive functionality that adds value to the business. Our research shows that PLM delivers significant operational value by streamlining the flow of information and processes. “We implemented automation in PLM that reduces tedious, unproductive tasks. Our engineers are more productive,” explains the VP of Engineering for the modular office device manufacturer. “We now have a much better single point of truth with PLM integrated, which makes implementing changes clearer. We likely could not have been successful on some projects without it.”
Take Advantage of PLM’s Business Value
These operational improvements lead to both top-line and bottom-line business benefits. These benefits are only extended as PLM plays a broader orchestration role. The Director of R&D for the electronic device supplier shares an example of both operational and business benefits by allowing them to make better decisions based on the data they need. “Designers can look for a component by searching ERP data for a part to see if it has been used to prevent duplication. We can also better manage the component lifecycle, for example, discovering an end-of-life component, doing a where-used, and assessing whether to make a last-time buy to avoid an expensive R&D board redesign.” Our research confirms the business value, with over one-half of companies reporting faster product development, a similar number achieving better innovation, and one-half sharing PLM improves product quality.
Look Beyond Centralization to Orchestration
It’s time to take advantage of PLM’s operational and business value but also recognize the need for PLM to adopt a new role to orchestrate the digital thread across a diverse ecosystem of tools. The R&D Director for the device supplier sums it up nicely, “When you have multiple teams and multiple tools, you need a PLM tool to create a central view of components and processes in the digital thread.”
Click here for the 
How can process manufacturers, who are traditionally undersupported by PLM offerings, manage their digital threads and bridge the gaps from formulas, to process, to plant, to the supply chain? Where can recipe-driven companies, including those in chemicals, food & beverage, cosmetics, oil & gas, and other related “process industry” companies, turn for PLM? 
System Fundamentals
These capabilities can add significant value to the process industry digital thread. There are other fundamental PLM capabilities that translate well to process industry PLM, such as user and role management, granular security models, workflow management, cloud deployment, and more. Ideally, these are created as services that can be adapted and reused to support and digitally transform the process industries.
Manufacturers of all kinds can gain significant business value from a trusted digital thread managed by PLM. However, traditional PLM systems were not designed to meet unique process industry needs, let alone specific needs for industries like chemicals or food and beverage.
Traditional PLM capabilities, on the other hand, can support packaging design and BOMs, which follow a discrete model. These systems can also manage the digital thread and digital twin of plants and plant assets.
Look for Flexibility and Adaptability
How do you expand a solution from an 80% fit to a fully capable solution without impacting maintainability and the ability to upgrade? Consider that it might be easier to get from a 60% fit with a solution built on a low-code architecture so you don't create technical debt.
One way to pursue PLM for the process industries is to adopt PLM basics and use low-code to replicate, modify, and augment it to fill the process industry disconnects. This approach offers the fundamentals of PLM for both recipe- and BOM-centric needs in a way that doesn't create unmanageable technical debt.
Get the Right Architecture
When looking at a system to support the process industries, it's essential to consider the architecture of the solution in addition to the capabilities. For example, is it open? Easily integrated? Available on the cloud? Does it offer low-code to make it flexible and maintainable? These are important considerations to get the right combination of capabilities for today and the ability to future-proof the system to support the business of the future.
Gain Business Value
Ultimately, the purpose of selecting and implementing a PLM system is growing business value through higher revenue, greater agility, lower cost, better quality, and increased compliance. PLM delivers proven value, but it's critical for PLM to support the uniqueness of the digital thread in the process industry.
[post_title] => Digitalizing the Factory Lifecycle
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