Communicating product data across an organization has become more complex than ever. Here are 9 reasons it’s time to connect your enterprise systems.
With different departments gathering product data form a variety of systems including Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Systems, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems, Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), and Quality Management Systems (QMS) and more, how do we know our organizations are making the most out of all the information we’re collecting?
Just think about it for a second. Our systems and departments speak different languages, while a company likely aims for a single goal. This is why it can pay to connect your systems and provide company-wide access to business and product knowledge
With an estimated 90% of the world’s data created in the last two years alone (Conner, n.d.), it’s no wonder that companies have trouble utilizing it all. The IDC estimates that just 0.5% of the data we companies produce is ever used. It’s time to change that.
1. Increased Usability
Data experts believe that if Fortune 1,000 companies increased the amount of data they used by just 10%, they could realize over $65 million in additional net income (Marr, 2015). These numbers are huge. Hopefully, they help you understand why I’m writing this blog and pleading my case.
The truth is – our systems are currently too complex for many roles within our organizations to navigate, find, and transfer the right information. This leaves our separate departments accountable for communicating different product data.
So how do we make our product data more usable? By democratizing our product data from all existing sources into one single system.
2. Better Access to Data
The most important reason your product data shouldn’t (internally) be kept a secret is because product data is your company’s most valuable asset. Not everyone who needs access to specific product information hosted in your PLM system is from your engineering department, so why force them through the same vigorous Product Lifecycle system training?
In order to effectively use data, departments must have ready access to it.
After all, the solution to this problem must make rich product information easy to accessible for a broad set of roles. By creating an organized system that connects all of your product data, your organization’s information is easily assessable to users beyond those who have created it. Just think of the possibilities if you connected your data from multiple systems and delivered it to all departments through individualized, role-based views.
3. Complete Data
Imagine an entire enterprise with access to real data, at the right time, when it’s needed. By connecting your product lifecycle management systems with your other enterprise systems, every stakeholder within your organization can leverage product data from multiple systems. They can make accurate decisions based on the latest, most accurate information from EBoM, MBoM, SBoM, ERP, MRP, and QMS data.
4. Better Insights
Better data + better visibility = better insights. Your teams are demanding more at lightning speeds from your PLM processes and solutions. This is another reason why your organization might consider integration technologies and custom front-end solutions.
An enterprise with insights into how current products and processes can be optimized can drastically improve overall productivity. Providing your team with access to up-to-date, accurate product data will allow your organization to have better insight into areas for continuous improvement.
5. Better Decisions
Ready access to information is especially important to any company involved with product development.
Users without access to information often make assumptions and resort to workarounds. This opens the door to poor decisions and errors, quality problems, and waste. Decisions made from out-of-date, inaccurate data threaten product quality and delay time to market.
By providing everyone in your organization with broad visibility into your organization will drive better, more accurate decisions. This will improve your quality, reduce waste, scrap, rework, and meeting your time-to-market goals. The analytics resulting from connected systems help users across your organization make accurate decisions throughout your entire development process.
6. Better Products
Who doesn’t want to create better products faster? Providing your organization with universal access to data will allow your company to drastically accelerate product development. How so? By connecting disparate systems, you will have access to real-time data allowing you to achieve better product decisions. Because your decisions and actions are now driven by up-to-date information, you will achieve a higher product quality.
7. Increased Productivity
Why waste time manually reading, entering and analyzing data, when it could be automatically collected, filtered, and combined? By linking enterprise systems into one simple interface, any user within your organization can access contextual, up-to-date, real-time product information anytime they need. I guarantee your productivity will grow when your organization is able to plan earlier with manufacturing, order materials sooner with purchasing all while your engineering team is spending less time pulling reports.
8. Increased Collaboration
Using a system that provides role-based access for stakeholders provides every role with the ability to quickly understand the status of a part number, inventory, and the part or assembly’s role in the “big picture.” This will not only help mobilize and inform the work of teams throughout the organization, but it will also help maximize the success of your product development. Giving your team the ability to extend and connect your PLM data into the rest of your enterprise will rapidly increase your overall organization collaboration.
9. Real Results
The ultimate benefit your organization will achieve by connecting your systems comes from your ability to get to real results faster. It makes the “to” in “Quote-to-Cash” just a little bit faster. What does that mean? Data gives your organization confidence to quickly deliver value. Good decisions, accurate manufacturing, knowledgeable service groups, self-sufficient marketing and sales teams. This all adds up to faster time to market, faster time to revenue — real results.
So.. what now? It’s time to connect your enterprise systems.
I know what you’re probably thinking, ‘this sounds great, but it’s not that easy to connect and provide role-based access to enterprise systems.’
And you’re right. It would take a tool that connects all of your enterprise systems, right? I’m glad you’ve stuck it out for the long haul — because this is what I’ve been waiting to tell you. There IS a solution. It’s called ThingWorx Navigate. What is it? It is a single role-based app that you can easily access from your smartphone, tablet, or computer where you can literally see all of your product data in one place — no matter what department you’re from. Mind blown? We knew we needed to get our hands on it the moment we found out this solution that everyone has been looking for — which is why PTC has trusted us to be a valued Solutions Provider for their product ThingWorx Navigate.
Watch our video on how easy it is to use ThingWorx Navigate and how it may change the way your company does business.
It’s no surprise that product data is your organization’s most valuable asset. Product data gives the employees within your organization the key to their own day-to-day success. Most enterprise software tools are inaccessible to a broad range of users due to costly licensing, extensive training, and the time it takes to personalize the data for various roles throughout an organization.
Imagine how powerful your company can become with one centralized hub everyone within the organization can access without over complicating the product design process.
EAC Product Development Solutions is a Solutions Provider for PTC – which means we give companies access to the latest technologies that the Industry has to offer for product development.
What is ThingWorx Navigate?
PTC’s latest genius product has us all jumping up and down with joy as it is something that will ultimately make your lives easier. PTC ThingWorx Navigate (formerly known as PTC Navigate) is a role-based app that gives your team a platform where every department can access product information through one centralized hub. Instead of having to manually access your Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) or your Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system to find the information you need to share with other departments, each individual will have access right from their smartphone, tablet, or desktop computer.
The image below shows just some of the out-of-the-box apps available to PTC Navigate users. ThingWorx Navigate gives you the ability to customize the apps according to your company’s own organization and data needs.
ThingWorx Navigate offers a modern user experience that is as easy to use as a smartphone app. It’s time you started unlocking the potential of your product data.
How We Can Customize ThingWorx Navigate to Fit Your Organization
Our team of developers can customize and configure ThingWorx Navigate apps for your organization. Our developers created EAC Productivity Apps, custom- built “apps” for PTC Windchill and other enterprise data – called PLMReports and QuickAccess.
The screenshot you see below is a configuration of PLMReports, displaying a search filter for a part number.
EAC’s Implementation Consultant, David Sichi, says that “PLMReports is an app that acts as a centralized location to run Windchill reports from within ThingWorx. From here, a number of different reports that would appear in different locations in Windchill can be run from the same page. Each report can be accessed by double clicking it’s row, bringing up a small input search filter screen. After populating the specified criteria, the report results can be displayed either in the same window or brought up in a new tab to retain the current page.”
The screenshot you see below is a configuration of ThingWorx Navigate created by our engineers called QuickAccess.
QuickAccess provides simplified access to PDM (product data management) and ERP data and visualizations. Greg Montgomery, EAC’s Senior Implementation Consultant says, “QuickAccess provides simplified access for downstream and upstream manufacturing roles to select PLM data sets. The simplified interface results in an improved end user experience and ultimately greater user adoption of PLM.” EAC Productivity Apps and ThingWorx Navigate capabilities make it easier for people to see and submit change, variant, and deviation requests throughout their product development processes.
Check out more information on managing product data and your design process with PTC ThingWorx Navigate with our free eBook here.
Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) isn’t the sexiest topic, but it does have a certain je ne sais quoi if you ask me. The evolution of this technology is really fascinating and the business impact of the adopting a PLM system definitely falls into the category of ‘exciting.’
Today we expect instant access to data, high-quality products, and exceptional customer service. Couple that with the need for companies to continually, and quickly, innovate in order to stay relevant, PLM quickly becomes the best looking dance partner on the floor. PLM drives value from quote-to-cash and helps organizations collaborate effectively, get to market faster, and make more money. What’s not sexy about that? Here are 5 companies that are using PLM to get, and stay ahead. Take a look. I hope it gets you thinking about areas PLM could benefit your business.
1. Lifetime
‘Lifetime is innovation’
Let’s begin with a well-known company, recognized for its’ ability to continually think different and better. “Lifetime invented the first portable basketball hoop and then the first complete basketball system packaged in one box. This simple, yet new concept made basketball systems easy for mass retailers to store and sell, and for consumers to take home” (Lifetime)
What does this have to do with PLM? The answer is everything. Selling the complete basketball system in a box to retailers is what initially launched the growth of the product lifecycle for Lifetime. Product Lifecycle Management allowed Lifetime to quickly develop virtual product prototypes for retailers before the products physically existed. With the use of one system, the company was able to quickly produce prototypes, while developing and shipping the products in time. PLM has expedited this company’s time to market by allowing Lifetime to consolidate databases that control product data. This has ultimately helped leveraged a faster product release.
2. Lenovo
‘A passion for innovation and collaboration’
Lenovo is a $43 billion dollar global technology company with over fifty-two thousand employees. They design, develop, manufacture and sell personal tables, computers, workstations, servers, and electronic storage devices. Currently marketing the ThinkPad line of notebook computers, the company is well known for its versatile devices.
“We test Think systems against 12 military-grade requirements and more than 200 quality checks to ensure they function in extreme conditions. From the arctic wilderness to desert dust storms, from zero-gravity to spills and drops, you can trust ThinkPad and ThinkCentre to handle whatever life throws your way” (Lenovo)
With a vision to be the number one product technology company in the world, Product Lifecycle Management has helped unleash a passion for innovation and collaboration. The PLM system, Windchill, allowed Lenovo to collaborate with their partners. Using one universal system the company has efficiently utilized their design teams located in both Japan and China. You can see how PLM tools have helped Lenovo here.
3. iROBOT
‘Actionable steps to streamline development’
iRobot designs and builds robots that improve quality of life and safety standards worldwide. The company develops some of the world’s most important robots ranging from combat-proven defense to public safety to household cleaning. You might be familiar with iRobot’s products, including the award-winning Roomba® Vacuuming Robot and the Braava® family of mopping robot that have been welcomed into millions of homes around the world. “iRobot is at the forefront of developing technologies in the areas of mapping and navigation, human-robot interaction, and physical solutions.” (IRobot). As they grew IRobot faced challenges from decentralized files and product data. With the use of PLM, iRobot was able to break down the barriers between engineering and operations to save time and reduce costs.
4. Whirlpool
‘Leaders never rest. Leaders transform.’
Over the last 100 years, Whirlpool has grown to become the world’s leading appliance manufacturer. This company continues to lead the market as they improve their ability to collaborate across their global brands. Whirlpool depends on the use of PLM technology to help them overcome challenges by providing a single source of truth for every product, part, and resource throughout the organization. By unifying the entire enterprise, Whirlpool is able to optimize its product development processes and the performance of its engineering teams to create truly global designs that not only meet but also exceed customer needs.
So, sexy? Maybe not. But important, transformational, necessary? Absolutely. How could a single source of product data help your company?
Let’s talk about Windchill System administration services and why they could be crucial to your business’s success.
When it comes to engineering centric products, technology can become a very complicated matter.
Due to the complexity of product data management systems, many things can go wrong if they’re not properly managed.
Here is a list of the common problems you could face if you choose to manage your engineering data management and PLM systems in-house.
1. System downtime
One of the worst problems you may face is extended sessions of Windchill downtime due to technology failures.
For example, it is common to be unaware when your Windchill system is running out of disk space. When this happens, a Windchill system can and will go down.
In many cases, these system instances are easily overlooked without the help of a dedicated Windchill support team.
The reality is, if at anytime your product data management system is not functioning, your company will end up losing money.
Aside from preventing your business from making profits, a Windchill system downtime could lead you to lose access to core systems.
This includes servers and back-end processors, ultimately, preventing you from doing your job. According to a study done by USA Today, 80 percent of managers reported product data management system downtime costs exceeding $50,000 per hour.
2. Windchill System Performance Problems
More than 70 percent of our customers do not perform routine Windchill maintenance.
Without utilizing a Windchill managed services team, you could be missing an opportunity to prevent, find and fix system problems prior to a technology failure.
How are you supposed to know if your PDM system needs more RAM, if you should allocate more resources, or if your Windchill server has been performing slow?
When you have regular performance check-ups, you will be able to improve the overall performance of your business.
Regular Windchill system performance check-ups also help avoid system downtime as you are provided with early warnings of any possible malfunctions that may occur. If a disaster strikes, you can rest easier knowing your business won’t lose any valuable data.
3. Productivity loss
Not only can technology failures prevent your business from making a profit, it can also cripple the productivity of your employees.
I mean nobody wants to hand out free money to those who are just sitting around simply because they are unable to do their job, am I right?
Many times, your IT department may have to work overtime to recover lost data. If the customer perception is affected, a costly marketing campaign may be the only thing to win back customers.
Bottomline, the impact of a Windchill system complication may be worse than you realize and your company could lose the ability for anyone to do work.
4. High-Security risks
Your Windchill system could appear to be running properly, but if it is not protected, your business could experience a security breach. If this happens, it will put your sensitive data at risk.
To help with this, it is important to have multiple layers of security measures in place. If your system is being closely monitored by an Windchill administration team, you will be aware of any inconsistencies.
When you have someone you trust monitoring your Windchill system, you’ll have less to worry about. I truly believe it is better to be safe than sorry when it comes to your company’s data.
By using a Windchill system administration service, you can rest easy knowing you are being taken care of. Plus- while your system is being properly maintained, you will be able to free up your IT department and focus on more important business initiatives.
Want to learn the current health of your Windchill System? With no obligations or any cost – sign up for a Windchill system check-up to have our experts look at your system!
Recently I had an epiphany. It wasn’t the kind of epiphany that changes a life forever and drives someone to become a monk in the Himalayas, but it was an epiphany nonetheless. It had to do with collaboration, data management, reporting, and the way many of our customers inevitably deal with their customers.
For the sake of this blog I’m going to oversimplify the “discrete manufacturing” industry into two categories: Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) and OEM suppliers. Many of our customers supply larger companies. This puts our customers in a unique situation in which they operate their businesses within other people’s timetables. They operate their internal projects within larger projects managed by the end customer. This is where things can get tricky, but I digress…
I was grabbing lunch with a couple friends, colleagues, and long-time engineering veterans when the conversation veered into oncoming traffic. A simple question, “Does anyone have any meetings they need to get back for?” opened up a new line of dialogue. One of the engineers referenced a late afternoon meeting and started talking about the time they waste on redundant meetings with their internal teams and the end customer. Throughout any given week they have status meetings, update meetings, and check-ins on the updates and statuses. Everyone is always trying to stay on top of expectations and progress and it seems like it’s, well, getting in the way of progress!
The other engineer sympathetically chimed in because they both felt the same pain and frustration with the overhead of trying to GSD (Get $#!+ Done!). Throughout the conversation, phrases like “they didn’t hire me to attend meetings” and “I wonder if anyone is adding up how much these meetings cost?” were thrown around. I couldn’t help but think there had to be a better way…in fact, I knew there was a better way. You can dive in and learn more about Knowledge Worker Management and Time Boxing here, but for now I’m going to focus on the tools that can help GSD.
Nowadays the acronyms PDM and PLM have become common terms in the engineering and manufacturing world – Product Data Management and Product Lifecycle Management. These tools can relieve some of the frustration. If a company uses a tool like PTC Windchill to collaborate with customers and internal teams, they can set milestones, see real-time reporting based on work states, and manage changes easily and within clearly defined workflows. They can help provide answers to questions without needing to interrupt the engineering staff.
If you give us a call and a few minutes we can help you understand the return on investment in a legitimate PDM/PLM tool (something other than file folders and shared drives). We can help you figure out how much time and money PTC Windchill can save you – hard numbers that help the bean counters sleep at night. But, it is important to remember there are tangible benefits to improving your collaborative space that go beyond cycle times and promotion requests. Investing in a PDM or PLM tool can free up time for engineers to get back to engineering. An engineer’s lunchtime conversation should focus on the amazing innovations they’re working on. It shouldn’t focus on frustrating meeting-itis. Engineers aren’t cheap. Let’s get them back to work and out of redundant meetings. I think tools like PTC Windchill can help do exactly that.
Today we’re going to talk about the Information Flow subsystem of EAC’s Product Development Operating System.
Pre-1980 there were no IT groups and there were no great numbers of knowledge workers. With the emergence of the computer and the dawning of the information age there was an explosion of IT tools that transformed business systems. In the product development business system these tools initially focused on helping the individual. We had CAD and CAM tools for helping mechanical and electrical engineers. We had tools that applied synthetic annealing to optimize optic design. And we had tools that helped simulate or analyze the designs that came forward.
More recently there’s been an emergence of more complex tools that facilitate product development — Product Data Management, tools for collecting and archiving project information, and a variety of tools that help support decision making in product development.
Product development is a knowledge centric function of the organization, but the topic of knowledge management itself is one that spreads in a lot of directions. If we look at the IT backbone that supports knowledge management; that topic converges on a small number of complex, connectable, but functionally focused IT systems.
We’re all interested in making informed decisions. That being decisions that are supported and influenced by accurate real-time information. This requires the ability to get the appropriate information to the decision maker at the right place, at the right time. This is the goal of the Information Flow subsystem.
This Information Flow subsystem is also a subsystem of your IT system. In both of these systems there are two critical jobs for the subsystem. The first is to support the goals of that system itself. The second is to look at the interaction between this subsystem and the other subsystems within its parent system; those being the IT System and The Product Development Operating System.
Here at EAC we’ve been devising a visual model to help you remember The Product Development Operating System. In this model the Information Flow subsystem is the foundation. It’s so critical that it supports the rest of the system. In knowledge centric product development a strong information flow is critical to inform the decisions that are made in both the Workflow subsystem and the Continuous Improvement subsystem. Without it, we have nothing.
Contact EAC to learn more about how Systems Thinking and the application of our Product Development Operating System can help your organization become more efficient, productive, innovative, and competitive.
