We have had a long-standing relationship with a local manufacturing company over the years and are proud to share their success story with the rest of the product development world. PTC Windchill, PTC’s PLM solution, helps Virnig Manufacturing go paperless, streamline operations, and save over 325 hours per year.
What stands out about this case is the fact that the company was able to reduce or eliminate paper trails in all departments in less than one month thanks to a single tool. Why is going paperless such a big deal? Companies go out of their way to eliminate unnecessary processes in order to operate at a maximum efficiency. Most companies will invest in a Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system to streamline the flow of product data through the organization, improve quality and efficiency, and better manage their business. PLM systems organize a company’s product data in one place so there are no obstacles between departments and accurate product, manufacturing, and service information.

Virnig Manufacturing has been designing and producing skid steer attachments for over 27 years. Due to an expanding workforce over the years, Virnig faced a new challenge of organizing the over-flowing piles of critical work documents. Darin Virnig, Engineering and Production Manager, and his team kept all work documents in large red binders throughout the facility and in each department. Due to the recent growth and expansion of the business, Darin needed to find a file management solution.

Download the case study to see how Virnig Manufacturing is leveraging a right-sized PLM solution — PTC Windchill — to overcome some of their biggest challenges.

If you don’t have PLM in your organization at all, reach out to us. We have a team of experts ready to answer any questions you may have. They would love understand your situation and the benefits of implementing PLM in your organization.

Click above or watch the video 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?

Managing a new enterprise system can be a daunting task. It can test your staff’s knowledge bases and affect the top and bottom line of your business. That being said, many companies have invested in some sort of PLM or PDM tool (learn more about what ERP, MRP, PLM, and PDM are in this post). This post is for everyone that has invested in a PLM/PDM tool and wants to make sure they’re getting the most out of the investment.

Here are five signs it is time to invest in PLM consulting.

1. You use your PLM /PDM system solely for data management 

Many people purchase PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) systems and struggle to use them to their full potential.

They relegate these amazing systems to simple file vaults.

But, they paid for so much more.

If you’re implementing a PLM tool and use it as a  data vault, you’ve essentially taken on 100% of the investment to recognize 20% of the benefit.

Without full understanding and utilization of your PLM system, you’re missing the opportunity to capture the main benefits of these investments.

When fully implemented and adopted, these systems integrate people, data, processes and much more.

2. You don’t fully understand your PLM system 

I hope none of you that relate to this point think I’m calling you dumb.

PLM is just…a lot.

A good analogy is a car.

We all understand the basics; four wheels, seats, steering wheel, engine.

It is obvious why I want a car, the benefits are clear to me.

That doesn’t mean I know how to troubleshoot, install, and maintain an ignition system.

It is not uncommon to have the wrong idea of PLM system complexity.

They do a lot: data management, process management, lifecycle change, and much more.

This could be why 70 percent of PLM investments are failing to meet manager expectations.

When PLM systems are implemented correctly, they allow your company to further maximize productivity.

3. You Find Yourself Re-Inventing the Wheel

Product lifecycle management solutions are enterprise level systems.

When you attempt to utilize optional configurations, they become complex quickly.

Due to this, many companies find themselves reinventing the wheel around correct PLM configurations.

When this happens, you are only taking more steps backward.

This can easily be avoided with the help of a knowledgeable PLM consultant who is familiar with your situation and has the ability to direct you down the right path.

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4. You have multiple issues with PLM system stability 

With so many companies investing large amounts of money into PLM enterprise systems, it is important for them to be working correctly.

If your PLM system is continually going down or needs to be restarted, this is another sign you should look into PLM consulting.

A product lifecycle management consultant with experience could locate and diagnose the root cause of your PLM system’s problems, allowing your company to avoid them in the future.

5. Your users complain about general PLM system usability

If your team is constantly complaining about the general performance and interaction on of your PLM interface, odds are that your system hasn’t been properly configured.

Complaints are one thing, but an inability to address the cause and improve user’s situation— that can have a dramatic impact on employee satisfaction and productivity.

User complaints are typically symptoms of larger PLM issues.

An experienced PLM admin can typically decode user feedback and develop a plan to dramatically improve productivity and UX.

The need for ongoing product lifecycle management system administration and maintenance is often overlooked by many companies.

For PLM systems to properly evolve, it is important to partner with system experts who can help your business succeed.



Free Windchill System Check-Up

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!


Product lifecycle management (PLM) is a more complex ideology than what meets the eye. Many companies assume that IT departments should be responsible for PLM although this should be reconsidered. For example, you wouldn’t have your engine rebuilt at a place that specializes in oil changes. This same logic applies to PLM systems for numerous reasons. Here are five reasons why IT departments shouldn’t internally manage your PLM systems. 

1. PLM is not an IT specialty 

“This is not something I learned in school.”

Just because your IT department is educated and certified does not guarantee they will follow the best system practices and the most cost-effective maintenance. After all, PLM systems are engineering-centric. They are complicated and unrelated to any marketable IT certification.

In order to support these systems, a great level of expertise, specialized knowledge and know-how is required. Ultimately, these systems are complicated because they require information outside of your technology department’s core focus.


2. IT Departments are unfamiliar with PLM 

 “I don’t know anything about it.”

Once again, let’s look at this in a completely different perspective. Imagine you are in critical condition and a specialized piece of equipment is needed for your survival. Would you let a nurse perform this task without proper training and experience?

Similarly, your IT department does not want to be held responsible for a system they know virtually nothing about. These enterprise systems are different in comparison to the products they are trained to maintain. In order to uphold a stable environment, many PLM systems require extensive knowledge and management. If your IT department is unfamiliar with your PLM, you could be jeopardizing the top and bottom line of your business.


 3. IT departments are understaffed

“We are a small team with an entire company to support.”

According to a recent study, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported companies having an average of 4.2 individuals in every IT department. In larger companies, there is on average 11.9 IT staff supporting more than 500 employees. In smaller companies, less than 3 IT professionals are left to support around 250 employees.

Despite the increasing complexity of the IT business function, IT departments have remained small. Many of these departments are even lacking the resources needed to employ help desk technicians and system administrators. If this is the case, who is watching over your specialized PLM system?


4.  IT departments don’t have enough time 

“There is not enough time in the day.”

Fixing end-user issues and general day-to-day activities take up a considerable amount of time for any IT department. Their labor resources are only able to stretch so far.

Aside from keeping up with their extensive workload, many find it next to impossible to avoid larger projects from being delayed. Performing proper maintenance and implementing any new software is out of the question. This leaves the enterprise environment to suffer, and in most cases, fail.


5. IT departments are unable to give recommendations 


“I’m not sure how to do proper system maintenance.”

Accurately running and managing PLM systems involves a high level of patchwork. When problems arise and improvements are needed, many IT professionals are unable to make recommendations due to their limited experience and expertise. Unlike trained professionals, your IT department has limited knowledge and understanding of the diverse environmental factors that should be utilized during implementation. When a system goes down an IT department is forced to relearn everything. This results in longer maintenance. Instead of knowing the ins and outs of PLM systems, an IT department struggles to properly fix the issue.

As you can see, managing a PLM system is no walk in the park. In order to have a high rate of success with these systems, one must have an active approach in place. Despite the persistent idea of reducing costs by internally managing systems, companies often find themselves wasting time and decreasing the chance of success. The reality is, it is just not that simple.


 

 

 


In last week’s post I walked through a manufacturing use case without Product Lifecycle Management (PLM). I hope you noticed the possible issues and costs related to restricting Manufacturing direct access to PLM and engineering data.

If you missed last weeks post, you can read it here:

Product Lifecycle Management in Manufacturing: Part 1

This week I will use the same use case story. The only difference will be manufacturing has access to PLM. I have also included manufacturing specific modules, which are run through PLM as well. Manufacturing has access to these modules and uses them for all Manufacturing planning.

As before, Engineering completes a new product design and starts a release process of the product in PLM. One major difference now, is Manufacturing personnel are included at appropriate points in the new release process. There is a full integration between PLM and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems as well. This integration allows for automatic transfer of the Manufacturing Bill of Materials (BoM) to Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) when appropriate based on processes managed in PLM.

One thing to note on the outline below; each system task, since it is in PLM, has links to all the required information engineering released as well as any supporting information. This is including manufacturing information, customer specification, and supplier specifications on purchased parts.

Part 1: Release Process

The lead Manufacturing Engineer receives a PLM task asking him to begin manufacturing planning for this associated new products design.

Part 2: Manufacturing Planning

The manufacturing engineer begins the layout of manufacturing processes in the PLM Manufacturing Planning System. This includes planning at each work cell. Each cell is linked to required resources, parts, CAD data, and manufacturing documents required to complete that cell action. With the correct system, this will have included all metrics required to properly and completely plan a manufacturing process.

If required, a Manufacturing BoM is based off of, and linked to, the Design BoM. This allows the Manufacturing Engineer to restructure the BoM as needed to allow for the most efficient manufacturing processes without losing ties to the design BoM and parts the manufacturing BoM was created from.

Once complete, work instructions can be created in web form or be printed to paper from this plan. The work instructions would include links to the correct Engineering data and required manufacturing documentation.

Part 3: Release Process Continues

Once the Manufacturing Engineer completes their planning tasks, all required parts and Manufacturing BoMs, are automatically added and/or updated into the ERP system via an integration to PLM.

During this same process, PLM system tasks are sent to purchasing to start the procurement process.

Tasks are also sent to the tooling designers to start tooling generation.

As mentioned, these tasks are automatically linked to all the required engineering and manufacturing information to appropriately complete each task.

Part 4: Tooling and Controls Tasks

Tooling designers access PLM to generate their tooling data and controlling programs directly from engineering 3D data.

The resulting CAD and other tooling data are also saved to the PLM system. This data is linked to Engineering data, Manufacturing data, and the Manufacturing process plan.

Machining paths and other controlling programs generated are also created and saved to PLM with the same functionality mentioned above.

Having these links from manufacturing to engineering data allows for full impact analyses of any potential changes being planned for the product by the company. As well as insures all downstream data is updated appropriately when an engineering change does occur.

Part 5: In-Process Change by Engineering

While ramp up is happening, Engineering makes a last-minute change. Once the change is complete in Engineering, they start a change process that includes all downstream departments. Each department receives a PLM system task with the all required information related to the change linked to the task. This includes purchasing, manufacturing, tooling, etc. Each department acts upon the change, completing all internal department actions required.

Once all of the departments have completed their tasks in PLM, the change has been completed. Manufacturing ramp up continues leading into the initial manufacturing process.

Part 6: Issue Tracking and Correction During Manufacturing

During the initial manufacturing process, a manufacturing team member notices there is a clearance issue with the design. The team member verbally notifies their cell leader of this issue. The cell leader creates a change request in the PLM System. During that process, he creates a digital markup that is saved with the change request. The change request is created referencing the engineering data the issue is related to.

The engineer responsible receives a PLM system task notifying of this problem. The engineer takes the needed corrective actions and updates the CAD data. This CAD data is then revised released and included in the problem report.

The cell leader receives the notification the problem report was approved and corrected. The updated CAD data is included, the cell leader and the manufacturing floor team member can now reference the new data directly from PLM and make the needed correction.

This happens many times during the initial manufacturing process. The necessary PLM processes are initiated based on the issues found during the initial manufacturing run.

Manufacturing uses PLM to gain access to engineering data because it always references the latest released information. This insures nothing is made from outdated information.

Part 7: Final Product Release

The final product is released to the customer.

All as-built information has been saved in PLM, meaning most of the related engineering data has been changed via the PLM process capturing changes. Anything that hasn’t been corrected yet is also saved via electronic markups to be processed later.

Part 8: Another Manufacturing Run

One year later, the company needs to do a manufacturing run on this same product. However, they have a large turnover with their manufacturing employees. Only a few people are there that worked on the first production run of this product. Without the use of PLM, this could be a disaster. However, all as-built changes where captured in PLM for the first production run of this product and manufacturing is still using PLM to access all build information. This allows manufacturing the ability to properly prepare for the next run. This resulted in very few, if any, issues during the next production run.

Hopefully it is easy to see the benefits of giving manufacturing direct access to PLM, even based on this limited use case example.

There are many benefits to utilizing PLM in manufacturing. Much more than is appropriate to list in a blog. If you’d like to take a deeper dive, please contact one of our experts here at EAC. We would love to talk you through all the benefits PLM utilized in manufacturing could offer you.

In the meantime, reading our eBook, “Designing an Effective Change Control Process” may be helpful. We walk you through how to design a change control process to improve productivity and reduce quality issues.

Designing an Effective Change Control Process: Download eBook