Management Perspective Bridging Islands of Data

Chicago-based S&C Electric Company designs and manufactures switching and protection equipment for electric power transmission and distribution systems. Engineering offices and production facilities are located in Illinois, Wisconsin, California, and Canada. Subsidiaries operate in Brazil and China.

A major challenge in this globally distributed enterprise is getting accurate data quickly to those who need it, whenever they need it, throughout the product lifecycle. Typically, each group is responsible for managing its own information. This kind of autonomy actually causes those within the enterprise to spend large amounts of time searching for information, verifying its accuracy and currency, and converting it to a format that they can use.

Alec Gil, who manages the Engineering Systems team at S&C, says that by using SMARTEAM technology the company is on its way to relieving these problems. In the first stage of implementation, the goal is to manage over 80,000 Solid Edge engineering documents, plus legacy files from other design systems. PDM manages a wide range of information on product structures and relationships between parts and assemblies on multiple product lines, some of the most complex of which contain up to 2,000 components.

As part of its PDM implementation, S&C uses SMARTEAM - Gateway to link SMARTEAM with other applications. Part data and Bill of Materials information is automatically extracted from SMARTEAM and transferred seamlessly to an Oracle ERP system, saving considerable time and eliminating the risk of manual errors. The SMARTEAM – Gateway connection also expedites the handling of ECOs, with design-side modifications reflected immediately in the production change management process. S&C also takes advantage of SMARTEAM - Multi-Site to replicate each location's data and metadata across the enterprise.

Gil says S&C recognizes the procedural benefits of moving data more quickly, with SMARTEAM providing access to data in seconds instead of people spending hours or even days searching through vaults and archives. He says there's efficiency in entering data once and reusing it many times, instead of manually copying it.

He explains that benefits extend far beyond time and cost savings. "We see SMARTEAM as a process solution that enables us to maintain our competitive strength," says Gil. "In that sense, the technology doesn't need to be cost-justified but is rather considered a 'must' in supporting our business objectives and reaching long-term corporate goals."

Canadian Aerospace Supplier Héroux-Devtek Integrates Product Lifecycle Management Solution from IBM and Dassault Systemes

Just 12 weeks into implementation, PLM platform has already improved business collaboration with aerospace manufacturers

IBM and Dassault Systèmes recently announced at the 45th Annual Paris Air show that Héroux-Devtek, a leading Canadian aerospace supplier specializing in landing gear, has selected their Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions to gain efficiencies and align it with customer platforms.

IBM PLM Solutions, with CATIA V5 for collaborative product development and SMARTEAM for collaborative lifecycle management developed by Dassault Systèmes, enables Héroux-Devtek to collaborate more efficiently with aircraft manufacturing customers, such as Boeing and Lockheed Martin, who operate on similar PLM platforms. The new PLM platform also addresses critical capabilities required in the aerospace industry, such as smooth exchange of data and regulatory compliance – including product traceability.

Taking full advantage of the PLM environment, the Héroux-Devtek engineering department will optimize its performance to design, manufacture and build custom-made landing gear and aircraft structural components. The solutions provided by IBM and Dassault Systèmes will provide a seamless flow of information between Héroux-Devtek’s design, production and support business units and those of its customers to further improve productivity and product quality.

"IBM PLM Solutions, with software from Dassault Systèmes, are a natural fit for our aerospace work," said Nagi Homsy, vice president Engineering, Héroux-Devtek. "With the power of PLM, the engineering department can now manage its growth and become a major player in its field."

"The CATIA-SMARTEAM solution enables Héroux-Devtek to involve downstream stakeholders in product development from the earliest phases of each project," said Marcelo Lemos, president of Dassault Systemes of America. "In so doing, the company can leverage its diverse product data and development teams to improve product performance, compress project schedules, and cut costs."

Implementation services, including education and training for product-related functions, are being carried out by IBM Business Consulting Services working with Dassault Systèmes Services as prime contractor and local business partners RAND and Mecanica. The solutions, all running on Windows-based IBM IntelliStation M Pro workstations, are already successfully managing a managing a variety of CAD design files and bills-of-materials.

The next stage of deployment will include linking SMARTEAM to Heroux-Devtek’s existing enterprise resource planning application, furnishing relevant engineering information to manufacturing, finance, marketing and sales.

Héroux-Devtek Inc., a Canadian company, specializes in the design, development, manufacture and repair of aerospace and industrial products. The Company's head office is located in Longueuil, Québec. Héroux-Devtek operates eight business units grouped under four divisions: the Landing Gear Division, the Aerostructure Division, the Gas Turbine Components Division and the Logistics and Defense Division. Approximately 75% of the Company's sales are outside Canada, mainly in the United States.

Koito Manufacturing Cuts Product Development Time with Product Lifecycle Management Solutions from IBM and Dassault Systemes

Automotive lighting equipment leader uses solutions to create revolutionary product development methodology - reduces development cycles substantially

IBM and Dassault Systèmes have announced that Koito Manufacturing has deployed a ground-breaking product development methodology for automotive lighting equipment development using IBM PLM Solutions with software from Dassault Systèmes.

Koito’s powerful PLM platform is made up of IBM and Dassault Systèmes’ CATIA V5 for collaborative virtual product development and SMARTEAM for product data management, along with Dassault Systèmes’ DELMIA for digital manufacturing and processes simulation. These fully integrated applications are the foundation of Koito’s innovative methodology, enabling the company to shorten its development cycle times and improve quality through automated shape design change updates, design error reduction, and assembly simulation and validation.

Koito has been a pioneer in the development of automotive lighting equipment using PLM technology from IBM and Dassault Systèmes since 1985. Koito has oriented its competitive business strategy toward collaborative product development with the goal of increasing process efficiency and product quality for complex projects. The PLM platform provides a collaborative work environment for development teams and partners that increases development efficiency and product quality, spanning the entire development lifecycle from concept and design to manufacturing.

"The business environment for automotive suppliers such as Koito is becoming more challenging due to global competition, shorter time-to-market for vehicle manufacturers, and continued calls for cost reduction," said Shuichi Goto, executive senior managing director of Koito Manufacturing. "In order to maintain and enhance our positioning as a global leader, we needed to transform our business processes. We had to become more agile and flexible to meet and exceed our customers’ demands. PLM technology from IBM and Dassault Systèmes is helping us achieve our goal of becoming the innovative technology pioneer in the automotive lighting industry."

"Koito’s successful implementation of our Solutions is an ideal showcase of the benefits of Dassault Systèmes’ integrated PLM offer," said Etienne Droit, executive vice president of Sales and Marketing, Dassault Systèmes. "Koito uses CATIA V5 and its Knowledge technology to reuse valuable corporate data, SMARTEAM to manage and share engineering data, and DELMIA to define, simulate and validate how the products are built – incorporating manufacturing processes and resources. Since all three solutions are linked through a central Product, Process, Resource (PPR) hub, development teams and partners can collaborate in real time, which is key to maintaining a competitive advantage as the globalization trend continues."

Koito Manufacturing Co Ltd., established in 1936, is a manufacturer of lighting equipment and electrical goods. Operations are carried out through the following divisions: automobile lighting equipment (headlamps, car lamps, all-glass sealed beam lamp units, rear lamps, indicators, high mount stop lamps and halogen bulbs); other lighting equipment and electrical equipment (road traffic signals, traffic control systems, sanitary equipment and control systems for rail transport); other (aircraft lights, hydrodynamic machinery, environmental control systems, air conditioning equipment, various electric applications equipment, various special equipment, transportation, finance & insurance).