The process of managing the entire lifecycle of a product from initial idea scribbled in the back of a notebook to eventual release is incredibly complex. It therefore stands to reason that manufacturers need the best, freshest tools if they’re to get products to market efficiently.
The PLM industry has had a problem.
In today's world of evolving product complexity, especially with smart, connected products, product development processes themselves need to evolve. Companies must now manage a complete product definition, including all aspects of electronic, mechanical and software. This definition must be understood across all disciplines contributing to product development. It must be understood and viewed across the entire lifecycle, from to release to obsolete.
We're all used to instant, intuitive apps on our phones, which can be downloaded and used without training. Well why not have the same experience for PLM? Having ready access to information is especially important for product development companies where product-related information is their most valuable asset.
Manufacturers have unprecedented opportunities to add value to their customers. At the same time, these opportunities are making their world more complex. Now, products are going to exist on the product itself. But they may also exist in the cloud and in the app that someone has on their phone. All of a sudden, this idea of product development becomes more interesting and more complex.
Groundbreaking, innovative and industry defining; Windchill 11 is the first smart, connected PLM system. Windchill 11features easy access to powerful data for everyone – across the entire product lifecycle. It enables you to maximise productivity, quality and service. From design to manufacturing, to deployment, and back, Windchill 11 is smart, giving you easier and more efficient PLM access to drive collaboration and innovation.
Businesses are demanding more than ever before from engineering. And, as the Internet of Things (IoT) becomes more and more prevalent in our manufacturing processes, our approaches to managing product development needs to adapt too. Smart, connected products are more complex to design, build and service. So multiple teams are expected to collaborate on the design stage before the product is even created. Through integrated and connected systems, teams are expected to provide faster time to market. How can this all be achieved? It requires a modern approach to product lifecycle management.
The term “calm technologies” refers to the applications that cut down on digital noise for high-volume data. This means the user only views information that is relevant to a task, increasing their focus. The engineering and manufacturing world traditionally operates with software that was noisy. But now quiet solutions are gaining momentum. The new era of calm technologies is the idea that we reduce distractions to our workflow without losing any functionality.
If you’re like most manufacturers out there, you’re now creating and producing more designs than ever before. This inevitably means you now have more design data and more complexity, which needs to be managed. So what can you do to make sure this doesn't become unmanagable?
It's that time of year to review what resonated most with you over the last 12 months.