With version 9.3, PROSTEP will be presenting the second major release of its OpenPDM platform for PLM integration, migration and collaboration this year. The main focus of its further development was, on the one hand, placed on improving connectivity to the ALM and ERP world and, on the other hand, enhancing the user-friendliness of the interfaces and reporting functions.
PROSTEP is currently developing a new connector to the application lifecycle management (ALM) platform codebeamer – the result of close collaboration between the ALM vendor Intland and our subsidiary BHC, which specializes in ALM/PLM solutions for electronics and software development. It is intended that the connector be released for OpenPDM 9.3 this year. The new version also includes connectors to the ALM solutions Polarion from Siemens and PTC Windchill RV&S (formerly known as PTC Integrity), to the ERP system from IFS, to the Primavera P6 software from Oracle, and to Cameo Teamwork Cloud from Dassault Systèmes. The Windchill connector has been extended and now also supports PTC Windchill’s REST interface.
New and further developments include further improvement of the export functions and the logic of the connectors to ensure that large data structures can be exported more easily and with a higher level of performance. It is also easier for users to respond to infrastructure problems and trigger automatic retry without administrator support. The mechanism can be managed more finely.
The new semantic check for Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) offers developers much better support when it comes to defining processes for data synchronization. If inconsistencies are identified, they are alerted to potential problems before the first test run with test data.
The representation of the process history has also been significantly improved, which is especially helpful when dealing with a large number of processes. They are displayed in the process report in graphical form, thus making it easier for developers to navigate the graphs and interact with the processes.
The file service in OpenPDM 9.3 now also supports the integration of cloud-native solutions such as AWS S3 buckets. In the context of Infrastructure as Code deployment, new and improved templates are available for automatically rolling out OpenPDM in an AWS or MS Azure virtual private cloud. Support is provided for the container solutions Elastic Container Services (ECS) and Elastic Kubernetes Services (EKS) from AWS, as well as Azure Kubernetes Services (AKS). Deployment can be carried out with proprietary languages like CDK as well as with Terraform.
Downstream processes in shipbuilding require early and bidirectional integration between the PDM and ERP systems used in product development, production planning and production. This was one of the key messages of the third episode of our PROSTEP SHIPBUILDING PLM INSIGHTS webinar series, in which we presented different PDM-ERP integration scenarios to participants.
Product development and realization requirements differ in all industries, which is why companies generally use different IT systems to manage product structures, 3D models, drawings, etc., and material data, routings and manufacturing bills of material. Shipyards are no exception. However, they have special requirements for the adaptability of PDM-ERP integrations because manufacturing processes vary from shipyard to shipyard and sometimes from site to site. In addition, many shipyards use homegrown ERP systems because commercial solutions did not initially cover all their needs.
The main challenge in PDM-ERP integration in shipbuilding is to synchronize the different structures of engineering and manufacturing BOM (Bill of Material) in parallel and bidirectionally, as PLM Consultant Nils Sonnenberg said. He explained the different integration requirements to participants, using the example of purchased and in-house manufactured parts. “We need the development data early in the ERP system to use it for supplier communication, for example, and to better estimate delivery times.” Design options for parts manufactured in-house would also need to be regularly checked against the master record in the ERP system to ensure that the user is only using approved parts.
How shipyards should handle the challenge of needing multiple MBOMs for different locations was one of the interesting questions in the webinar’s closing Q&A session. In other industries, companies use the option of creating a generic MBOM already in the PDM system and only then transferring it to the sites’ ERP systems, Sonnenberg said. But there can be no general answer to the question because it depends, among other things, on whether the company in question has the MBOMs created at the sites on site or at a central location.
On the other hand, the question posed by another participant as to what the ideal combination of PDM and ERP systems for shipbuilding is, and whether shipyards and their design partners should use the same systems, could be answered clearly: There is no such thing as the ideal combination. More important than the question of which systems to use is how to integrate them so that collaboration works. Thanks to powerful integration platforms, this is no longer a technical problem. Helping companies integrate their heterogeneous IT system landscapes is one of our core competencies.
In total, more than 50 interested parties attended the two live presentations on PDM-ERP integration. If you missed the third episode of the webinar, you can watch the recording here. In the fourth episode, at the request of the participants, we will hold a demo session about episode 1-3 topics. We will inform you about the date and agenda in time if you register right here.
PROSTEP is bringing a lean, smart web application for generating digital threads to market: OpenCLM ensures data transparency across domain boundaries and makes it possible for everyone involved to trace deliverables and decisions. This makes it easier for companies to get to grips with complex development projects and respond agilely to new requirements.
Ensuring end-to-end digitalization (digital thread) across different domains involves a considerable amount of effort on the part of those responsible in companies today. Data is typically distributed across a large number of data silos and has to be collated and linked manually. OpenCLM significantly reduces the amount of time and effort this involves. The software creates a directed web of relationships between the information objects in the individual domains. This makes it possible to locate information in heterogeneous system landscapes, record and analyze correlations and statuses, generate reports automatically and meet compliance requirements.
OpenCLM creates digital threads throughout the entire product lifecycle, providing support for a variety of different use cases. Looking forward, the application is used to manage project progress, monitor the quality and compliance of the project results, and communicate changes across domains. Looking backwards, it allows impact analyses, defect management and helps meet traceability requirements in the context of audits.
With OpenCLM, we are not offering our customers a new super PDM but rather a lightweight web application that merely links the information objects in the domain systems and provides users with the information they need to perform their work. We want to help them exploit the potential of the digital thread without them having to change their IT landscapes or processes.”
Our new digital thread application connects heterogeneous system landscapes (PDM/PLM, ERP, ALM (Application Lifecycle Management), etc.) via our proven OpenPDM integration platform and supplements them with additional integration and function modules. Its core functions include the integration of process and project management, maturity validation, the planning of milestones and deliverables (tasks), the coordination of cross-domain changes, and the generation and management of trace links and configurations.
OpenCLM makes it possible to link data and documents from different source systems instead of replicating them while at the same time giving due consideration to process requirements. The links are independent of the IT systems used and remain unchanged even when switching to a new system. The linked data objects are displayed with metadata such as status, change date, owner, etc. in a clear and concise cockpit, so that they can be easily compared with other data statuses.
So-called baselines can be created for milestones, given points in time, etc. in order to record certain information. If required, they can also be exported, exchanged or archived in standardized formats. Reusable project and process templates ensure consistent and compliant project and product documentation, as required for certification purposes for example.
More information about OpenCLM and the supported use cases can be found on our homepage or in the new white paper.
PROSTEP is collaborating with Intland Software, the company that developed the application lifecycle management (ALM) platform codebeamer, on developing a new OpenPDM connector. It will make it possible for Intland customers to easily and quickly connect their ALM solution to PLM systems or other enterprise applications using our integration platform OpenPDM.
The motivation behind the partnership between the two companies is the increasing proportion of software in smart products and the customers’ need to better integrate software developers and their tools in the overall product development process. Tighter links between ALM and PLM systems is required to achieve end-to-end digitalization across different domains. PROSTEP is taking account of this fact by expanding its OpenPDM integration platform to include standard connectors to leading ALM platforms such as codebeamer. The ALM solution is becoming increasingly popular in, for example, the automotive industry.
The OpenPDM product suite and preconfigured solution packages make it possible for users to implement use cases and application scenarios for the digital thread with a manageable effort. The integration platform already has connectors to all leading PLM and ERP systems and to other enterprise applications, e.g. for requirements management. At the same time, it provides the basis for OpenCLM, our new solution for establishing end-to-end digitalization across domains. In combination with the market leading ALM solution, it lays the foundation for integrating the PLM backbone, requirements management, systems engineering modeling and software repository in one central platform.
Nowadays, manufacturing industry uses highly complex IT systems to develop equally highly complex products that include an increasing number of electronic and software components. However, the attempt to cast out the devil of complexity with complex PLM solutions is increasingly being stretched to the limit. If users are to get to grips with this complexity, they need applications that are as innovative as they are easy to use.
The key to mastering complexity is end-to-end digitalization from development to manufacturing through to operation and back again. This means that the operational data that is normally collected and evaluated on IoT platforms needs to be linked to the development objects and manufacturing information. Only then can the interrelationships and dependencies be made transparent for all the domains involved at all times.
The ability to weave this digital thread without allowing it to break during the product lifecycle is an essential prerequisite for the traceability of deliverables and development processes. Without this traceability, companies are unable to respond agilely to new market and customer requirements. This means that the digital thread is becoming key driver of competition in times of global unpredictability, which is characterized by volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity.
Manufacturing companies must position themselves strategically if they are to master the digital thread. To succeed, they need a strategic overall concept for ensuring end-to-end digitalization, which is or should be an integral part of any sustainable PLM strategy.
As a result of the pandemic, this year’s prostep ivip Symposium was once again held on screen. PROSTEP was nevertheless able to make a major contribution to the virtual event with its many offerings relating to digital product development and manufacturing. Our experts showed what they are made of with a wide range of presentations that have been made available to view on-demand on the symposium’s virtual platform.
Colorful shoes, passion and 100% commitment are what characterize Steven Vettermann, our expert in the field of traceability, a topic that received particular attention during the symposium. In recognition of his valuable work in ensuring the successful development of the Association and the symposium, he was made honorary member by the board. For many years, Vettermann was general manager of the prostep ivip Association and contributed greatly to driving its expansion in Asia.
But Vettermann’s involvement was not limited to accepting this honorary membership. In a humorous “Late Night Innovation Show”, he and other speakers gave participants a better understanding of his favorite topic, traceability, and explained how they can help make the complexity involved easier to manage.
Despite the pandemic, PROSTEP has gained a large number of new customer projects in recent months and steered other projects to a successful conclusion. Some examples of these can be seen on the symposium’s digital platform.
In his presentation, Frank Brandstetter, accompanied by a speaker representing the customer, explains the reasons for implementing an agile process model in the development of Daimler’s PDM landscape and describes the associated challenges, in particular with regard to harmonizing working methods.
Carsten Zerbst reports on the implementation of a new toolset for designing complex cruise ships at the MEYER Werft shipyards in Papenburg and Turku, which combines the Dassault Systèmes 3DEXPERIENCE platform and the CADMATIC shipbuilding software. Our technology works in the background to ensure seamless integration of the system landscape.
In his presentation on “PLM Cloudification”, Mirko Theiss presents a project for migrating an existing on-premises data supply solution to the cloud. It is based on the new version of our OpenPDM integration platform, which is made available on the AWS cloud stack. This is the first example of a customer using OpenPDM in the cloud.
On the digital platform, we present not only interesting customer projects but also report on our involvement in research projects and the project work performed by the prostep ivip Association. For example, Josip Stjepandic familiarizes participants with a fully automated tool for creating digital twins for production systems, which can be used for the planning and analysis of facilities or for in-process monitoring. The solution was developed as part of the DigiTwin joint project. It is based on the use of 3D scan data, which is analyzed using object recognition and converted into simulation data.
The Association’s working groups have not been idle over the last months, as the presentations from the live event and the contributions available on the platform make clear. Our employees have made a major contribution to these efforts.
Together with other participants from the DDP project group, Torsten Schmied informs participants about the development status of the digital data package. DDP is a type of metastandard for the exchange of configured, linked engineering data and is intended to permit the creation of a cross-enterprise digital thread.
Andreas Trautheim and his colleagues from the Project Schedule Management (PSM) project group provide an overview of the progress being made in the field of cross-enterprise project management. The group defines processes, methods and interfaces for schedule management synchronization for companies that use waterfall, agile or hybrid project methodologies.
The aim of the Production Lifecycle Information Management (PLIM) working group, of which Stefan Just is a member, is to bridge the gap between the heterogeneous data sources involved in production process planning using a generic information model. In another presentation, Just reports on the work of the Additive Manufacturing Interfaces (AMI) project group, which is developing a specific data model and uniform semantics for the transfer of data for additive manufacturing processes.
The activities carried out by the Integrated Collaboration Framework (ICF) project group are explained by our colleague Tamara Hofmann. Among her other tasks, she is concerned with the development of a cross-domain ontology for interdisciplinary collaboration together with guidelines as to how this shared conceptualization can be implemented in companies.
The presentations from the live event and the specialist contributions in the platform’s on-demand library will be available online to symposium participants until 30 June.
What does PLM strategy look like in a world characterized by volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA)? This was the key question addressed at the first PROSTEP CONSULTING DAY. In three live sessions, those participating learned how our capability-based PLM strategy consulting helps them master the challenges posed by digitalization.
It was the first time that we had organized the PROSTEP CONSULTING DAY. The coronavirus pandemic meant that the premiere had to take place online. We consider the high level of participation confirmation of our concept. The participants attended three sessions with different topics that were held at different times and professionally moderated by Julia Bauer. A quick online survey indicated that approximately 35 percent of those attending were from the automotive industry, followed by 16 percent from the mechanical and plant engineering industry.
In the first session, Dr. Martin Strietzel, head of Strategy and Processes, discussed together with colleagues the topics of the future that are of interest to the manufacturing industry and the challenges that digitalization poses to companies. The hype surrounding digitalization stems the fact that we now have at our disposal the technical capabilities required to utilize it in engineering, in the context of Industry 4.0 and for service purposes. However, an effective digitalization strategy is needed to respond to unforeseen events in an appropriate manner, said Strietzel. “The best answer to VUCA is VUCA, in other words vision, understanding, clarity and agility.”
PROSTEP believes that the digital product lifecycle, with focus on the digital twin, is a key element for getting to grips with the challenges posed in these times of VUCA. One of these challenges, especially for midsized companies, is the internationalization of development and production, said lead expert Peter Wittkop. Without a digital thread, there will always be incompatibilities due to the fact that the changes made to products and tools locally are not communicated systematically. This is why configuration management is becoming increasingly important. “In this context, configuration management refers to the traceability of product information, both horizontally throughout the product lifecycle and also vertically in terms of analyzing the impact that changes have on other domains.”
Companies are not only wrestling with internationalization but also with the transition from what was once a mechanical product to software-based systems, which entails further challenges such as interdisciplinary collaboration or digital validation and verification. Traceability is a key capability that makes it possible to start testing against product requirements early, said senior consultant Christian Buehler.
Complexity as a driver of digitalization
Increasing product complexity is a major driver of digitalization, as the customer presentation by Theegarten-Pactec made clear. The packaging machines for confectionery that the midsized company manufactures have, over the course of the past few decades, developed into complex mechatronic systems with a high proportion of electronics and software. The company is tackling topics like requirements management, systems engineering, agile software development and traceability to ensure that it can maintain its productivity and flexibility in the face of increasing complexity. PROSTEP is helping Theegarten-Pactec improve interaction between IT systems and processes and find an appropriate development plan for the application landscape.
Not only security but also PLM and ALM (application lifecycle management), the digital twin and digital continuity are the topics that are currently of greatest importance to companies. Digital business models are a key driver for the implementation of digital twin concepts, as senior consultant Dr. Lars Wagner explained using a number of different examples.
Digitalization also presents the IT organizations in the companies with new challenges. They have to provide the best possible support for the development of smart, connected products and interaction between disciplines by means of a shared development space, as senior consultant Marc Dreesen pointed out. To do this, the role played by IT in companies needs to be expanded. It must be seen as a proactive innovator that provides new solution concepts rather than merely a reactive service provider.
Customers’ specific needs, product features and business models are increasingly software-driven, as Dr. Steven Vettermann, Manager PLM VV, said during the second CONSULTING DAY session. “Therefore, if you want to be a winner, you need to master the creation of value with software.” The key achieving this is the combination of MBSE and ALM. PROSTEP is familiar with the strengths of the individual solutions and provides customers with support during strategic realignment and the introduction of new tools for ensuring traceability.
Concepts for end-to-end digitalization
In the second session, we presented solutions and concepts that help customers get to grips with end-to-end digitalization. PLM is not an entirely new technology, but it is the key to end-to-end digitalization and provides the basis for the digital twin, said principal consultant Dr. Mario Leber. An important aspect of the PLM concept is managing the different types of BOMs. In addition, cross-domain issues such as project and change management also need to be taken into account. And there are hot topics such as requirements management, which according to the survey is an important part of their PLM concepts for three quarters of the participants, as well as the topic validation and verification.
The challenge when it comes to requirements management is ensuring end-to-end digitalization both vertically between customer requirements and technical requirements as well as horizontally between the requirements of the individual disciplines, as the presentation by consultant Veronica Haber made clear. Her colleague, Kim Steinkirchner, explained the different steps involved in verification and validation from component through to system level. Relationships can only be identified if the relevant data sets are linked together consistently. That is the main purpose of PLM.
“The cloud, low-code, ALM – just how disruptive is PLM?” This is this question that Martin Strietzel attempted to answer. The biggest disruption is caused by PLM itself, he said, because the product lifecycle now encompasses a number of new topics, such as the Internet of Things for example, which plays an important role in the context of connecting service and feeding back information gathered in the field. But is that still PLM? Many PLM vendors have recognized the importance of IoT and have acquired companies or developed their own IoT platforms, said Strietzel. The increasingly dynamic nature of the market is due to the fact that the IoT market, for example, is ten times the size of the PLM market.
When it comes to SaaS or multi-tenant applications, the cloud is still underrepresented in PLM environments. This is gradually changing because companies’ confidence in terms of security has grown, said senior consultant Marc Dreesen. At the same time users have become more willing to adhere more closely to standards, while vendors have improved the adaptability and integration capabilities of cloud applications thanks to low-code and integration-as-a-service offerings. Almost everyone now has a cloud strategy, but their offerings are sometimes difficult to compare, which is why PROSTEP has created a corresponding checklist.
Capability-based procedural model
In addition to the ability of companies to change, also with regard to new business models, the future viability of their PLM architectures will be a major challenge in the coming years, said Peter Wittkop at the start of the third CONSULTING DAY session. The strategic combination of a methodological approach and PROSTEP’s wide-ranging PLM-specific know-how will be helpful when it comes to mastering these challenges together. Capability-based strategy development is used to achieve medium and long-term objectives, but it must also be able to respond in an agile manner when the objectives change.
Martin Strietzel and consultant Manuel Ratte explained to participants what PROSTEP’s capability-based procedural model looks like and how it relates to corporate strategy. In the context of enterprise architecture management, PROSTEP understands the PLM architecture to be a multi-layer model that examines processes, data integration and the applications based on a company’s objectives. The consultants use the construct ‘PLM capabilities’, which maps all the PLM-specific topics relevant to the product lifecycle, to make it easier to address the requirements on the three levels. The participant survey indicated that the PLM capabilities that pose a particular challenge to companies are requirements management, product structure management, configuration management and change management.
The capability-based procedural model is one of the core elements of PROSTEP’s consulting approach. As Manuel Ratte explained, the consultants define the actual and target statuses based on the PLM capabilities and in combination with the maturity model. They provide the basis for developing overall concepts regarding the required PLM capabilities, which are then merged to create a target architecture. Based on this vendor-neutral architecture, the consultants evaluate the potential systems and recommend the suitable solutions to the customers. During roll-out planning, they then determine together with the customers how the transition to the new world should be implemented.
Clear documentation of the requirements
Using a number of different examples, Mario Leber explained the work results and the concrete benefits that a capabilities-based consulting approach offers. Of particular value to customers is, on the one hand, the digital maturity analysis, an efficient methodology for classifying the individual subprojects and defining the digital roadmap. It is based on an assessment of the actual and target scenarios or a gap analysis of the PLM capabilities. On the other hand, customers could use PROSTEP’s requirements specification template to document and communicate all their requirements efficiently, individually and transparently.
One customer that has taken advantage of PROSTEP’s capability-based PLM strategy consulting services within the framework of a comprehensive PLM and SLM (systems lifecycle management) initiative is thyssenkrupp Presta AG. In an interview, project manager Klaus Brandner explained the project’s objectives and the challenges it poses and how PROSTEP is helping the company tackle them. The external consultants were particularly important during the orientation phase, when the diverse requirements of the departments involved needed to be harmonized. Their support, he said, made it possible to get to grips with this demanding task. “The most important contribution that PROSTEP made was to put an end to the stakeholders’ anxiety regarding the new topics.”
PROSTEP not only provides customers with advice when defining their PLM strategy, but also helps them with implementation. At the end of CONSULTING DAY, Peter Wittkop explained the further course of action to the participants. The aim is to implement the project objectives step by step to quickly achieve partial successes and exploit the benefits. This is why PROSTEP believes that an agile approach has proven its worth. Personal relationships and mutual trust provide the basis for collaboration in consulting projects.
If you would like to learn more about the challenges posed by digitalization and PROSTEP’s capability-based consulting approach, you will find the videos of the three sessions here. (Please note, the videos are only available in German.)
During the last year, PROSTEP gave a boost to the development of the OpenPDM SHIP integration platform. The functionality was expanded in several areas, such as interfaces with CADMATIC and ShipConstructor or NAPA and NESTIX conversions. Continuous development of expertise in shipbuilding-specific software solutions remained high on our agenda.
OpenPDM SHIP is an integration platform designed specifically for the shipbuilding industry that connects shipbuilding-specific CAD/PDM/PLM and ERP solutions and mechanical CAD applications via standardized connectors. The product was launched as development evolved from numerous customer projects, where we tackled similar needs from the shipyards. The COVID pandemic slowed down the progress of customer projects but created a unique opportunity for development to leap forward and expand the functionality of the solution.
New connectors to CADMATIC, AVEVA E3D
OpenPDM SHIP connector with CADMATIC WebAPI offers new opportunities and more flexibility for data access. Besides outfitting model data access, it enables hull data accessibility for the CADMATIC Hull COS version. Additional functionality was added for CADMATIC eShare connector to integrate 3D visualization and collaboration platform with data stored in PDM systems, such as approval, procurement, or delivery status information or other data.
Another significant development currently under construction is the new connector to Everything3D (E3D), the successor system to AVEVA Marine. With a customer already using the system productively, we are working on an OpenPDM SHIP E3D connector that will initially cover the transfer of the outfitting data. Further steps will expand the interface to support E3D Hull in the future.
Additional functionality for CAD conversions
We have made significant progress in the native generation of ShipConstructor data from third-party applications such as NAPA. A corresponding API from SSI, which is still under development and is constantly being extended, enables generating or regenerating parts of the hull or steel structure natively in ShipConstructor.
OpenPDM SHIP supports the mapping of data and structures from ShipConstructor for production engineering with NESTIX, which is used at numerous shipyards for planning the cutting and welding work packages. Previously released functionality for the CAD/CAM process chain worked consistently between AVEVA Marine and NESTIX.
The agile approach to continuous development
The nature of OpenPDM SHIP lies in integration capability between many shipbuilding-specific CAx systems and PDM solutions. It requires deep expertise in exchange formats and integration technology and close cooperation with CAD software development companies. Keeping internal knowledge at a high level is one of the priorities for PROSTEP’s R&D teams.
The robustness and quality of OpenPDM SHIP have further improved because the development of the integration platform for the shipbuilding industry is now more closely aligned with the general development of the OpenPDM platform. We synchronize the sprints of SHIP development with the sprints of the general OpenPDM development. Our integration platform thus fits seamlessly into the product family.
January saw the launch of the joint project “ICT-enabled model-based impact analysis in product development”, or ImPaKT for short, which is being funded with the support of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). Within the framework of the project, PROSTEP will be extending its OpenPDM family to include a software module for the cross-domain coordination of changes and validating the functionality of the solution together with industry partners.
The more complex and variant-rich products become, the more time-consuming it is for companies to reliably analyze and evaluate the technical and financial impact of changes. The challenges grow when a large number of partners and domains are involved in the product development process. Impact analyses are designed to help companies identify the possible impact of product changes in advance.
A consortium or research institutes, software vendors and user companies, under the leadership of the Heinz Nixdorf Institute at the University of Paderborn, is developing a model and IT-based approach with the aim of making this type of analysis in product development easier. The joint project, which was launched in January, will run for three years and has a project volume of approximately four million euros.
The number of product variants is constantly growing. Every modified detail means changes in the design and production processes of all the partners involved. When it comes to developing complex products, incomplete and distributed data and knowledge bases, media discontinuities in the information flows, a lack of supplier integration and the large number of variants make engineering change management (ECM) a time-consuming and error-prone process. In the joint ImPaKT project, the consortium partners intend to develop a solution that makes it possible to efficiently analyze the impact of changes on the basis of a comprehensive data and knowledge base, while at the same time making the complexity of variant management more manageable using function-oriented impact analyses.
The integration of mechanical, electronic and software components in a single product requires an interdisciplinary development process. A key objective of the project is the development of a reference architecture for end-to-end model-based system development that links the partial models in the existing data repositories created during the development of mechanical, electrical and software system components and creates a common parameter space for changes. The project partners will develop and implement methods for a fully integrated impact analysis using model-based systems engineering (MBSE) and artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms on the basis of this integration platform. Standards for integrating impact analysis in process management and cross-enterprise collaboration are also to be defined.
In addition to the HNI, the Institute for Machine Elements and Systems Engineering at RWTH University in Aachen, the software companies CONTACT Software, Itemis and PROSTEP, as well as the user companies Eisengießerei Baumgarte, Hadi-Plast Kunststoff-Verarbeitung, Hofmann Mess- und Auswuchttechnik, CLAAS Industrietechnik, Knapheide Hydraulik-Systeme and Schaeffler are involved in ImPaKT.
The software partners will be implementing a demonstrator based on the ImPaKT reference architecture. The industry partners’ primary task will be to validate the suitability of the project results for supporting impact analysis on the basis of three case studies.
PROSTEP is contributing its many years of expertise with system modeling and the development of reference architectures to the consortium project. Building on this architecture, we will be developing certain basic services for performing cross-system impact analyses using artificial intelligence (AI). We will be using our integration platform OpenPDM, which is implemented at by over 200 customers worldwide, as the basis for implementing the demonstrator. OpenPDM is the world’s leading solution for synchronizing and migrating PLM data and processes in a wide variety of application scenarios and domains.
We intend to expand the software to include essential ALM and ECM aspects within the framework of ImPaKT. Once the project has come to an end, it is intended that the solution, which is designed as a demonstrator, be turned into a commercial product and marketed under the name OpenCLM. Maintenance of the solution is a prerequisite for long-term commercial use of the project results and provides a benefit outside the circle of consortium partners.
By participating in the consortium project, we not only expect to be able to establish interesting contacts with customers and universities and expand our AI expertise. We also hope it will provide important impetus for the further development of our OpenCLM solution in the direction of cross-system and cross-domain impact analysis. This is a prerequisite for being able to coordinate changes to complex products with an acceptable level of effort.
A growing number of companies are relying on agile approaches when developing their PLM systems to enable faster reactions to new market requirements. At the same time, they often want to outsource development activities to offshore partners for financial reasons. Two new white papers explain how PROSTEP supports customers when it comes to using agile methods and introducing agile methods in context of near- and offshoring.
Companies in the manufacturing industry must be ready to quickly respond to changing market and customer requirements. Therefore, they need PLM solutions that support this, for example by making the growing dependencies between software and electronics in connected systems more transparent or ensuring traceability for safety-critical functions. New approaches such as model-based systems engineering (MBSE) or virtual validation of system functionalities by means of co-simulations are needed. The entire PLM architecture must be geared towards change.
IT organizations must also adapt to reduce the time between new requirements and working-functionality implemented in the PLM-Systems. Waterfall or V-model are typically not appropriate to fulfill the dynamics required here. Too much time passes between the definition of requirements and their implementation; time during which the developers do not receive any feedback. They run the risk of developing software that fails to meet the needs of the users. Specifications are often cluttered with requirements and are difficult to change. Then, their implementation is based on the contracts and not on the actual benefits. These and other factors lead to extremely long project runtimes, which can delay the introduction of innovations into productive PLM operations by months and sometimes even years.
A growing number of companies have identified the weaknesses in their existing software development processes and have started introducing agile approaches or are planning to do so. When implementing agile methods, they not only have to decide on a suitable agile model but also find development partners who are able to go along with their agile approach. Furthermore, they have to challenge existing contract models, because in agile approaches, project scope is typically only fuzzily defined at the start of the project.
PROSTEP has been using agile approaches to develop its own software solutions for many years, and as a partner and supplier also brings this experience to bear on customer projects. We are currently involved in agile projects with numerous major customers in the automotive, shipbuilding, and other industries. In many cases, we assume overall responsibility for these projects as general contractor and coordinate subcontractors, be it on site at the customer’s premises or at an offshore partner.
“Our teams combine PLM expertise and hands-on experience with using agile methods. They know the strengths and weaknesses of Scrum, SAFe and other process models from experience gained in the field and can therefore actively help to shape agile transformation at the customer’s site and drive it forward,” says PLM manager Frank Brandstetter. He is the author of PROSTEP’s new white paper, which provides more detailed information about the challenges posed by agile PLM development. (English version available soon.)
The white paper on agile PLM development is complemented by a second white paper in which Rainer Zeifang, Chief Technology Officer Daimler Projects at PROSTEP, reports on his experience with the use of agile methods in nearshoring and offshoring projects. The main driver for the outsourcing development activities is the increasing cost pressure to which we and our customers are subjected.
PROSTEP has been working together with selected nearshore and offshore partners on both the development of its own software products and on customer projects for some time now. We also make use of nearshoring internally. For the past year, we have been maintaining a subsidiary in Wrocław, Poland, which uses agile Scrum teams to provide the development team in PROSTEP’s Berlin office with support in the context of software development projects for major automotive customers.
Agile approaches are compatible with nearshoring and offshoring, but they also amplify some of the challenges involved. The partners have to create a common understanding of the customer project and exchange know-how that is generally in the heads of the developers. They need to establish a uniform approach to ensure that the software being developed is consistent and enables a coherent user experience despite distributed teams and long distances. And they must break down obstacles to communication or find new forms of communication that are compatible with agile approaches.
As Zeifang explains, personal contact and interaction are crucial for project success. “At the start of the project in particular, it is important that the key players get to know each other personally in order to exchange know-how but also to understand what makes their counterparts tick, what is important to them, and how they work.” In the new white paper, he answers questions like: What advantages and disadvantages do time differences offer when it comes to agile software development? How should the distributed agile teams be structured? Does nearshoring and offshoring work with all agile process models?
