The concept of a "zero error BOM" is interesting for many reasons, perhaps mostly because it's this area that's one of today's most decisive battlefields for dominance in the PLM market.
By Verdi Ogewell
”The
Power of Zero” is French PLM developer Dassault Systemes latest mantra, a reflection of the non file-based, product database approach in their new “beyond PLM”
3DEXPERIENCE platform.
In
practical terms this enables, for instance, the ’zero error BOM’, Bill of
Materials”, claims DS’ CEO of the company’s ENOVIA division, Andy Kalambi.
Enovia is Dassault’s cPDM system (collaborative Product Data Management) and
is the backbone of the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
The
concept of a “zero error BOM” is interesting for many reasons, perhaps mostly because it’s this area that’s one of today’s
most decisive battlefields for dominance in the PLM market.
Is the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, the “Power of Zero” and the “flawless BOM”
the answers to this challenge? PLM TV News’ Felix Nilsson met with Andy Kalambi
to talk about these issues:
The
BOM battlefield: Dassault is eager to lead
The
“war” has generally been about linking product development with shop floor IT
and the BOM certainly plays a key role in this. Right now there are four
primary participants on the battlefield: Siemens, SAP, GE/PTC and IBM.
Although
Dassault is the overall PLM revenue leader and CATIA is the dominant CAD
program in the global high end market,
their cPDM solutions (where the BOM’s are managed) haven’t been able to reach
the same level of market penetration and commercial success. But make no
mistake about it; they are eager to become one of the leading players in this
area too.
”Files
create friction, friction creates errors…”
”The
power of Zero Errors is a theme across all of ENOVIA’s capabilities”, says
Kalambi, adding that the “zero file solution” strategy will lead to zero errors
in the BOM.
”Files
create friction”, the ENOVIA chief asserts, ”friction creates errors, and when
you have errors you don’t have a zero error BOM”.
“So
the moment you move away from files and create a data-driven environment, you
have a frictionless environment where you can move information without manual
intervention and you can automatically generate a BOM and take that BOM into
manufacturing and an ERP system”.
It’s
not a simple job to manage a BOM. What might appear as ”a list of parts needed
to build a product” is today a complex reality of multiple levels, diversified
disciplines and BOMs contains information about structures,
electronics, integrated software, manufacturing methodology and the way products are
maintained and even disposed of. There are many sources of error and
mistakes can be very costly.
If
Dassault’s “zero error BOM” can become a reality, it’s a huge step forward and would,
according to analyst Marc Halpern of Gartner, ”have the potential to realize
the ’dream’ of the universal BOM”. But as Kalambi says: ”This is about to
embark on a journey; once on ’the road’ the benefits of 3DEXPERIENCE and V6
will increase productivity dramatically”.
Challenges to zero error BOM success
Still, there are challenges to be tackled before the “Power of Zero” can be harnessed.To
benefit from the capabilities of 3DEXPERIENCE and V6, you have to implement
Enovia V6. Subsequently the data driven, non file-based approach has to be
applied. This can cause problems since the overwhelming majority of DS
customers generally work within file-based environments as in DS’ PLM V5, or
even more commonly, Siemens Teamcenter. As a side note, the latter solution
(according to Siemens PLM officials) actually manages more CATIA files than
ENOVIA does.
Another
issue to be addressed is that CAD is not the only information managed in an
enterprise wide solution. A lot of the information from other ”BOM sources”
that belongs to the complete product lifecycle comes from file-based systems
like Microsoft Word, Autodesk (you’ll find loads of AD solutions in almost
every big company in the world), programs for software design and others.
That said, Kalambi
points out, “that a zero files environment has been achieved in many other
areas like ERP, SCM, CRM. However PLM has remained a file based environment due
to the authoring tools being file based”.
Are
the big Dassault customers ready?
Finally
it all boils down to this question: are the big customers, notably in automotive, aerospace, industrial and shipbuilding, prepared to
change to the ”data driven method” instead of file-based?
A
solution could be a Dassault ENOVIA hybrid, allowing file based
approaches on V6 – but will they create one?
PLM
TV News’ reporter, Felix Nilsson, asked Kalambi if DS have had requirements
from customers dictating the development of a solution on the V6 platform with
file based PDM capabilities.
”No”, says Kalambi explaining that “V6 is the architecture of 3DEXPERIENCE and it manages files like any
other PLM system but goes beyond PLM by also creating a zero files
environment.”
”Dassault Systemes is not afraid of challenging the exsisting patterns”
The
message is crystal clear and once again proves that DS is not afraid to
challenge existing patterns. Here’s my take:
Transition
is very much the hallmark of what is happening in the area of product
development. The cloud, mobility, big data management, Internet of Things,
networked products with increasing software content and consumption patterns
that moves towards product-as-a-service have in just a couple of years changed
the requirements for engineering and product development work. These trends has
also brought along significant challenges for developers of industrial IT
support and large dominant companies like Dassault Systemes, Siemens PLM, PTC
and Autodesk are currently working full steam, partly to adapt their vision to
what is happening, and partly to create cohesive software tools and suites that
can concretely respond to new needs.
This
is done in slightly different ways. While Dassault with its traditionally
scientifically-oriented development model is not afraid to challenge existing
product realization models, developers such as Siemens PLM and PTC have a
deeper footing in their customers’ existing models and prefer step-by-step improvments.
Both ”attack angles” have their strengths and weaknesses.
As
for Dassault’s more revolutionary approach a weakness might be that
it is untested, probably takes more time to implement and requires
larger changes in the engineers’ work methodology. The strength is that new
technology and process models can achieve greater development dynamics, faster
time to market and thereby increased profitability.
For
Siemens’ and PTC’s more ”evolutionary”, customer-related track of development a
weak spot could be that it preserves the existing engineering culture and thus
will not be as responsive to market changes as is requiered to keep up long
term competitiveness.
On
the positive side there are things like the value of familiar environments and
smaller changes in processes can ensure short term productivity and at the same
time make the transition to new PLM environments easier to bridge.
Which
will get the upper hand?
The
future is difficult to predict, and which angle of attack that will prevail
remains to be seen. The only thing that is absolutely certain is that change is
inevitable and will take place.
A
key issue for Dassault is that the big customers generally are cautious to
dramatic changes; will they dare to take the ”zero error” and ”product data
driven” step?
Andy
Kalambi has no doubt about it. Why? Watch PLM TV News’ interview above to find out.
