the buyer s guide for - grabcad

THE BUYER’S GUIDE FOR

PRODUCT DATA MANAGEMENT ADDRESSING ENGINEERING’S EVOLVING NEEDS FOR DATA MANAGEMENT

Published by:

http://www.lifecycleinsights.com

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THE BUYER’S GUIDE FOR PRODUCT DATA MANAGEMENT

Introduction

Selecting a Product Data Management (PDM) system has always been a relatively easy, albeit dull, process.

For years, practically every solution has been a carbon copy of the next, with all the same capabilities and little innovation. They all provide check-in, check-out, CAD integration, version histories and more. Of course, the software company providing the Computer Aided Design (CAD) application used in engineering likely produces the PDM system that understands your design data the best. However, in the end, such PDM systems offered little opportunity to generate any kind of competitive advantage. Such PDM systems were just a means of keeping pace with industry peers. Overall, we’ve seen years and years of me-too PDM solutions.

But here’s the catch: every class of technology undergoes an era of innovation and disruption. For PDM systems, we’re in such an era today.

Consider the need to manage multi-CAD data. Practically every modern engineering organization has to exchange design data in a wide variety of CAD formats with their suppliers, partners and customers. Employing a PDM system that understands one CAD format extremely well and treats all others as foreigners no longer works. On another front, today’s engineers must take broader enterprise considerations into account during design. That translates into getting non-technical users from manufacturing, suppliers, service and other organizations access to designs without burdening them with CAD applications.

In addition to new organizational needs, today’s era of change for PDM systems is also driven by the disruption occurring in other IT areas. The explosion of social technologies has changed users’ expectations in terms of easily sharing and accessing information. The proliferation web tools sitting in the cloud, where flexible compute resources are readily accessible and applications are provided with always-on access are other influential trends. Also, with the increasing acceptance of the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) in work environments, business solutions are increasingly mobile ready.

All of these changes and more reframe the criteria that should be considered when selecting a PDM system. Ultimately, that is the purpose of this guide.

Here, you will find guidance on the criteria to consider when selecting a PDM system. It includes information on the fundamental capabilities, which represent the table stakes for any PDM system. However, it also details the newer innovations that address new organizational needs and capabilities enabled by broader advances in Information Technology. Lastly, this guide provides a framework that can be used to compare and contrast PDM systems, aiding your final decision.

After years of little to no differentiation in the data management landscape, the next generation of innovative PDM systems is emerging. Take advantage and finally turn PDM into a competitive advantage.


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How to Use This Guide and Worksheet

This guide, along with the accompanying worksheet, is meant to be used together to assess and select a PDM system for your organization. Here you’ll find more specific instructions on how to proceed in this process.

1. Read the Rest of This Guide: In the following sections, you will find more details on each of the criteria areas that should be considered when assessing and selecting a PDM system. Make sure you understand each one and can analyze its impact on your organization.

2. Assign Weights to Each Criteria in the Worksheet: In the tables of the worksheet, there is a column labeled ‘Weight.’ For each criterion in the table, assign a value between 1 and 10 and record it in the worksheet. This represents the relative importance of those criteria for your organization. These weightings are the same for all of the PDM systems assessed.

3. Check Each PDM System’s Fulfillment of the Fundamentals: The Fundamental criteria, which practically every PDM system should fulfill, should be checked. The presence of that capability should be marked in the columns labeled ‘Avail.’ (representing Available) in the worksheet. PDM systems that do not fulfill all of these capabilities should not be considered for selection. Exemptions may be applied depending on the needs of your organization.

4. Score Each PDM System on the Innovations: For each PDM system being assessed, assign a score from 1 to 10 on how completely each Innovation criteria is fulfilled. This value goes into the ‘Score’ column of each table in the worksheet.

5. Calculate Each Criterion’s Weighted Score: For each criterion, multiply its ‘Weight’ by the ‘Score’ you have assigned. These weighted scores should be recorded in the ‘Comp.’ column of each table for each criterion in the worksheet.

6. Sum Each Criteria Category’s Score: Next, sum the weighted scores for each criterion for each table. This value should be recorded in the ‘Aggregate’ box at the bottom of each table. This represents the PDM system’s aggregate score of that category.

7. Sum the Category Scores for the Total Score: As a final step, sum all of the category scores for the total score. This value should be recorded at the end of the worksheet. Compare these values across all of the PDM systems you are considering. The highest score is the best fit for your organization.





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Managing Change to Engineering Data

First and foremost, a PDM system must manage product data. The capabilities in this section include those related to tracking and controlling versions of CAD and document files commonly produced by engineering organizations.

The Fundamentals listed here are some of the most longstanding capabilities in PDM systems. Solutions missing any of this functionality should not be considered. The Innovations listed here vary in adoption in PDM systems. These areas should be strongly considered as criteria based on their relevance to your organization.

The Fundamentals

Check-In and Check-Out: Recognized as the most fundamental capability of a PDM system, this allows users to store and retrieve versions of documents or CAD artifacts (i.e., drawings, 3D models, layouts, etc.). Traditionally, the user explicitly initiated this action.

Setting and Controlling Access Rights: This capability allows specific users to control which groups and individuals can view and change engineering data in the PDM system. This applies to many scenarios, such as design release and supplier collaboration.

Exposure of ‘Where Used’ Report: This report shows the engineering data depends on the uses of a given CAD artifact or document. For example, if run against a part, the report would show which assemblies and drawings use the part. This is important for pending changes scenarios,

where the impact of a modification must be fully understood.

Preventing Change Conflicts with Locks: This capability allows a user to prevent others from modifying a CAD artifact or document. Such locks are commonly applied when a user has checked-out and planned modifications to a piece of engineering data. This ensures two separate users don’t make divergent changes simultaneously.

Automated Part Number Assignment for CAD Parts: Another core capability of PDM systems is to automatically generate and then assign a part number to newly created parts. Once such parts are combined to create assemblies, the resulting product structures are used to generate Bills of Materials with part numbers.

Restoration of ‘Last Known Good’ Version: Whether it is due to a file corruption or simply the need to revert to a prior design iteration, users will need to revert to a prior version of their selection.





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The Innovations

Background Synching for Check-In and Check-Out: Traditionally, checking files in or out of a PDM system is a single continuous activity that can affect a user’s local desktop and network bandwidth. Some PDM systems are transitioning to a lower bandwidth background upload or download of engineering data instead.

Intelligent Recognition of Change: In the past, the burden of recognizing changes to engineering data lay with the user, leading to potential errors. Some PDM systems now intelligently recognize the differences between the last checked-in version and the new one. As a result, it can provide visual cues to the user not only that the data has changed, but also what kinds of changes have been made.

Managing and Understanding Multi-CAD Data: As mentioned previously, every modern engineering organization must exchange and manage data from multiple CAD applications. Some PDM systems have extended the Fundamentals to not only manage data from one CAD application, but from many of them.

Design Branching in CAD Artifacts: Design is inherently an iterative and exploratory process; a reality that is reflected in branching of individual CAD artifacts into many. Yet, traditionally, PDM systems do little to track and represent that fact. Some PDM systems, however, have introduced new capabilities that automatically recognize such design branching in CAD artifacts and visually represent it. This capability assists in new and released design projects.

‘Soft’ Lock Notifications: Locking helps users to avoid writing their changes over the top of someone else’s work. However, ‘hard’ locks, which require administrative intervention when they are inadvertently left in place, can stifle collaboration across remote engineering centers and supply chains. Some PDM systems have provided ‘soft’ locks that communicate the fact that change is in process for a specific CAD artifact or document, yet can be overridden if necessary.

Private Design ‘Sandbox’: Precise control over engineering data isn’t just needed in formal design environments. It is also needed in more ad-hoc design ‘sandboxes’ where individuals can iterate and explore different design alternatives. In such scenarios, checking files in and out, managing iterations, tracking design branching and much more is also needed. Yet such environments shouldn’t affect the work that is exposed more widely in the company. Some PDM systems provide such private ‘sandboxes’ armed with all the capabilities of the rest of the PDM system for exactly these scenarios.





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Finding, Interrogating and Reusing Engineering Data

If managing change to engineering data is the primary purpose of a PDM system, then exposing that information is its secondary one. This includes finding and reusing designs. It includes enabling access to engineering data to other departments in the company. It means allowing anyone in the company to interrogate such data without requiring the use of CAD applications.

The Fundamentals listed here are widely proliferated in PDM systems. They should be seriously considered as strong criteria. The Innovations listed here vary in adoption in PDM systems. These areas should be considered as criteria based on their relevance to your organization.

The Fundamentals

Exposing Information within Engineering Data: Over the years, a lot of important engineering information has been embedded with CAD files. Today’s PDM systems know how to read this information within the CAD file so it can be shown to non-CAD users. Furthermore, such text information can be used to find such designs through search results.

Extracting a Bill of Materials from CAD Assemblies: As users build assemblies out of parts in CAD applications, they are essentially creating a Bill of Materials for the product. Today’s PDM systems know how to read the product structures in such assemblies to create Bills of

Materials.

Building Associations between Engineering Data: A variety of engineering data describe a single component, assembly or product. For example, a specification document, a calculation spreadsheet and a CAD part file might all describe a part. As such, they should be associated with each other, allowing users to easily find all engineering data related to that part. Today’s PDM systems allow users to manually define such associations when they are not created automatically.

Visualization and Interrogation of CAD Artifacts: Few individuals outside the engineering organization use CAD applications. Yet they need to visualize and interrogate engineering data to fulfill their responsibilities. Today’s PDM systems provide embedded and easy-to-use visualization that allows non-CAD users to see and then interrogate CAD artifacts without CAD applications. This includes the results of searches within the PDM system where embedded visuals of CAD artifacts are provided.

Identification of Duplicate CAD Artifacts: In engineering’s hectic schedule, it is easy to recreate parts and assemblies. However, companies can still gain a financial advantage by consolidating those designs into one part that can be sourced with a bigger discount based on larger volumes. Today’s PDM systems identify duplicate parts based on text or shape based characteristics.





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The Innovations

Modification of Text-Based Design Information: As mentioned earlier, a lot of important engineering information has been embedded with CAD files, including text. A problem that results from that fact is that minor changes to text characteristics require a new version of the CAD artifact. Furthermore, CAD files that are locked cannot be modified even if the change is not geometry related. Some PDM systems offer capabilities to modify such information separately from the design geometry, freeing up users from these constraints.

Building or Modifying the Structure of CAD Artifacts: A frequent first step in design or a change management process is to mock up a Bill of Materials. Once that structure is finalized, users want to be able to push it into the CAD application. Some PDM systems are beginning to provide functionality to create and manipulate such structures outside of CAD applications and then push such definitions into assemblies.

Shape-Based Search of CAD Models: Text-based search provides a means of finding, changing or reusing design data. However, problems arise when CAD artifacts do not have the right textual information embedded. To address this issue, some PDM systems provide shape-based searches, which use precise or faceted geometry to find design data.

Text-Based Document Crawling: Today’s PDM systems can find documents based on their text-based characteristics

and traits, but not based on the content inside the document. Now, some PDM systems can crawl the contents of documents. That extends the search capabilities to find documents based on the content within the file instead of only their traits and characteristics.

Visual Comparisons of CAD Models: There are many scenarios where users need to compare and contrast two very similar CAD models. An outstanding issues lies in the fact that such differences can be so minute, that they cannot be discerned by the user’s eye. Furthermore, any such comparison has traditionally required CAD applications. To address this problem, some PDM systems are providing a visual comparison of models that highlights differences with colors.





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Securely Collaborating on Product Data

While PDM systems are a great boon to individual users by keeping their complex engineering data organized, they also provide clear advantages in coordinating the development of complex products amongst internal teams and other external stakeholders like suppliers, partners and customers. The consideration that counterbalances that need to collaborate, however, is the need to maintain security to protect intellectual property.

The Fundamentals listed here are patently mandatory. PDM systems without these capabilities should not be considered in any way, shape or form. The Innovations listed here deliver numerous advantages. While not hard requirements, they deserve serious considerations due to the benefits they deliver.

The Fundamentals

Database, Communication and Physical Security: Every PDM provider will claim that their system is secure. And it’s true. They all use one security protocol or another. Look for compliance to industry security standards, such as ISO, in terms of database access and communication protocols. Furthermore, look for validation of that security in terms of standard audits, certifications and testing by 3rd parties. Lastly, in the case of remotely hosted solutions, look for information and proof of the physical security of the PDM system in terms of data center locations.





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The Innovations

Cloud-Based PDM Systems: Since its inception, the vast majority of PDM systems have been hosted on-premise behind the customer’s firewall. But, as the application of cloud compute resources expands and matures, some providers are hosting PDM systems in the cloud. As you consider these solutions, make sure they comply with the Database, Communication and Physical Security details outlined in The Fundamentals of this same section.

Link-Based Data Access: Sharing engineering data from PDM systems has traditionally been challenging due to the fact that most solutions were hosted on-premise behind the company’s firewall. With varying configuration options, some providers can now provide access to engineering data in a PDM system through a simple URL link. This URL link can be shared via email or any other text-based communication medium, dramatically lowering the traditional barriers to collaborating with external stakeholders. Keep in mind, however, that such systems should comply with the Database, Communication and Physical Security details outlined in The Fundamentals of this same section.

Real-Time Simultaneous Document Editing: In the past few years, cloud-based document authoring and management systems have emerged. An interesting capability of such systems is the ability for multiple users to simultaneously edit a single document. In fact, in such systems, users can visually see each other’s updates in real time. While no providers of PDM systems have introduced this capability

as of yet, look for it as some of these solutions move towards cloud hosting. This functionality is imminently applicable to the complex documents produced within an engineering organization.

Engineering Data Centric Update Streams: Social apps are here to stay. They are now widely adopted and widely varied. And ultimately, they are changing how today’s stakeholders expect to share and collaborate at work. To this end, some PDM systems now have ‘social’-like capabilities. This includes text-based and image-based correspondence back and forth between users. However, the context for this correspondence is some aspect of product data.





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Cost, Deployment, Maintenance and Partnership

Obviously, functional capabilities are very important considerations when selecting a PDM system. However, they are not the only ones. Other traits and characteristics of such systems, including initial and ongoing costs, installation and training deployment, ongoing maintenance as well as the ability to partner for the long term should be seriously considered as selection criteria.

All of those issues are covered in this section. In several of them, new alternatives are emerging as new providers offer their solutions. Consider the implications of each option, selecting which is the best fit for your organization.

Cost Considerations

Initial Software Costs: The traditional model for PDM systems has relied on the upfront purchase of perpetual software licenses. This translates to a heavy initial capital expenditure. Interestingly, as cloud-based offerings have emerged, some software providers have moved away from this model and towards a subscription model where there are no initial costs, only ongoing subscription charges.

Ongoing Software Costs: In addition to an upfront purchase of perpetual software licenses, some software providers also charge an annual fee for new release updates. Make sure to understand these costs. Again, in the case of cloud-based solutions, the subscription charges replace this cost.

Technical Support Costs: For traditional offerings, technical support is a service for which there is a charge. Sometimes this is combined or rolled into the ongoing software charge. For cloud-based subscription solutions, this cost may be separate from the subscription. Carefully understand the costs associated with this much needed service.

Flexible Access Models: Be aware that in some cases, organizations need to be able to increase and decrease the number of users that should access the PDM system as they engage different suppliers, partners and customers. In perpetual license models, new seats must be purchased, incurring a high upfront cost. In subscription models, however, access can be increased temporarily for a lower nominal fee and decreased back to original levels. The latter scenario is less costly.

Deployment Considerations

Installation and Configuration: The traditional deployment model for a PDM system has been to install the software system on servers directly under the company’s control, either on-premise or in an off-premise data center. In either case, the software must be installed and either configured or customized. This stage alone can take weeks to months to complete. Cloud-based systems, alternatively, are already installed, running and available for use. Such systems, however, do not offer as many configuration and customization offerings. Inspect and understand these options carefully before proceeding.





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Data Migration: Part of moving to a new PDM system includes migrating the company’s past engineering data. This is a key to increasing the reuse of design data. Depending on the past methods of managing engineering data, this can include dedicated consultants and custom migration tools to automate the process. Clearly understand how your data with be moved to the new PDM systems as well as any associated time and cost.

User Training: Part of the traditional deployment of a PDM system includes formal user training where they go to a learning center and sit in class for a week. Given today’s tight schedules, being out of the office for a week is difficult. Some providers have offered new approaches. One is to make the software systems and applications easier to use by making them ‘discoverable.’ This means that the user can explore the software and more advanced functionality is ‘discovered’ easily. Another approach to solve this issue is to provide on-demand training materials that are context sensitive. This means the online materials are not only accessed from within the software, but also understand what capabilities you are trying to access from the user’s current context. Investigate these traditional and progressive options to understand the impact they will have on user productivity.

Mobile Support: Today’s work conditions are changing in terms of flexible hours and location. Some organizations are seeking to increase productivity by enabling their employees in the BYOD movement. Some PDM providers now offer access to their systems through mobile devices. Explore to understand how you can take advantage.

Maintenance Considerations

Administrative Personnel: Many traditional PDM systems deployed in an on-premise model require skilled IT personnel. Cloud-based PDM systems, however, only need administrators to set access rights and similar functionality. Understand the implications for your organization.

Infrastructure Maintenance: In addition to the personnel required for administrative upkeep for on-premise PDM systems, there is a range of other associated activities and costs including managing hard disk drives, backups, maintaining servers and any associated software licensing. Clearly understand such implications for your organization.

Partnership Considerations

Financial Viability: Another consideration to take into account is the financial viability of the software provider. Investigate the provider to ensure they are on solid ground from a financing perspective.

Executive Accessibility and Relationships: Yet another consideration is if the executives within the software provider are accessible and their ability to form relationships. No software system is perfect. Sometimes working through such issues requires a good partner.





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Recap and Conclusion

In the past few years, the landscape of PDM systems has changed. The organization needs have shifted and expanded. There have been significant advances in Information Technology that carry serious implications for PDM systems. As such, the way in which such systems should be considered and selected has also changed. This guide provides specific direction in how to conduct that assessment and selection process.

Two Groups of Criteria

Overall, there are two broad groups of capabilities to consider when assessing PDM systems.

The Fundamentals include standard functionality that every PDM system should provide. Exclusion of these capabilities is a warning sign: do not consider systems without these functionalities.

The Innovations cover a range of new capabilities that have emerged in the last few years in PDM systems. They offer significant advantages in numerous areas. However, they are not broadly adopted. Weight for these criteria should be given in the context of the impact they have on your organization. Consider them carefully.

Four Categories of Criteria

These two groups of capabilities are present in each of the four different categories of criteria covered in this guide, including:

Managing Change to Engineering Data

Finding, Interrogating and Reusing Engineering Data

Securely Collaborating on Engineering Data

Cost, Deployment, Maintenance and Partnership

Follow the Instructions for the Worksheet

The purpose of the information in this guide is to provide direction on how to select a PDM system. By following the instructions shown on page 3 of this document along with the use of the accompanying worksheet, organizations can quantifiably calculate which PDM system is best for their needs.

With changes in the PDM landscape come new opportunities. Organizations can reap new advantages and benefits from this longstanding class of technology. Don’t assume that PDM is a commodity, because that reality has changed. Consider the pursuit of a new PDM system in the light of what it can do for your organization.

© 2013-2014 LC-Insights LLC

Chad Jackson, the Principal Analyst of Lifecycle Insights, is a recognized authority on technologies that enable engineering, including CAD, simulation, PDM and PLM.

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© Lifecycle Insights | Austin TX | www.lifecycleinsights.com | October 2014


The Engineering Data Management Buyer’s Worksheet

Managing Change to Engineering Data The Fundamentals The Innovations

Capability Avail. Capability Weight Score Comp.

Check-‐in and Check-‐out Background Synching for Check-‐in and Check-‐out

Setting and Controlling Access Rights

Intelligent Recognition of Change

Exposure of ‘Where Used’ Reports Managing and Understanding

Multi-‐CAD Data

Preventing Change Conflicts with Locks

Design Branching in CAD Artifacts

Automated Part Number Assignment for CAD Parts

‘Soft’ Lock Notifications

Restoration of ‘Last Known Good’ Version

Private Design ‘Sandbox’

Aggregate

Finding, Interrogating and Reusing Engineering Data The Fundamentals The Innovations


Exposing Information with Engineering Data

Modification of Text-‐Based Design Information

Extracting a Bill of Material from CAD Assemblies

Building or Modifying the Structure of CAD Artifacts

Building Associations between Engineering Data

Shape-‐Based Search of CAD Models

Visualization and Interrogation of CAD Artifacts

Text-‐Based Document Crawling

Identification of Duplicate CAD Artifacts

Visual Comparison of CAD Models

Aggregate



Securely Collaborating on Engineering Data The Fundamentals The Innovations


Database Security Link-‐Based Data Access

Communication Protocol Security

Real-‐Time Simultaneous Document Editing

Physical Security Engineering Data Centric Update Streams

Aggregate

Cost, Deployment, Maintenance and Partnership Cost Considerations

Capability Weight Score Comp.

Initial Software Costs

Ongoing Software Costs

Technical Support Costs

Flexible Access Models

Deployment Considerations Installation and Configuration

Data Migration

User Training

Mobile Support

Maintenance Considerations Administrative Personnel

Infrastructure Maintenance

Partnership Considerations Financial Viability

Executive Accessibility and Relationships

Aggregate

Total Score:

the buyer s guide for - grabcad

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