Dassault Systemes Establishes Global CATIA Certification Program Certification Program

On September 30, 2002, Dassault Systemes announced the launch of a global CATIA Certification Program to provide customers and users with a valuable index for measuring their knowledge of CATIA. The program targets CATIA user groups such as product designers and developers, Dassault Systemes business and service partners, and new professionals joining the 3D product lifecycle management (PLM) market.

The program will provide a standard measure of CATIA knowledge and will enable program participants to assess their skills against market norms. The certification program will also offer valuable feedback on CATIA training programs by providing a quantitative before-and-after measurement of trainees' acquired skills. The certification program is available worldwide for immediate implementation in companies of all sizes and industries.

"By introducing a CATIA Certification Program, we illustrate our commitment and dedication to our 3D PLM solutions, customers, and users," said Jean-Yves Yung, vice president services, Dassault Systemes. "The certification program will provide a valuable resource for customers, users, and business partners to measure and evaluate their knowledge and skills. In addition, industry analysts and experts agree that certifications are a highly sought-after mark of credibility for expertise in the information technology marketplace."

VUE Testing Services, the electronic testing businesses of NCS Pearson, will administer the CATIA Certification Program through a series of domain-oriented exams. Participants can access the exams at VUE Authorized Testing Centers, a worldwide network of more than 3,000 testing centers in over 130 countries. To schedule an exam or for more information on the CATIA Certification Program, visit Dassault Systemes' certification Web site at http://www.3dplm.com/certification.

Collaborative Product Definition in Build-to-Order Industries

By Avichay Nissenbaum, Executive Vice President and Co-Founder, SmarTeam Corporation

Rarely today are products designed and manufactured in a single building by people working side by side. Different groups and remote teams often perform tasks in isolation from one another, and firms may have multiple facilities dispersed around the world. Parts and assemblies are typically made and often designed by supply-chain subcontractors. Aligning companies in virtual corporations and extended enterprises is becoming the new paradigm in manufacturing industries.

Technologies and approaches for collaboratively developing, managing, and sharing product information between these numerous entities are becoming increasingly important for manufacturers. Product data management (PDM) solutions give users ready access to information files, keep track of revision levels, manage engineering changes, control workflow, interact and exchange data with suppliers, and many perform other functions.

Furthermore, PDM has broadened from controlling design data to include the exchange and manipulation of Bills of Material, as well as the management of a wide range of product definition information, including analysis and simulation results, manufacturing specifications, service records, correspondence, and a variety of other documentation and files. These solutions are typically used in the cycle from the initial conceptual stage, through detailed design, prototype testing, and release to manufacturing.

As important as collaborative PDM is in the development of commodity items, however, the solutions can assume an even more significant role at companies in build-to-order industries, making one-of-a-kind products such as satellites and other telecommunications systems, specialized medical equipment, weapon systems, petrochemical and pharmaceutical plants, utility distribution systems, and manufacturing equipment and systems.

The broadened significance of managing and sharing product information for these one-of-a-kind equipment and systems stems from a fundamental difference in the processes whereby they are developed. Specifically, the sale of a commodity item is typically the last event in product development. But it is the first event with build-to-order products, where the process is inherently longer and requires a close business relationship and interaction between manufacturer and customer.

In most cases, this close engagement begins during the early stages of sales and quotations where the exchange of design specifications, functional requirements, and other engineering information is essential to the bidding process. During the subsequent stages of detailed design, which commonly last for years and require ongoing collaboration with supply chain subcontractors, considerable information is also exchanged with the customer as requirements shift and engineering changes are made. This close interaction proceeds through release to manufacturing, design verification, product prove-out, customer acceptance, product installation, and after-delivery support, service, upgrades, and finally decommissioning.

The product design goes through an evolution as the configuration progresses through the entire product lifecycle, essentially a process that extends from cradle to grave. In many industries, the after-delivery portion of the lifecycle can last for decades, with manufacturers actually generating considerably more revenue from service, support, and upgrades than the actual purchase price of the product.

Product information collaboration is a critical component in this relationship between manufacturer and customer in build-to-order industries. In addition to core data management capabilities closely integrated with computer-aided design (CAD), enterprise resource planning (ERP), and other applications, technologies such as portals, gateways, Web-publishing features, and other Internet-based tools are especially useful in sharing product data, particularly when response time is critical and companies absolutely must get access to information quickly. During the quotation and bidding cycle, such quick response and close project teamwork can make the difference in the customer's purchase decision, for example. And for many after-delivery service situations such as in manufacturing systems where millions of dollars in lost revenue for equipment downtime can result, minutes count.

Customers in these types of applications simply will not tolerate delays, cumbersome procedures, or lack of timely response. They demand fast action, sound decisions, and efficient procedures. Only with a smooth flow of accurate information can that process take place in the unique partnership between build-to-order manufacturer and their customer.

Collaborative PDM throughout the entire product lifecycle is thus becoming a competitive imperative for build-to-order manufacturers that will find market demands difficult, if not impossible, to meet without this critical technology as part of their overall business strategy.

Avichay Nissenbaum is Executive Vice President and Co-Founder of SmarTeam Corp., a Dassault Systemes S.A. company developing and marketing enterprise-wide business collaboration and change management solutions for manufacturers. SMARTEAM was founded in 1995 and is one of the fastest-growing companies in the data management market with over 2,000 customers worldwide. Contact SMARTEAM at info@smarteam.com, or via the Web site at www.smarteam.com.

World Leaders in Product Lifecycle Management Services Join Forces to Deliver Integrated Solutions to Manufacturing Companies Worldwide

On October 7, 2002, IBM confirmed its intention to acquire EADS Matra Datavision, a wholly owned subsidiary of EADS Group. Once completed, the combination of IBM and EADS Matra Datavision will significantly enhance IBM's product lifecycle management (PLM) offerings and give IBM an unmatched capacity to help manufacturing customers improve product quality and design, and reduce both costs and product development times.

The transaction, subject to approval from regulatory authorities and consultation with internal work councils, is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter and take effect by January 1, 2003 at which time EADS Matra Datavision will become part of IBM.

EADS Matra Datavision is one of the world's leading suppliers of engineering applications and services. It has been IBM's top producing product lifecycle management business partner since establishing an alliance with IBM in 1998, distributing and providing integration services for IBM PLM's CATIA, ENOVIA, and SMARTEAM product development and data management applications.

Ed Petrozelli, general manager, IBM Product Lifecycle Management, said, "Following this week's creation of IBM's Business Consulting Services Unit, the acquisition of EADS Matra Datavision reinforces IBM's strategy of fusing business insight with infrastructure and technology skills. IBM can now deliver customers a more complete range of PLM business and technology solutions and services that will help them design, build, and manage better products and allow them to drive down their costs throughout the full product lifecycle process."

By adding EADS Matra Datavision's consulting and technical expertise encompassing all leading PLM solutions to IBM's existing PLM services and infrastructure offerings, customers will benefit from a complete PLM value proposition, including industry insight, market-leading applications, key infrastructure capabilities, along with maintenance and financing of the integrated system.

Product lifecycle management refers to solutions and methodologies that allow manufacturers to integrate product-development processes and knowledge across the extended enterprise. PLM enables innovation, improved product development efficiencies, and e-collaboration by all contributors involved in product rollout, including engineers, production teams, operations, through to suppliers and after-sales service.

According to an IDC 2002 report, the PLM services market will grow from $1.9 billion in 2001 to $5.5 billion in 2006, representing a combined annual growth rate of 23.4 percent over the period. With this acquisition, IBM is uniquely positioned to take advantage of this market opportunity. IBM recently identified its PLM business unit as one of the pillars of its e-business strategy and the heart of its industrial sector offering.

Jacques Vannier, chief executive officer, EADS Matra Datavision, said, "For the last four years, we have worked closely with IBM to provide customers with unparalleled implementation support of IBM PLM solutions. This transaction will bring us closer to our customers and give them a wider range of innovative solutions based on IBM's e-business strategy and technologies. As part of IBM, EADS Matra Datavision will remain committed to providing industrial companies of all sizes and in all industrial sectors with complete PLM solutions and specifically adapted services to help them improve their PLM business processes and achieve rapid return on investment."

Sign-up for PLM analyst-reIated news online: http://www.ibm.com/itanalyst. Or visit the Web site at http://www.ibm.com/solutions/plm

Leading Developer of 3D Design Software will Develop CATIA V5 Complementary Application to Address the Needs of Luxury Goods Manufacturing Industries

Polysoft Consulting will develop two products based on the CAA V5 (Component Application Architecture) development platform. The first, TellWatch CAA V5-Based, will be used for designing watches, from the smallest components to the casing. The second, TellJewel CAA V5-Based, will be used for designing jewelry containing precious stones and diamonds.

With this new partnership, Dassault Systemes addresses the specific needs of the watch-making and jewelry industries, as well as provides a complete 3D product lifecycle management (PLM) solution to all its clients. The partnership once again demonstrates the openness of the CAA V5 platform and its ability to integrate new industrial domains.

TellWatch CAA V5-Based will enable designers and engineers specializing in micro mechanics to design micro mechanisms, study kinematics, and represent the movements, watch casing, crowns, and hands according to watch-industry standards. TellJewel CAA V5-Based will address the challenges of jewelry, bracelet, and chain design, delivering trade solutions for placement and distribution of stones and settings.

The specific design and definition features of TellWatch CAA V5-Based (built on the CATIA core) used to create Polysoft Consulting watch parts and jewelry, and the use of Polysoft's patented "isologic process®" for the user interface, will make the product unparalleled for watch design in Europe and Asia.

For more information, contact Jean-Claude Arnault - Sales Manager, jc-arnault@polysoft-consulting.com.

Low-Cost MCAD

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