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| Case Study |
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Portfolio rationalization of PDM systems
helps Hi-tech Manufacturer transform product development process |
Patni’s ‘Retain’
v/s ‘Replace’ assessment followed by strategic advise
on the selection of an integrated Product Data Management system
enabled a leading Hi-tech Manufacturer to reduce investments
in its major initiative to transform the product development
practices.
The Client
The client is a global leader in hi-tech electronics and electrical
products. Driven by innovation and customer focus, the client
delivers leading-edge
products and top-of-line services to its customers.
The Challenge
Acclaimed for its focus on the 'voice of the customer', the
client has been driving quality improvements in its product
development process. Over the years, almost all the business
units of the client deployed Product Data Management (PDM) systems
to manage the production of high quality products. Random increase
in the number of PDM systems with inconsistent technology standards
led to the escalation in maintenance costs and dispersion of
product data across multiple databases. Stand-alone systems
also caused a loss in engineering productivity.
Beleaguered with these challenges, the client recognized the
need to rationalize the portfolio of PDM systems and build capabilities
of a new-age PDM environment. However, it needed an expert advice
on 'Retain' vs 'Replace' analysis to guide its investment in
the new-age technology initiative. The client expected the external
partner to not only establish the decision-making criteria but
also define a roadmap for making the transition to a new-age
PDM environment.
The Solution
The team from Patni studied the processes related to product
development and firmed up the systems requirements. The business
process study highlighted that Parts management; Engineering
Change Management and Revision Management were the core processes
and critical to product development. To aid the 'Retain' vs
'Replace' analysis, Patni's analysts developed an assessment
framework based on Six-Sigma Define-Measure-Analyze-Design-
Verify (DMADV) methodology. The framework was useful to gain
a deep insight into the strategic imperatives and economics
of the new-age technology initiative. After concluding the assessment,
Patni recommended that drawing on the functional and technological
capability of the new Custom-off-the-shelf (COTS) application
and the customer support from its vendor would result into sustainable
cost-quality payoffs for the client.
Following the recommendation for the implementation of the COTS
application, Patni's analysts began evaluating the competitive
value and capability of various PDM solutions available in the
market. They established comprehensive criteria and shared the
findings with the client after the completion of every stage
of evaluation. Patni's analysts narrowed down the selection
on MatrixOnes' Engineering Central and were able to drive consensus
in favor of its implementation. In the concluding stages of
the assignment, the team from Patni defined the roadmap for
the transition from the first-generation PDM systems to MatrixOne's
Engineering Central.
The Technology
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MatrixOne Engineering Central package |
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eMatrix 10.5 |
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J2EE |
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The Benefits
The engagement with Patni proved beneficial for the client in the
following ways:
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Patni's assessment resulted into savings, as replacement
costs were 35% of the total costs required to modernize the
existing system |
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Patni's in-depth understanding of product development
practices, systems, and strategy helped the client develop
the new-age PDM capabilities in a faster way. |
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