PLM grows as manufacturers cut spending

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IBG - SA Instrumentation & Control Buyers' Guide

November 2009 News

Industry analysts expect the drive for increased efficiency in the manufacturing sector to drive growth in the product lifecycle management (PLM) market by nearly 10% over the next five years, providing good opportunities for PLM suppliers in EMEA and emerging markets. One company which has been at the forefront of the PLM boom in the discrete manufacturing sector is Softworx, an EOH company and reseller of Infor in sub-Saharan Africa.

Infor PLM is a web-enabled PLM system that is capable of integrating with leading CAD/CAM software and ERP systems in multicompany and multisite environments. It includes the following key components:

* Integrated PLM – a set of integrated project, portfolio, and research and development (R&D) applications that speeds development of new products by managing all aspects of the project, and minimising time-to-market though information transparency and analytics.

* Product data management (PDM) – tools that facilitate secure access to a single source for accurate product information including drawings, formulae, bills of material and engineering change orders.

* Collaboration – seamless integration of customers, suppliers and partners to shorten time-to-market, reduce costs, improve quality, ensure compliance and increase innovation.

MD Jane Thomson explains that discrete manufacturing is often characterised by individual or separate unit production: “Units can be produced in low volume with very high complexity or high volumes of low complexity. Low volume/high complexity production results in the need for an extremely flexible manufacturing system that can improve quality and time-to-market while cutting costs. High volume/low complexity production puts high premiums on inventory controls, lead times and reducing or limiting materials costs and waste.

Jane Thomson

“Manufacturers face constant pressure to innovate and take products to market faster than their competitors – challenges that mandate comprehensive, up-to-the-minute information during product development. We have done a lot of work in this regard in South Africa’s discrete manufacturing industries like automotive, industrial equipment, aerospace, and hi-tech electronics. What we have found is that the Infor PLM product has enabled manufacturers to optimise portfolio management, through realtime flow of information, at every stage of a product’s lifecycle: from product development through maintenance to retirement.

“PLM integrates product information from R&D with sourcing, compliance, and the supply chains to speed development, ensure quality, and mitigate regulatory risks. This enables companies to improve collaboration and drive visibility throughout the organisation. Then they realise the net benefit of such an information system when these efficiencies translate into reduced time-to-market, decreased costs and increased operating efficiencies,” Thomson concludes.

For more information contact Samantha Koegelenberg, Softworx, +27 (0)11 607 8299, samanthak@esoftworx.co.za, www.esoftworx.co.za

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