Product lifecycle management (PLM) solutions are a major part of many businesses' operational processes, and Dassault Systemes is regarded as one of the prominent providers of PLM software. On November 22, Dassault announced the latest company to adopt its ENOVIA Version 6 platform for PLM purposes - the French pharmaceutical development business Pierre Fabre Laboratories.
Pierre Fabre plans to adopt the latest version of ENOVIA to manage PLM tasks across all three of its branches, developing pharmaceuticals, family health products and dermo-cosmetic goods. The integration of this software platform will be spread out over the next four years.
Sylvia Touya, Pierre Fabre Laboratories' head of strategic programs, cited the importance of PLM in the company's operations in the announcement of ENOVIA's adoption.
"Developing and marketing drugs, family health and dermo-cosmetic products involves complex processes," Touya said. "PLM will enable us to achieve maximum traceability. As well as optimizing processes, PLM will help us achieve our goals of accelerating time-to-market, improving compliance, expanding internationally and driving innovation."
ENOVIA will manage all PLM-related information for all of Pierre Fabre's operations, providing increased integration in purchasing and development, quality assurance and regulatory affairs.
In addition to ENOVIA Version 6, another of Dassault's latest 3D computer-aided design (CAD) products is CATIA Natural Sketch, which allows designers to create 3D designs with the flexibility of 2D.
Nikon Corporation, one of the prominent manufacturers of cameras and related technologies, announced a design partnership with Dassault Systemes on November 22. The Tokyo, Japan-based company will be using Dassault's Version 6 product lifecycle management (PLM) system as its primary collaborative design platform.
CATIA and ENOVIA, both major Dassault products, will now serve Nokia's respective needs for idea generation and PLM support in its future design efforts. Ken Moro, leader of the CATIA Version 6 project in Nikon Imaging's industrial design department, commented on the advantages that would come from the use of these software solutions.
"Taking advantage of the enhanced rendering capabilities of CATIA Version 6, we intend to further refine our design quality and establish a more creative design process," Moro said.
Since Nikon Imaging is one of the corporation's primary divisions, the branch's operations are considered high priority. It is looking to use the Dassault solutions to reduce the number of prototypes that must be built in the design process, effectively promoting cost-efficiency and expediting the delivery and release of new products.
Recently, ARC Advisory Group reported that Dassault Systemes highlighted the numerous benefits of Version 6 PLM at its 2011 Japan Forum in Tokyo.
On November 16, design software firm Dassault Systemes held its 2011 Japan Forum in Tokyo, Japan. This event, which drew a crowd of over 1,600 visitors, served as an occasion for the company's Japanese launch of its latest product lifecycle management (PLM) system, the V6 PLM Platform v2012.
According to ARC Advisory Group, the event took up an entire day, with several introductory programs in the morning and 49 sessions in the afternoon. Two dozen of these focused on case studies by customers who had successfully used Dassault Systemes products for industrial design. This field is quite prominent in Japan - the nation is responsible for designing 20 percent of the world's industrial products.
The news source reports that two of the most notable speeches at the conference were those of Dr. Maki Sugimoto, associate professor at the Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, and Bernard Charles, Dassault Systemes' president and CEO. The former concentrated on his experience using 3D design in complex surgical operations, while Charles highlighted the value of PLM to the future of various industries.
Dassault Systemes recently had its design contract with aircraft manufacturer Cessna renewed, according to the Boston Globe.
Environmentally friendly and sustainable practices are becoming a notable priority of numerous businesses and organizations in the United States. Recently, the company Brightpoint, a business engaged in creating product lifecycle management (PLM) and supply chain solutions for the wireless industry, earned the Green Supply Chain Award from Supply and Demand Chain Executive magazine, an honor for its commitment to sustainability.
Barry Hochfelder, editor of Supply & Demand Chain Executive, highlighted Brightpoint's achievements when he announced that the firm would receive the Green Supply Chain Award for the second time.
"Leading companies like Brightpoint are recognizing sustainability as a potential competitive advantage in a time of supply constraints and demand volatility," Hochfelder said.
Brightpoint and the other companies receiving these honors from Supply & Demand Chain Executive are regarded as leaders in the fields of supply chain procurement, PLM, operational performance and logistics. The primary source of the recognition comes from these businesses' ability to integrate sustainability concerns into their own operations and those of their customers.
Robert J. Laikin, Brightpoint's CEO and board chairman, expressed gratitude for the honor. "This award is very important to us, as it reinforces our commitment to our customers, community and environment," he said.
Numerous firms, including First Solar, have used PLM processes in the service of emphasizing sustainability, according to Semiconductor Today.
Product lifecycle management (PLM) is often viewed as an important facilitator of the performance of a company's supply chain. In light of this, manufacturers from a number of different industries, including the International Sleep Products Association (ISPA), have come together to form the Product Management Alliance (PMA), according to Furniture World magazine.
The news source reports that the PMA intends to make the promotion of solutions that successfully address PLM processes in an effective manner its chief priority. In addition to the ISPA, businesses involved in the PMA include manufacturers of packaging and transportation materials, paper, plastics, pharmaceuticals, toys, electronics and personal goods.
Christopher Hudgins, vice president of government relations and policy for the ISPA, will serve on the PMA's board of directors. He identified the organization's chief goals in a statement.
"We will work with decision makers to educate them on the benefits of product management systems that recognize voluntary programs and spread responsibility among all parts of the manufacturing and distribution process," Hudgins said, according to the news source. He added that examining public policy related to these processes would be a main responsibility of the PMA.
Composites World recently reported that PLM processes were successfully used to facilitate the development of robotic work cells for the aircraft manufacturing industry.
Product lifecycle management (PLM) software systems and related solutions are employed by many companies looking to closely monitor the development of a new product. As part of the operations of Hyde Group Holdings, based in Cheshire, United Kingdom, this technology is aiding in the production of a robotic work cell designed to dispense adhesive substances and efficiently drill holes in aircraft wings and ailerons.
According to Composites World, Hyde is working on this project at the request of the UK's Next Generation Composite Wing (NGCW) program. Products from numerous companies in the field of PLM and computer-aided design (CAD) software and related solutions, including the French firm Dassault Systemes.
The news source reports that the integrated PLM systems are fully integrated with Dassault's CATIA V5 design program. Richard Waring, technical director for the Hyde Group, states that this allowed for efficient offline programming of the robotic cells. As a result, the engineers working on the project could design smooth tool paths for hole drilling in a quick, efficient and collision-free manner.
CIMdata, a firm engaged in the PLM business, recently released a white paper that provides substantive analysis and data supporting the importance of PLM systems in the processes of computer-aided engineering (CAE), according to CAD CAM News.