Small and medium sized businesses may appear smaller and more nimble than their large corporate counterparts, but they have the same need to manage engineering, inventory and process changes. Their need for this change management is just on a smaller scale. SMBs should have access to the same high-tech solutions for Product Data Management (PDM), only scaled to meet the needs appropriate for their size.

PTC Windchill: for PDM Essentials

Engineering projects both large and small require up-to-date product versions. Design, production and quality control teams all require quick access to the correct and most current product information. And access to this change management process must also be controlled to prevent unauthorized changes.

Windchill PDM Essentials is an easy to deploy system that meets these goals. You do not need to spend countless hours configuring the software to meet your individual needs. Configuration and installation wizards allow for fast, easy setup with less cost to the company.

CAD with Creo

CAD data management is essential for effective product improvement. Teams need the ability to work together to share their ideas. CAD models are stored in a central location with revision control features. With the included ability to use a 3-D viewer and markup utilities, those without the CAD capability installed can still work with the same stored model designs and provide their input.

Small and medium businesses can especially benefit from the ability to reuse and re-engineer existing designs. This is how a smaller business can leverage its prior work and find ways to grow. Control over different design versions allows small teams to be nimble and avoid design mistakes that could lead to increased costs and lost time. This is why Windchill PDM comes with PTC Creo View Lite and it works with a variety of other CAD systems, including AutoCAD.

Office Documents and More

This same change management can also be applied to regular office documents with a check in and a check out function. Check out locking prevents other users from modifying documents while the work is in process with a different team. Check in releases the document to other approved users. The history of when changes were made, and who made the changes, is stored to track the most current versions and ensure the changes were authorized.

Database searching is simplified to reduce the time needed to locate designs and documents. The interface allows you to search with multiple terms, from product numbers to created-by dates and names.

Keeping it all Moving at the Right Pace

Data publishing can also be scheduled to allow for viewing and access of documents at exactly the right time. This is how product lifecycle functions control when teams have access to data. It ensures that parts for manufacturing are not ordered before the final design is approved. Keeping everything on the right schedule is key and this level of lifecycle control ensures that all the people in your organization (regardless of size) are kept in the loop and product development flows smoothly and quickly.

These are the ways that PTC Windchill with PDM Essentials gives small to medium businesses the data and change management solutions that meets their current needs with the ability to add solutions as the company grows. From EAC’s perspective, we see PDM Essentials as an excellent base foundation that can be modified to meet your unique business needs – large or small. Please contact us so that we can tailor a solution that fits your business and your budget.

Computer-aided design (CAD) changed the way engineers, architects and draftsmen work from countless pencil and paper drafts to drawing on a screen. CAD designs can be changed and manipulated in numerous ways without crumpling a paper and starting over at the beginning and this technology that emerged out of the 1980s is still advancing rapidly today.

In 1886, Karl Benz received a patent for a gasoline powered automobile engine. This turned automotive engineering from steam power to the beginning of modern engine designs. Unfortunately, for auto enthusiasts, starting these engines was most often done by getting out and cranking an impossible handle. The first electric starter appeared on an Arnold in 1896. It was not until 1911, that Charles Kettering gave America a true electric starter motor.

You may wonder: what do cars and CAD have in common? The most important similarity is that they represent continuous advancements in technology that are designed to make life easier, better and more productive. Keeping up with advancements in technology can keep your business advancing and increase your bottom line. If you are still using a compass and protractor to create ink on Mylar drawings, you are driving a Model T. If you are using a FORTRAN based system, you are driving a Yugo. You are going, but not very far or very fast.

Upgrading Your CAD Software

Many businesses are relying on CAD software that is outdated. It functions like an old trusty car, but does not offer cruise control, power windows or air conditioning. Who could imagine driving in a car without these amenities? Likewise, CAD is no longer simply two-dimensional modeling. The latest CAD software uses 3D surface and solid modeling, dynamic mathematical modeling and even photorealistic rendering.

PTC Creo gives you CAD software that you can customize to your business needs and then build on, without having to learn to drive all over again. If you are only comfortable with front-wheel drive, you can work with 2D software. When you are ready for all-wheel drive, your 2D can seamlessly move into 3D.

If your business uses an entire fleet of different CAD solutions, you do not have to worry about putting a Ford muffler on a GM SUV. PTC can provide you with the right tools for Multi-CAD environments. You can even test drive PTC Creo software for free.

Using Your Upgraded CAD Software

Have you heard enough car related puns yet? Well there’s more.

Upgrading to the latest software is just the start. If you do not use the functions your upgraded CAD system offers, you are driving a Porsche in first gear. You have the capability but something is holding you back. Many users fear change or do not understand how to implement the change. With PTC Creo, you simply push in the clutch and shift. For instance, PTC Creo Flexible Modeling Extension (FMX) allows you to make rapid design changes at the last minute by selecting only the parameters you need to change.

PTC Learning Exchange offers free tutorials so you and your employees can learn to drive your CAD software and utilize all of the benefits. So getting the most out of new technology is not as difficult as you may fear.

Taking a horse and buggy across the country will take you forever, but embracing PTC Creo FMX will shorten design cycles and lower production costs. Let EAC show you how easy Creo is to use so you can get your business on the road to success. All puns intended.

I have been involved in many projects for many different topics. I have worked on everything from global new product development to ERP or PLM implementations to detailed global change process implementations.
There is a lot to the makeup of a successful project. However, for this blog, I am going to focus on the personality of the overall project team members.

What I have found interesting is that I can pretty much tell how well the project will go within the first 30 minutes of the first meeting. It has nothing to do with the abilities of the group, but more about the psychological makeup of the project team.

Many times the team is forced together from a corporate directive. Maybe one or two people are truly behind the project, but the rest are there because they have to be. The team selection is not thought out. The people selected are the ones with spare time or more commonly are the expert of the area being affected. When this happens I can almost guarantee the project will take longer than planned and be difficult to execute.

Here are the typical people I see in almost every project:

Old school is better: These are people who feel that there is no need for change. The way they do it now is fine and, in fact, better than the new way. The main reason these people are usually on a project team is because they tend to know the most about the current way things are done. They have detailed knowledge of the old process so management tends to feel they must be involved in the new project. I question that decision. You don’t always need the resident expert directly involved in a project. In fact often they are too close to the current process to see past it. Even if their attitude is good, the “expert” is not always best to have on the project team. They should be a key resource, but not necessarily on the core project team.

The know it all: This person can also bring a project down fast. They tend to dismiss or belittle other team member’s opinions. They will often quickly cause team friction. Once your team stops being understanding and open to one another’s opinions, you might as well scrap the project. Having team members that are willing to consider everyone’s comments is a good trait to have on a project team.

Leader: This is not always, and does not have to be, a manager. Many times it’s not even the project manager, but it is ideal when it is. This person drives the project. They take control and in some cases push the project along when it starts to stall from team inactiveness. They tend to be very hands on. This person is great to have on the team and helps to have a successful project.

True team player: They just get it. These are the people I love to see on the team. They truly understand what is trying to be accomplished in the project. They are forward thinking and understand that the reality of any new project is never cut and dry. These people can come from any discipline, but their good attitude and willingness to work through issues help to make the project successful.

There are other roles I see, but the above are the most common. Plus, I did not want to make this blog so long no one reads it.

Many times in smaller companies you don’t have a choice of who is on a project team. There are limited resources to pull from. You have to use who you have. However, no matter the size of the company, I would highly recommend considering the personality of each of your team members prior to establishing your project team. The people on a project team do not always need to be the expert of each department affected. They do need to have good knowledge of their department, but not necessarily be the expert. They will need access to the local expert, but a good understanding of how a successful project functions is more important than topic expertise in many cases.

Once you have a good project team established, a good realistic scope and milestones of the project needs to be defined. Too many times I see a scope of a project being set that is too aggressive and unrealistic. This is all relative of course, but keeping the project scope and milestones achievable is important. You can’t expect a complete 360 of an existing complex process in 30 days. Realistic (yet aggressive) achievable goals will help keep the project team optimistic, upbeat and energized to follow through with the entire project.

I don’t claim to know what makes up the perfect project team. You will always have some element of each role personality on a team. As long as they are not too extreme it can still be a manageable team and a successful project. I should know…I have had many successful projects with a team I had no say in selecting. The projects still succeed; but it can be a much more difficult than necessary with the wrong team psyche.

What personalities have you seen hurt or help a project? I would love to see some good stories on overall project team personalities posted here (no names please).

I remember quite well the anxiety of deciding what college I should attend. Like many, I knew I would be paying for it myself, and I wasn’t exactly fond of racking up thousands of dollars in student loans. It was absolutely crucial that I picked a school and a program that would bring me the most bang for my buck without sacrificing the quality of the education.

So many students are facing that same decision today. Although my career path was never destined for engineering, I did end up working with a company (EAC) that provides anything an organization needs to start or maintain an engineering group/department. This includes the education sector. One of our customers is Globe University, formerly known as the NTI School of Technology in Woodbury, MN.

The Globe staff has gone to great lengths to ensure that their students realize the benefits of a great education while providing it at a great value. Dan Podzimek, who heads the Drafting and Design program, ensures that their engineering students have the breadth and know-how to have successful careers by making sure they are well versed in relevant CAD solutions.

Unfortunately, many schools are teaching students how to use outdated software. This could be due to budget restrictions or simply that training for the educators is lacking. In any case, Podzimek and his colleagues realize the importance of teaching the most current and real world tools to prepare their students for the field.

Last year, the program switched from teaching PTC Pro/ENGINEER to PTC’s new platform, Creo Parametric. To accompany the upgrade Globe also adopted PTC’s Precision LMS (Learning Management System). The results were staggering. With the new CAD tool and teaching aide, they were able to cover 25% more course material.

I know myself well, and if someone came to me and said I could get 25% more out of this course versus that course, the decision would be a no brainer — and I am sure I’m not alone. I don’t know about you, but I’d say that’s 25% more bang for your buck!

Were the software tools taught in your college’s engineering program part of your school selection criteria? See the benefits Globe University realized for yourself in switching to Creo Parametric.

In the last 6 or so months, I have had the honor and privilege of interviewing some of our customers. At EAC, we are dedicated to continuous improvement and one way we gain perspective of where we stand is by capturing voice of customer metrics and case studies. It not only validates how we operate, but it also gives us an opportunity to share our customer’s successes with other companies that might be facing similar challenges. These customers are real, industry leaders who are PTC software users and cheerleaders for EAC. I hope you can relate to our customer’s stories and enjoy reading how they worked through their business challenges and objectives with the help of EAC and PTC.

For today’s voice of customer bit, I’d like to highlight FSG Design (Pennsylvania). They produce innovative solutions for a variety of industries, including: robotics, military, automotive, and medical.  Because of the strict tolerances within these industries, FSG’s projects require a CAD tool that is powerful, adaptive, and has the capability to create pristine surfaces.

CEO & Principle Frank Glogowski has found that using Creo Parametric 2.0 along side the Interactive Surface Design Extension (ISDX) has increased his overall productivity by a whopping 25%. Glogowski also said that ISDX meets 98% of the surfacing needs for his organization.

Glogowski has also used other tools like ICEM-Surf, which is for highly complex surface modeling geared toward the automotive industry. My favorite quote from the interview came from his experience. “There is a direct connection with the ICEM-Surf data and ISDX data and I am able to work bi-directional which is really nice. Once one surface is set in, I can take care of all engineering with Creo and the ISDX Module.”

In the grand scale of company size, FSG Design is considered a Small Business. It is worth pointing out that world-class tools are not out of reach for smaller companies. FSG was looking for a way to adopt and upgrade to great software while keeping the budget in check.

If you’ve got comments about how ISDX is working for you, or have questions, get the conversation started below.

I’ve been a Mechanical Engineer for years. This means I’ve had many conversations with people regarding their opinions about the various CAD tools on the market. For the record, I’m a Creo and Pro/ENGINEER man. During these, sometimes heated, conversations I regularly hear people say that it takes too many mouse clicks to do something in Creo; whether that is creating a feature in sketcher mode or getting to the dialogue box to select a sketching plane for an extrude. Every time I hear this I have the same response. I tell them about a simple solution that’s built right into Creo. I use it every day. It’s the right mouse button.
The right mouse button (RMB) gives you several menu options depending on what mode you are in and what you are currently doing. For example if you are editing an extrude and you have the dashboard up and you hold down the right mouse button you will see options such as “Edit Internal Sketch, Clear, Surface, Thicken sketch, Flip Depth Direction, Add Taper, Show Section Dimensions.” I don’t know about you but I find that a lot faster and easier than digging through the dashboard.

This was just one quick example of using the right mouse button in Creo. Feel free to explore the right mouse button in other areas of Creo for different menu options. Let me know your favorite “short cuts” in the comments below.