To our clients,
Schneider Electric has announced an agreement to acquire PTC. Given EAC’s 30-year relationship with PTC and the importance of PTC technology to many of our clients, I wanted to share what we know today, what this may mean for you, and how EAC will support you as things progress.
First, there is no immediate change to your relationship with EAC, the people who support you, or the PTC products and services you rely on. The transaction is expected to close in 2027, subject to required approvals and closing conditions, and there is a lot of work to be done between now and then.
After reviewing what Schneider and PTC have shared publicly, I am excited and optimistic about what comes next.
Schneider Electric is a global leader in energy management, industrial automation, and industrial AI. PTC brings leading capabilities in product design, product lifecycle management, application lifecycle management, service lifecycle management, and product data.
PTC has said its core mission will continue and that it intends to double down on CAD, PLM, ALM, SLM, and embedded AI, while strengthening the connections between these technologies to help clients build product data foundations across the full lifecycle.
Following the acquisition, PTC is expected to become part of Schneider Electric’s software group alongside AVEVA and, assuming its acquisition closes, Cognite. Together, these businesses could connect product development and product data with manufacturing operations, industrial data, energy, automation, and AI.
For manufacturers, I think the possibilities are significant.
What this means for EAC
I believe EAC is uniquely positioned for where this is headed.
For nearly 30 years, we have built deep expertise across PTC’s technologies and the engineering and product development processes they support.
We bring deep experience in industrial IoT and connected products, helping manufacturers connect physical assets with the digital world. Our investments in additive manufacturing also give us a direct connection between digital product development and how products and parts are actually made. And we have been making significant investments in AI, developing ways to help our clients put their engineering and product data to work in entirely new ways.
The convergence of product development, product data, industrial connectivity, AI, and advanced manufacturing is not a new direction for EAC. It is where we have already been investing.
What is particularly encouraging is that PTC sees its partner ecosystem as an important part of what comes next. For our clients, that means the potential for access to a broader set of technologies, expertise, and solutions that connect product development with manufacturing, industrial data, automation, and AI. EAC’s role will be to help you determine where these new capabilities can create real business value, bring the right pieces together, and avoid unnecessary complexity.
Our goal is not simply to help you purchase or implement technology. It is to understand your business, connect the technologies and data that matter, and help you produce measurable results from those investments. We help create clarity from complexity so you can bring better products to market faster and with confidence.
That responsibility does not change because of this transaction.
There are still questions that nobody can answer today. The acquisition will take time to complete, and details about how the organizations ultimately come together will emerge over the coming months.
We will not speculate.
We will stay close to PTC, follow Schneider’s strategy as it develops, advocate for our clients, and communicate with you when there is information that matters. We will distinguish confirmed information from what remains uncertain and help you understand what each development means for your business.
For now, my advice is simple:
Keep moving forward.
Continue executing your product development and digital transformation strategies. Continue building the product data foundation that will increasingly power AI and automation. And continue holding EAC accountable for helping you get meaningful business results from those investments.
After 30 years in this business, I have learned that significant changes in technology and markets almost always create new opportunities.
With EAC’s PTC experience, industrial IoT expertise, additive manufacturing capabilities, investments in AI, and most importantly, the relationships we have built with our clients, I believe we are very well positioned for this next chapter.
We look forward to helping you make the most of what comes next.
Thane Hathaway
CEO
EAC Product Development Solutions
Digital transformation has become a buzzword in recent years, and for good reason. Companies that embrace digital technologies are more likely to stay ahead of the curve, differentiate themselves in the marketplace, and meet the evolving needs of their customers.
The benefits of digital transformation can be far-reaching, from improved customer experience to cost savings and increased efficiency.
In this blog, we will explore the various benefits of digital transformation, and why it is essential for companies to embrace this trend in order to remain competitive in the digital age.
What is Digital Transformation?
Digital transformation is a term used to describe the process of transforming an organization’s business model and operations through the use of digital technologies. It’s important because it can help you stay ahead of your competition, improve customer experience and attract new customers.
The benefits of digital transformation include:
- Improved customer experience: Digital transformation can help you better understand and meet the needs of your customers. With the use of data analytics and other digital tools, you can gather insights into customer behavior and preferences, and tailor your products and services accordingly.
- Increased efficiency and productivity: Digital transformation can automate many processes, reducing manual labor and freeing up staff to focus on higher-value tasks. This can lead to increased efficiency and productivity across your organization.
- Competitive advantage: By embracing digital technologies, you can stay ahead of your competitors and differentiate yourself in the marketplace. This can help you attract new customers and retain existing ones.
- Cost savings: Digital transformation can help you reduce costs by streamlining processes and eliminating unnecessary steps. This can lead to significant savings over time.
- Innovation: Digital transformation can open up new opportunities for innovation and growth. By embracing new technologies and ways of working, you can develop new products and services that better meet the needs of your customers.
Creating a Digital Transformation Roadmap
The first step to creating a digital transformation roadmap is to identify the scope of your transformation. What are you trying to achieve? What are the goals and objectives of your business? How will you measure success?
Once this has been determined, it’s time to set up a timeline for achieving those goals.
Once these steps have been completed, it’s time for action! You should now have a clear idea of what needs changing within your organization and how long it will take before those changes become visible.
Building a Digital Transformation Team
When you’re building your digital transformation team, it’s important to define roles and responsibilities. You’ll want to make sure that everyone understands their role in the process and what they are expected to do. For example, if someone is responsible for monitoring the performance of shop floor machines, they should know what the ideal OEE is of each machine, how they are going to collect that data, and how they are going to distribute it to enterprise decision makers.
It’s also important that you select team members who have complementary skillsets and experience levels. If one person has extensive knowledge of augmented reality while another knows nothing about it at all, this could lead to problems down the line when it comes time for them both to collaborate on projects together – and no one wants that!
Finally, creating a culture where collaboration happens naturally between team members will help ensure successful outcomes throughout your digital transformation project(s).
Adopting the Right Technology
The first step in digital transformation is choosing the right technology. You’ll want to consider:
Software: What are your current needs and how will they change over time? Will you need additional features or functionality?
Hardware: Do you have enough computing power and storage space for all of your data, or does it need to be scaled up or down depending on usage patterns at different times of day/year/etc.? Do you have sensors to track data that you need for production insight?
Tools: What tools do developers use to build applications on top of this platform (e.g., Creo vs. Solidworks)? How easy is it for them to integrate their code with existing systems like databases and messaging queues? Are there any security issues with using these tools – and if so, how can they be mitigated by using another tool instead (e.g., switching from MySQL database server software to Microsoft Azure).
Developing a Digital Transformation Strategy
The first step to developing a digital transformation strategy is to define the scope of the project. What are you trying to accomplish? What are your objectives, and how will you measure success?
These questions can help guide your organization through its transformation journey by setting realistic goals for both short-term wins and long-term gains.
Once you’ve defined what needs changing, it’s time for step two: defining how those changes will happen. This involves creating an action plan that includes timelines for each phase of implementation as well as resources required for each stage (e.g., time from IT staff).
Some companies may choose to tackle multiple projects simultaneously; others might choose only one area at a time depending on their resources available in terms of money/manpower/etcetera).
EAC Assessments help companies answer all those questions and how to get where they want to be.
Implementing the Digital Transformation Plan
Develop a timeline. The first step in implementing your digital transformation plan is to develop a timeline with milestones that will help you track progress.
Set goals and objectives for each milestone. Once you’ve established your milestones, it’s time to set goals and objectives for each one of them so that everyone involved knows exactly what needs to be done at any given time during the project.
Track progress regularly by reviewing dashboards or reports generated from data collected during testing phases of development projects (if applicable). It’s important not only for managers but also employees on lower levels within organizations who may not have access
Monitoring and Evaluating Performance
Monitoring and measuring performance is an important part of the digital transformation process. It allows you to identify areas where you are successful, and areas that need improvement.
Monitoring can be done using a variety of tools, including:
Data Analytics Dashboards (e.g., Thingworx Analytics)
Real-time Data Share (e.g., Windchill)
Digital Twin Performance (e.g., Augmented Reality)
Adapting and Adjusting the Plan
As you progress through your digital transformation, there will be changes in the market that you need to respond to.
If a competitor introduces a new product or service, or if something happens in the industry at large, it may change how you approach your own strategy.
You might also find that your goals and objectives have changed since they were first set out; perhaps there’s been an increase in customer demand for something specific that wasn’t previously considered important enough for inclusion on the list.
The best way to handle these situations is by reviewing them regularly with other members of your team – and making sure everyone has input into decisions about how best to adjust course as needed.
Communicating the Benefits of Digital Transformation
In order to communicate the benefits of digital transformation, it’s important to understand who your stakeholders are and what they want.
If you’re working in an organization with a large number of stakeholders (such as a government agency), then there may be multiple groups that need convincing. For example:
The board wants to see results from their investment in IT infrastructure. They’ll likely be interested in metrics such as ROI and cost savings.
Executives want quick wins that will help them achieve their goals, but they also need proof that this new approach will work before they can commit time and resources to implementing it throughout the organization.
Employees want something tangible they can hold onto when explaining why this change is important for them personally (and why it matters).
Conclusion
Digital transformation is a powerful tool that can help you achieve your business goals. It’s important to remember that digital transformation is not just about implementing new technologies, but also about changing how you work and think as an organization.
Digital transformation requires commitment from everyone involved in the process – from the C-suite down through every level of your organization.
To be successful, it must be an ongoing effort rather than a one-time project or initiative. You will need to continuously innovate and improve what you’re doing if you want to stay ahead of competitors who are also pursuing digital transformation strategies.
In conclusion, digital transformation is becoming increasingly essential for companies to stay competitive and meet the needs of their customers in the digital age. However, the process of digital transformation can be complex and challenging, which is why EAC assessments can be extremely helpful.
By conducting an assessment of your organization’s current digital capabilities and identifying areas for improvement, you can develop a roadmap for digital transformation that is tailored to your specific needs and goals.
EAC assessments can help you identify gaps in your digital capabilities, streamline your processes, and develop new products and services that better meet the needs of your customers. By embracing digital transformation and leveraging the expertise of EAC assessors, you can position your company for success in the digital age.
