In today’s world of fast-paced product innovation and growing regulatory demands, product development teams need a robust and integrated way to manage the entire lifecycle of complex systems. That’s where Codebeamer, a powerful Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) solution by PTC, comes into play. If you’re looking for a way to unify teams, streamline compliance, and deliver high-quality products faster, Codebeamer might be your answer.
Let’s explore what is PTC Codebeamer, how it helps organizations in regulated industries, and why it stands out as a next-generation ALM tool.
What is Codebeamer?
PTC Codebeamer is a modern, cloud-ready ALM platform designed to support complex product and software development processes. It provides end-to-end traceability, collaborative workflows, and built-in support for compliance management.
From requirements capture and risk management to testing and quality assurance, Codebeamer consolidates every step of the development lifecycle into a single platform. It enables teams to collaborate in real-time while maintaining full traceability and regulatory alignment.
Why Codebeamer Was Built: Solving Modern ALM Challenges
The development of Codebeamer was driven by a growing need in the industry for a more cohesive, scalable, and compliance-oriented approach to ALM. As products become increasingly complex and interdisciplinary, and as regulatory scrutiny intensifies across industries, traditional methods and legacy tools can’t keep up. Development teams need solutions that not only track progress but actively facilitate collaboration, traceability, and quality.
Legacy ALM tools and document-based processes often fall short in today’s environment of continuous innovation and regulatory pressure. Teams struggle with:
- Disconnected systems and data silos
- Manual compliance documentation
- Inconsistent version control
- Lack of visibility into project progress
Codebeamer was purpose-built to eliminate these issues. By connecting stakeholders across the development lifecycle, it fosters collaboration and ensures that quality, safety, and compliance are built into every step. Its integrated and modern architecture helps reduce risk, streamline documentation, and improve overall product development agility.
Key Features of Codebeamer
In a complex product development environment, teams need more than just a basic task tracker or document repository. They need a solution that brings structure, consistency, and traceability to every phase of development. Codebeamer delivers this with a rich suite of integrated features tailored to meet the needs of highly regulated industries and cross-functional engineering teams. From capturing requirements to automating compliance tasks, Codebeamer equips teams with the tools they need to work efficiently and deliver with confidence.
Requirements Management
Capture, analyze, and manage requirements in real-time. Codebeamer offers traceable requirement hierarchies and collaborative tools to ensure every stakeholder is aligned.
Risk Management
Integrated risk management tools help teams conduct FMEA, hazard analysis, and implement mitigation plans. Built-in support for ISO 14971 and other standards makes it ideal for regulated industries.
Test Management
Manage both manual and automated testing from a unified dashboard. Track test coverage, link tests to requirements, and generate audit-ready reports.
Compliance Automation
With templates and frameworks for ISO 13485, IEC 62304, ASPICE, and FDA requirements, Codebeamer automates much of the documentation and validation process.
Workflow Automation & Collaboration
Build custom workflows to streamline development, reviews, and approvals. With role-based access, teams can collaborate securely across global locations.
Codebeamer in Regulated Industries
Codebeamer plays a crucial role in helping highly regulated industries stay compliant, efficient, and innovative. These sectors face strict guidelines, frequent audits, and intense pressure to ensure product quality and safety. Codebeamer is designed to simplify compliance while improving traceability and development agility. With its built-in support for global standards and frameworks, it enables companies to operate confidently within even the most complex regulatory landscapes.
Codebeamer shines in industries where compliance, quality, and traceability are non-negotiable:
- Medical Devices: Aligns with FDA, EU MDR, ISO 13485, and IEC 62304.
- Automotive: Meets ASPICE and ISO 26262 standards.
- Aerospace & Defense: Supports DO-178C and related compliance frameworks.
Built-in templates and best practices help organizations pass audits faster and with fewer headaches. In an environment where missteps can be costly, Codebeamer offers peace of mind and a path toward continuous improvement.
PTC Codebeamer vs Legacy ALM Tools
Unlike legacy ALM systems or spreadsheets, Codebeamer provides real-time traceability and centralized data access. It replaces fragmented, error-prone processes with a single digital thread across the development cycle. This results in:
- Faster innovation
- Reduced compliance risk
- Improved team productivity
As product development becomes more complex and global, the need for modern, integrated ALM platforms becomes critical. Codebeamer gives teams the visibility, traceability, and automation they need to stay ahead of the curve.
Codebeamer Integration with PLM and DevOps
PTC Codebeamer integrates seamlessly with Windchill PLM, GitHub, Jenkins, Jira, and other DevOps tools. This helps teams link software development with hardware design and manage the entire product lifecycle under one roof.
The synergy between Codebeamer and PLM tools ensures better change control, faster releases, and fewer miscommunications.
Benefits of Using Codebeamer
When it comes to modern product development, having the right ALM tool can make all the difference. Codebeamer offers a comprehensive platform that improves productivity, enhances compliance, and promotes innovation across cross-functional teams. Its intuitive interface, real-time dashboards, and robust integrations help reduce overhead and eliminate bottlenecks.
For organizations working in high-stakes, highly regulated environments, these benefits can translate into:
- Improved time-to-market
- Simplified compliance and audits
- Ensured quality through real-time test and risk tracking
- Enabled collaboration across departments and time zones
- Connected software, hardware, and regulatory processes in one system
Why Engineers and Quality Teams Are Adopting Codebeamer
Codebeamer provides engineering and QA teams with a flexible, scalable platform tailored to their unique challenges. Whether it’s tracing a bug back to a requirement or preparing for an FDA audit, Codebeamer simplifies the process. Its visual dashboards, process templates, and customizable workflows empower teams to focus on innovation instead of paperwork.
Frequently Asked Questions About PTC Codebeamer
When exploring application lifecycle management (ALM) solutions, decision-makers often seek clarity on what sets each platform apart, especially when it comes to managing complex, regulated, and connected product development. The following FAQs address the most common questions engineering leaders, IT managers, and executives ask when evaluating PTC Codebeamer. From its core functionality and compliance capabilities to its role in agile and hybrid development, these answers explain how Codebeamer supports digital transformation across the entire product lifecycle.
What is PTC Codebeamer and how does it work?
PTC Codebeamer is an application lifecycle management (ALM) platform that centralizes the management of requirements, risks, tests, and releases across the entire development lifecycle. It connects teams through digital traceability, ensuring all stakeholders (engineering, quality, etc) work from a shared, up-to-date source of truth. Codebeamer provides configurable workflows, templates, and integrations to align development with compliance and quality standards. This unified approach helps teams deliver safer, more reliable, and higher-quality products faster.
What is ALM (Application Lifecycle Management) and why do companies need it?
ALM, or Application Lifecycle Management, is the process of managing a product’s software lifecycle, from planning and design to development, testing, deployment, and maintenance. Companies need ALM to coordinate cross-functional teams, maintain traceability, and ensure consistent quality across evolving software systems. As products become more software-driven, ALM bridges engineering and IT disciplines, reducing risk and rework. With tools like Codebeamer, organizations can streamline collaboration and ensure that business, development, and compliance goals stay aligned.
How does Codebeamer differ from traditional PLM or project management tools?
Unlike PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) systems that focus primarily on mechanical and hardware product data, Codebeamer is purpose-built for managing software and systems development. It provides capabilities for requirements management, test management, and risk tracking, which traditional PLM and project tools often lack. While PLM manages “what is built,” ALM (and Codebeamer specifically) manages “how it’s built.” The two systems are complementary. When integrated, they deliver a seamless digital thread between design, engineering, and software delivery.
What are the key features of Codebeamer ALM?
Codebeamer includes end-to-end traceability, configurable workflows, integrated risk and test management, and advanced reporting dashboards. It offers requirements versioning, change control, compliance templates, and collaboration tools to improve transparency and quality throughout development. Built-in integrations connect to tools like Jira, GitHub, and PTC Windchill, creating a unified digital ecosystem. Together, these capabilities help organizations manage complexity while improving speed, visibility, and governance.
How does Codebeamer support requirements management?
Codebeamer provides a structured framework for capturing, organizing, and linking requirements with downstream development and testing activities. It ensures every requirement is traceable to its implementation and validation, helping teams maintain compliance and quality assurance. Version control and baselining features preserve a complete history of changes, reducing confusion and ensuring audit readiness. This makes Codebeamer a powerful solution for managing both simple and highly complex requirements workflows.
Who uses Codebeamer and what industries benefit from it?
Codebeamer is used across industries where product complexity, regulation, and safety are high priorities, such as medical devices, automotive, aerospace, defense, and industrial automation. It supports organizations that need to manage software-driven innovation while meeting strict quality and compliance standards. Engineering, quality assurance, and regulatory teams benefit most from its structured workflows and traceability. Companies building connected, high-tech, or safety-critical products find Codebeamer essential for managing lifecycle visibility.
Can small or mid-sized companies use Codebeamer, or is it just for large enterprises?
While Codebeamer is built to scale for large enterprises, it’s also an excellent fit for small-to-mid-sized organizations that want to mature their development processes. Its modular design and cloud deployment options allow companies to start small and expand as their needs evolve. PTC offers flexible licensing and implementation paths tailored to business size and industry. Even smaller teams gain enterprise-level control and visibility, without the overhead of a complex setup.
What are the core modules or capabilities of Codebeamer?
Codebeamer includes key modules for requirements management, risk and test management, change and configuration control, and reporting and analytics. Each module integrates seamlessly, ensuring a continuous digital thread from concept to release. Specialized templates and frameworks, such as ISO 26262 (automotive), IEC 62304 (medical), and DO-178C (aerospace), are built-in to streamline compliance. Together, these modules create a unified environment for managing all aspects of complex product development.
How does Codebeamer help manage complex product development and software delivery?
Codebeamer connects multiple disciplines – hardware, software, and systems engineering – into a single collaborative environment. It synchronizes development tasks, tests, and requirements to ensure teams stay aligned even in fast-paced, iterative projects. By automating traceability and approval workflows, it reduces errors and accelerates decision-making. The platform’s scalability and integrations make it ideal for managing highly complex, regulated, or geographically distributed development efforts.
What makes Codebeamer unique compared to other ALM tools?
Codebeamer stands out for its deep compliance support, end-to-end traceability, and configurable process templates designed for regulated industries. It’s one of the few ALM platforms that seamlessly connects with PTC’s ecosystem – including Windchill and ThingWorx – enabling a true digital thread across engineering and software domains. Its no-code workflow engine allows teams to tailor processes without development overhead. In short, Codebeamer offers the flexibility of an agile tool with the rigor of enterprise-grade compliance management.
Does Codebeamer support traceability across development, testing, and release?
Yes, traceability is one of Codebeamer’s strongest features. Every artifact – from requirements and risks to tests and releases -is linked, allowing teams to visualize dependencies and verify full coverage. Its Traceability Browser lets users drill down into upstream and downstream relationships to assess change impacts instantly. This level of visibility ensures nothing is missed and that regulatory documentation is always audit-ready.
How does Codebeamer help with audits and regulatory compliance (e.g., ISO, FDA, automotive)?
Codebeamer simplifies compliance by automating documentation and aligning workflows with key industry standards. It includes templates for ISO 26262 (automotive), IEC 62304 (medical), and FDA 21 CFR Part 11 (life sciences), among others. Teams can generate pre-configured audit trails and traceability reports on demand, saving time and reducing risk. Its built-in e-signatures, permissions, and validation workflows make it ideal for highly regulated environments.
How does Codebeamer support agile, DevOps, and hybrid development methodologies?
Codebeamer’s flexible architecture supports agile, waterfall, and hybrid methodologies, allowing teams to customize workflows to their preferred approach. It integrates seamlessly with DevOps tools such as Jenkins, GitLab, and Jira, creating continuous integration and delivery pipelines. Backlogs, sprints, and user stories can be managed alongside compliance and risk processes in one platform. This hybrid adaptability helps organizations modernize without abandoning established practices.
What reporting and analytics capabilities does Codebeamer provide?
Codebeamer offers configurable dashboards, KPIs, and reports to track progress, quality, and compliance metrics across projects. Real-time analytics visualize dependencies, bottlenecks, and change impacts, helping teams make data-driven decisions. Reports can be exported or shared automatically for audits, management reviews, or performance tracking. These insights improve transparency and promote continuous improvement across development teams.
Does Codebeamer support risk management and mitigation workflows?
Yes, Codebeamer includes built-in risk management modules that help identify, assess, and mitigate risks throughout the development lifecycle. Risks can be linked to requirements, tests, and controls, maintaining full traceability for compliance documentation. Configurable risk matrices and failure mode analyses (FMEA) ensure proactive decision-making. This structured approach reduces the chance of costly errors and strengthens product safety and reliability.
Is Codebeamer Right for You?
If your organization develops complex products, especially in regulated industries, PTC Codebeamer is an ALM platform worth considering. It delivers speed, compliance, and collaboration in a single solution, making it easier to innovate with confidence.
Looking to better understand how essential ALM is to regulated companies? Check out our guide Digital Transformation for Engineering Leaders: Why ALM is the Foundation.
In today’s world, it’s not uncommon for companies to be rich in data but poor in insights. Despite having access to a wealth of information, organizations struggle to properly analyze performance and drive transformational improvements. This is where ThingWorx Digital Performance Management (DPM) steps in to bridge the gap.
This week in your factory, you’ve applied maximum effort, pouring countless hours into perfecting your product. As the work week ends, a feeling of slight disappointment remains.
Could you have accomplished more? Where did it go awry? You may not be able to find the answers on your own, leaving your factory inefficient and operating below its full potential.
If this is you, look no further. With the capabilities of Thingworx Digital Performance Management, you will unleash an untapped potential of data and boost your manufacturing processes.
What is Digital Performance Management?
ThingWorx Digital Performance Management (DPM) is a cutting-edge solution designed to help organizations identify, prioritize, and improve production issues.
By capturing lost production hours and their causes, DPM indicates where to focus for the most critical impact. Also, it optimizes the finite time available, allowing organizations to reclaim lost hours and increase effective time by 20% or more. Thus, directly impacting the bottom line.
How Does DPM Work?
Consider a manufacturing facility that can produce one unit per hour. In a week with 88 hours worked, the facility manages to manufacture only 44 units. Let’s say 12 hours are lost through planned downtime and 14 hours are lost due to changeovers.
That leaves about 18 hours unaccounted for. Where did those come from? With ThingWorx DPM, you can quickly identify issues, and why they happened, and then take appropriate actions to fix them.
Moreover, DPM calculates and analyzes discrepancies, providing valuable insights to improve productivity. DPM is a comprehensive toolset that propels organizations towards peak performance by tracking performance, conducting in-depth analysis, planning, and validating improvements.
The Production Dashboard
One feature included with DPM is the Production Dashboard. The visual dashboard is a crucial tool for supervising shift performance and gathering vital data to inform reporting and analysis. It is designed for supervisors and line managers to track productivity across various production lines.
Some key features of the Production Dashboard include:
Provides insights into shift progress at the production block level
Allows for automated and manual data entry, including reason codes to capture all losses
And offers a simplified interface to minimize disruption
Bottleneck Analysis
The Bottleneck Analysis tool is designed to automatically detect and monitor the most significant bottlenecks in your factory, providing valuable analysis and insights into OEE and OLE.
One of the challenges that customers face is a lack of visibility into bottlenecks, which leads to a disconnect between continuous improvement efforts and their impact on the business. However, bottlenecks are often dynamic and complex.
To address these challenges, DPM offers key capabilities to help identify and resolve:
Automatically identifying and tracking bottlenecks.
Systematic identification of the top constraints, which can significantly increase factory efficiency by 5-20%.
Management of the dynamic nature of competing bottlenecks.
Overall, DPM works relentlessly, making up for lost time by tracing the root cause of issues and providing precise remedies to ensure smooth and efficient functionality. Consider DPM an invaluable employee, working tirelessly around the clock without additional overtime costs!
Accelerate Problem Solving with DPM
DPM’s capabilities extend beyond surface-level analysis. By combining Pareto analysis and time loss analytics, DPM users can uncover and address a significant percentage of production problems.
Additionally, with the further integration of AI and machine learning, DPM streamlines the identification of patterns in data, resulting in faster problem-solving and decision-making.
For instance, a DPM user noticed quality losses between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. Thanks to DPM’s automated analysis, the manufacturing team quickly determined that the issue was caused by a glare from the sunset, making the inspection camera unreliable.
All in all, DPM helped accelerate the problem-solving process saving valuable time and resources.
Reap the Benefits
Digital Performance Management is as remarkable as it sounds. DPM holds the secret to your production improvements and is ready to share them with you. Discover the plethora of benefits that are tied to DPM:
Standardized Measurement: DPM provides a consistent and standardized approach to measure losses, ensuring accurate evaluation of bottlenecks, and their impact on performance.
Efficient Root Cause Analysis: Leveraging AI technology, DPM identifies the root causes of bottlenecks and facilitates their permanent resolution, eliminating recurring issues.
Automated Problem Identification: DPM’s powerful AI algorithms automate the process of surfacing common issues, exponentially reducing the time spent on problem-solving.
Real-time Insights: What once took months to identify critical insights now becomes easily accessible through DPM’s intuitive interface, providing teams with immediate access to actionable insights.
Get Started with DPM Today!
In conclusion, if you want to revolutionize your performance management and take your organization to new heights, it’s time to embrace Digital Performance Management.
Remember, in today’s fast-paced world, those who leverage technology to gain insights and make data-driven decisions are the ones who thrive.
Are you ready to unlock the true potential of your organization with Digital Performance Management? Talk with an expert now to take your first steps toward success.
If you’re wondering how to get effective and long-term PTC Windchill Support, look no further.
We partner with PTC and are a Top Solution Provider because our experts truly believe PTC products are the best in the industry for the Digital Thread and improving the complete product development process. Our company would like to address some of the pain points you may experience while using your Windchill PLM platform. As well as inform you about the steps we are taking to enhance your overall user experience and boost efficiency across your enterprise.
As with any complex software system, there can be a number of frustrations that users may experience when working with Windchill. Here are some common Windchill complaints that we hear in the industry:
- Complex User Interface especially for infrequent users
- Cumbersome Navigation
- Slow Performance & Speed
- Customization Limitations
- Limited Task Support & Access for departments outside of Engineering
- Lack of Workflow Synergy between multiple departments
Overall, these frustrations can make it difficult for users to work efficiently and effectively with Windchill. Read on to learn how Windchill Navigate works FOR you, not against you.
Windchill Support: User Interface
We understand that the complexity of the PTC Windchill user interface can sometimes be overwhelming. Windchill’s user interface can often be cluttered and difficult to navigate. The system has a lot of options and features based on how complex an integrated product database must be. In response to this feedback, we created EAC Productivity Apps.
Our goal is to simplify and streamline the interface, making it more intuitive and user-friendly across teams and departments while keeping security high. By reducing clutter and improving navigation according to different job titles and roles, we aim to enhance your productivity and reduce the learning curve.
Quick Search App
For example, the Quick Search App provides a simplified way for users to enter a number or attribute into a single search bar to find the data results within the context of their job role. This removes the need for users to apply an understanding of how Windchill objects are related and eliminates unwanted, irrelevant data for the task at hand.
Report Viewer App
Our Report Viewer app gives individuals outside the engineering department the ability to view and run Windchill reports with ease. Within the Report Viewer app, you can easily:
- Run pre-configured reports and saved reports
- Save new reports
- Access pre-built report dashboards that utilize the Windchill search engine
Part Associations App
This app provides a “shortcut” for users (especially shop floor employees) to access critical CAD files and documentation, and it consolidates results onto a single screen. Quickly access drawings, parts, assemblies, and other documents associated with CAD and part data.
For users who are in Windchill every day, we strongly suggest seeking out adequate training and support as a first step towards solving some of these frustrations. Even the most seasoned users may find tips and tricks that can simplify their workflows on a day-to-day basis.
BoM Compare App
Pro Tip: Did you know that Windchill BoM comparisons exist in Windchill?
They do! Now with our BoM Compare App, this feature is easier to find and leverage. View a side-by-side comparison of two Windchill bills of materials and select which attributes to compare, all with the click of a button.
Streamline PTC Windchill Navigation
Easy navigation is a huge factor that plays into workflow productivity. Windchill has many menus, screens, and options, making it difficult for users to navigate the system and find the information they need. This can be especially frustrating for infrequent users who are not familiar with the system.
Our EAC Apps are purposefully designed with easier navigation in mind. Instead of constant mouse clicks and multiple new windows opening across your screens, our developers created an ideal workflow. And significantly reduces how long it takes for you to get the info you need based on your job role.
Another challenge we hear from Windchill users is how long it takes to search for and find the data they need. We acknowledge that searching and finding documentation in Windchill can take way too long and cause a lot of frustration. This is especially true for people who only need to go into Windchill once in a blue moon. EAC Apps gets users to the data or drawings they need in just a few mouse clicks.
Below is a timetable that compares the number of mouse clicks it takes in the standard Windchill interface (a user with Windchill experience and skill) versus how many it takes using our productivity apps with little to no training needed.
Support Windchill Performance and Speed
Windchill can be slow to load, especially when working with large amounts of data or performing complex operations. This can lead to delays and frustration for users who need to work quickly and efficiently.
Additionally, optimizing the platform’s performance with maintenance on the back end is critical to ensure smoother operation, faster response times, and improved overall stability.
As a start, we highly recommend checking out the infographic, “6 Ways to Check and Maintain Your Windchill System” to support a healthy Windchill environment.
If your Windchill system continuously crashes or freezes, there is a serious issue that needs attention. For additional help, our managed services team is dedicated to resolving these issues and providing you with a more efficient and seamless experience. Our managed services, EAC Alliance, takes the heavy lifting off of your system admins so they can focus on their core responsibilities.
Learn more about the EAC Alliance program for Windchill. In regards to system crashing or freezing, that does NOT have to be your “normal”. In fact, 99.5% of our Alliance customers see a 100% in Windchill uptime and over 99% in availability. And 100% of our customers say they experience a significant improvement in speed and performance.
For most apps, you don’t even have to log into Windchill at all to get the info you need quickly and securely whether you’re a finance team member in your home office, or a builder on the manufacturing shop floor using your phone or tablet.
Quick Access App
More specifically, the Quick Access App eliminates the need to go into Windchill at all. Shop floor personnel can submit a problem report, a change request, or a new variance directly within the app. The Quick Access app improves user adoption and streamlines access to critical data sets.
The Quick Access app enables team members to quickly view a product’s structure, supporting information, and digital content. It also facilitates rapid issue capture to ensure quality and speed time to market.
Help with Effective Windchill Customizations
Another pain point that has been highlighted is the limited flexibility for customization within PTC Windchill. We understand that different organizations have unique requirements, and we are committed to empowering you with the ability to tailor the platform to your specific needs.
We are actively working on expanding the customization options and offering more flexibility to adapt PTC Windchill to your workflows and processes. Each EAC App allows for ample customization based on what your team or department wants or needs! We’ll set you up for success.
The best part is, even if you upgrade your Windchill version, you don’t have to start over with custom code like you do with ThingWorx! Our apps help administrators maintain the user portal after ThingWorx Navigate upgrade releases.
Windchill Security and Task Support
Need to give Purchasers access to only specific assets? Our EAC Apps allow you to share critical data securely with those who need it based on particular permissions and settings.
Give your shop floor access to the latest drawings, and design changes with easy-to-find and digestible data without having to email busy engineering teams. By expanding access to users in multiple departments with just a few clicks supports your Windchill investment.
Task Management App
Meet the Task Management App. Task Management helps users complete multiple tasks within one window! Streamline your workflows, filter by team assignment, and finish your to-do list. This app will fuel your efficiency, user adoption, and time management.
The Task Management App was designed to enable stakeholders to review and act on assigned Windchill change tasks. It provides visibility into important open tasks and their status.
Additionally, we have a robust knowledge base, user mentoring, and tutorials to assist you in leveraging the full potential of PTC Windchill. Our training and mentoring team is always available to address your queries and provide timely assistance.
Support for Windchill Collaboration and Integration
Is your engineering team the only department accessing Windchill data? If so, your company is not maximizing your technology investment. Our experts stress the value of collaboration and integration with other tools and systems for seamless workflows and processes surrounding your current tools and technology environment.
Our intuitive role-based apps make it easy for stakeholders in other departments to get the data they need from Windchill in a matter of seconds – instead of constantly having to ask the engineering team for answers!
Each app can be tailored to a specific role in your organization. Plus our PLM Apps integrate with any 3rd party system and expand Windchill’s integration capabilities, allowing you to connect with a broader range of applications and enabling smoother collaboration across different teams and departments.
Windchill Support for BoM Reports
For example, a healthy manufacturing BoM report requires input from multiple departments including design, procurement, manufacturing, and sales, and even more stakeholders need access.
The BoM Reports App allows all departments across the enterprise to accurately see the BoM data they need in real-time in the context of their job role. Within the app, you can view lists of unreleased products, created or modified parts in real-time (Cheers to supporting the digital thread strategy!)
Windchill Support for Change Management
Furthermore, Change Management is a core operational asset that can make or break processes across the enterprise. Our Change Management App aims to automate the critical flow and hand-off of information between teams and departments.
Enable excellent project management with an app that provides graphical views of problem reports, change requests, change reports, change variances, promotion requests, and more. This app is highly customizable based on the department and role of each user for maximum efficiency.
Bonus PTC Windchill Support: Implementation & Upgrades
Without experts who have the adequate time and capacity to do so (it’s seriously a full-time job), Windchill may not always be implemented properly in a timely fashion. This leads to data inconsistencies and errors. Errors that almost all manufacturers just can’t afford to be making.
The right approach matters, especially with PLM. To mitigate risk and save your IT team from a heavy burden, check out our service offerings for advanced Windchill support including Windchill implementations, upgrades, installs, and migrations.
Why Windchill is Still Critical for Success
Your feedback and input have been invaluable in shaping the direction of our efforts to improve your experiences with the complex yet powerhouse that is Windchill. We want to assure you that we are committed to continuously enhancing the platform with EAC Apps to serve your needs better and exceed your expectations.
The amount of power and robust capabilities of Windchill is the best investment a company can make on its digital transformation journey and implementing the digital thread. Connecting your data is critical. Finding and accessing your data with user-friendly PLM apps expands Windchill usage and amplifies your Windchill investment.
EAC Apps is the practical solution for PTC Windchill support by increasing Windchill usage and user satisfaction across the enterprise.
If you have any further pain points or suggestions, we would love to hear from you. Your insights are vital in driving our ongoing improvements.
Discover more info in the EAC Apps Brochure.
JR Automation, a Hitachi Group Company, leveraged EAC Productivity Apps to solve Windchill PLM frustrations, scale their business operations and improve the shop floor experiences of their engineers. Discover how JR Automation implemented PLM Apps to gain ROI, bring efficiency and clarity for builders on the manufacturing floor, and achieved scalable digital transformation.
Business Initiatives
JR Automation knew the company needed to update operational processes in order to meet and exceed customer expectations. Their goal was to reduce the time it was taking builders and engineers to manage print packages by 80%.
Additionally, they wanted to increase efficiency by 5% or more during the assembly phase. Including enhanced communication on the shop floor. As well as saving time on machine assembly and tactical coordination. As such, was estimated to be taking up 30% of a builder’s day.
Business Challenges
With an increase of workers on the shop floor, builders had no choice but to walk back and forth to shared kiosks in order to visualize and assemble designs. These complications only intensified as products became more complex. With manual error-prone operations, redline quality, and accuracy were at stake.
Similar to many other manufacturing organizations, challenges arose when it came to searching for the correct prints, managing paper booklets, and updating print designs.
Rework stemming from incorrect designs, and file management complications were growing. Also, misplaced product information (needed for closed-loop change processes) had never been greater. JR Automation was seeking a simple way for low-tech machine builders to get last-minute design changes to engineering. Ross Walters, Director of Engineering, knew that builders required a solution that was highly intuitive.
The Solution: EAC Apps
JR Automation looked at PTC Windchill Navigate. Windchill Navigate does offer a single view to multiple enterprise systems like ALM, MRP, ERP, SLM, CRM, Accounting, and PLM (Windchill). It also gives users universal access to the latest most accurate product information when they need it.
However, it was clear to JR Automation that what they really needed was a customized app that made things easier. EAC’s experts knew the solution and streamlined processes that allow builders to get drawings, CAD files, and other related documents in a single portal. With EAC Apps they could also see role-based reports and make redlines.
By providing all the information needed on a single screen, with user-friendly workflows and easy-to-submit redlines, EAC apps improved operational efficiency as well as customer satisfaction.
A Custom Solution with Major Impact
After evaluating cost, functionality, implementation time, training, and other considerations, JR Automation unveiled they would gain an ROI of $1.4 million from EAC Productivity Apps.
EAC Apps benefited JR Automation with:
- 80% efficiency increase in print management for mechanical engineers
- 60% efficiency increase in builder print management
- 60% increase in digital efficiency gains
In conclusion, JR Automation’s builders no longer need to share a kiosk. Working with EAC enabled efficiencies for more than 200 workers who use Redline Apps today. They have eliminated the need for paper, print supplies, and additional booklets saving them additional costs. EAC Apps have continued to provide benefits such as improved accuracy with customer shipment orders, product designs, onboarding, and training efficiencies.
I’m sure at least once in your life you’ve heard the saying, ‘Work smarter, not harder.’ But what a cliche, right?! Well, for those of you managing your Bill of Materials (BOMs) in Excel, it’s time to step away from the cell block prison (pun intended).
In this article, we’re going to break down what it actually means to revitalize your BOM strategy with the Digital Thread to start seeing the results you want.
What Is The Digital Thread?
First of all, let’s start with the basics. The Digital Thread is a term used to describe the seamless flow of information throughout the manufacturing process. From design and engineering to production and after-sales support. It provides a way to connect all the data and information generated at different stages and from systems of the product lifecycle.
Generally, the Digital Thread provides value by enabling better visibility and control of any processes that require or produce product data. It enables manufacturers to collaborate more effectively, automate and optimize workflows, and quickly respond to changes. All while adjusting quickly to customer needs.
Bill of Materials (BOM)
Next, let’s break down the concept of a Bill of Materials. A complete Bill of Materials (BoM) list usually contains all of the parts and components needed to create or manufacture an end product. You might think of a BoM as a recipe ingredient list. The information about each part can include details such as part names, part numbers, quantity required, and cost per unit. Not to mention, BoMs contain other relevant part details such as material type, color, or size if applicable; supplier information; serial numbers, etc.
By consolidating and organizing all the pertinent information product information, the BoM becomes a centralized resource. A critical resource that facilitates the manufacturing processes of specified products.
Ultimately, the goal of the BoM is to help track inventory and verify missing parts during assembly. Equally as important, BoMs are critical to support a healthy supply chain, as well as help with purchasing decisions and more.
The Digital Thread and Bill of Materials Working Together
Balancing a plethora of product information – it’s no surprise, the best BoM management strategy used within the industry does not leverage solely Microsoft Excel. Nor does it rely upon one Enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. Instead it works to unite data from multiple systems into a single source of truth.
Sounds great doesn’t it? But, if you’re like most – your product data lives all over the place in different systems from different departments. This situation tends to create data siloes resulting in time-consuming manual tasks using outdated operational processes. Generally, these are some of the biggest problems that inhibit manufacturers from achieving their business initiatives.
Oftentimes, during our EAC Assessments, we hear multiple teams across the enterprise and different management levels are frustrated by broken processes. In short, there is a lack of key information employees need to do their jobs right, at the time they need it most.
Meanwhile, the digital thread uses advanced technology (such as product lifecycle management systems as well as the Internet of Things) to connect critical disparate processes. This, in turn, helps minimize manual tasks, and breaks down data siloes. Implementing the digital thread to your BoM strategy creates a major impact for all stakeholders involved. For instance, design teams, engineers, manufacturing, assembly, operations, finance, purchasing, and even marketing.
How The Digital Thread Supports Engineering
Furthermore, the Digital Thread plays a crucial role in supporting engineering and bill of materials (BOM) management by providing seamless connectivity and accessibility to relevant data throughout the product lifecycle. Here’s how the digital thread benefits these areas:
1. Engineering Collaboration
Firstly, the digital thread allows engineers to collaborate effectively by providing a centralized platform for sharing and accessing engineering data. This facilitates cross-functional collaboration, enables real-time communication, and reduces errors or miscommunications during the design and development process.
2. Design Consistency
Secondly, the digital thread ensures design consistency by maintaining a single source of truth for engineering data. Changes made in the design phase are automatically propagated throughout the digital thread, ensuring that all related documents, models, and specifications remain synchronized.
3. BOM Accuracy and Visibility
The digital thread integrates BOM management, configuration management, and BoM transformation capabilities. This enables accurate and up-to-date BOMs, as the data will automatically reflect changes. Additionally, it provides real-time visibility into the BoM status, including component availability, sourcing information, and cost implications.
4. Change Management
Next, the digital thread streamlines change management processes. By automating change notifications, approvals, and tracking. Essentially, it ensures that engineering changes are effectively communicated, documented, and implemented across the relevant stages of the product lifecycle, minimizing errors and delays.
5. Manufacturing Process Optimization
By connecting engineering data with manufacturing process management, the digital thread enables better coordination and optimization of production processes. By in large, system and data integration allows for improved manufacturing planning, efficient resource allocation, and reduced lead times.
6. Enhanced Visualization and Analysis
Another example includes leveraging augmented reality (AR) design sharing to provide visual representations of designs. In detail, enabling stakeholders to view and analyze products in a virtual environment. It’s recommended to use AR to enhance design reviews, simplify communication, and facilitate better decision-making.
Overall, the digital thread improves engineering and BoM management. Markedly, by streamlining processes, enhancing collaboration, ensuring data consistency, and providing visibility across the product lifecycle. It promotes efficiency, accuracy, and agility in engineering and BoM-related activities. Leading to improved product quality and faster time to market in the long run.
How A Digital Thread BoM Strategy Streamlines Manufacturing
Simultaneously, the digital thread plays a significant role in enhancing the bill of materials (BoM) management for manufacturing, assembly, and quality control processes. In sum, here’s how the digital thread benefits these areas:
1. Manufacturing and Assembly Planning
The digital thread enables seamless integration between the BoM and manufacturing planning systems. It provides real-time visibility into the BoM, ensuring accurate and up-to-date information for manufacturing and assembly operations. This allows for efficient production planning, optimized resource allocation, and improved scheduling in all.
2. Supply Chain Integration
By connecting the BoM with supply chain management systems, the digital thread enhances supply chain visibility and collaboration. It enables better coordination with suppliers, accurate tracking of component availability, and improved procurement processes. As a result, it minimizes the risk of production delays and ensures timely delivery of materials.
3. Work Instructions and Assembly Guidance
Thirdly, the digital thread facilitates the creation and dissemination of detailed work instructions and assembly guidance based on the BoM data. This ensures that assembly operators have access to accurate and step-by-step instructions, reducing errors and improving productivity on the shop floor.
4. Quality Control and Traceability
The digital thread enables better quality control and traceability throughout the manufacturing process. By integrating the BoM with quality management systems, it ensures that quality requirements and specifications are adhered to during production. It also enables traceability of components and materials, making it easier to identify and address any quality issues or recalls.
5. Continuous Improvement and Feedback Loop
Additionally, the digital thread supports continuous improvement initiatives by capturing data and feedback from manufacturing and quality control processes. It enables the analysis of production data, identifies areas for improvement, and facilitates data-driven decision-making to enhance manufacturing efficiency and product quality.
6. Post-Market Monitoring
Finally, the digital thread extends beyond the manufacturing phase to support post-market monitoring and quality assurance. Integrating BoM data with field service management systems and customer feedback enables organizations to identify and address product issues, initiate product improvements, and provide timely support and maintenance.
All in all, the digital thread enhances BoM management for manufacturing and assembly processes by ensuring accurate and up-to-date information, facilitating supply chain integration, enabling effective work instructions, improving quality control, supporting continuous improvement efforts, and enabling post-market monitoring. Concurrently, it streamlines operations, improves product quality, and enhances customer satisfaction.
The Polaris Story
Polaris utilized PTC Windchill, an advanced product lifecycle management system, to transform their Bill of Materials into a reliable new business model backbone. As a result, it allowed them to create a connected enterprise.
Windchill PLM combines the digital thread framework with a maximized BoM and change management strategy. This powerful product lifecycle management platform organizes all information associated with the development of its products, allowing every stakeholder to access the latest up-to-date information in a dynamic format.
Once it was clear to Polaris that they had outgrown certain tools and processes, they coordinated and synchronized a digital thread of data throughout the enterprise by leveraging PTC Windchill.
As of today, Polaris’ Windchill PLM system enables them to manage and organize the bill of materials (BoM) and implemented configuration management practices. This helped transform their BoMs as needed, effectively managing changes, overseeing manufacturing processes, and utilizing augmented reality (AR) design-sharing capabilities.
By orchestrating these elements, the digital thread ensured seamless connectivity and flow of information across different stages and departments within Polaris. This enabled improved collaboration, streamlined workflows, effective change control, and enhanced manufacturing processes. On top of giving the ability to share and visualize designs using AR technology.
Conclusion
To sum it up, it’s time to put Excel away and start working smarter, not harder. Successful BoM management derives from a single source of truth throughout the enterprise in regard to all the data contained in the Bill of Materials. The Digital Thread allows for the seamless automated flow of the BoM information to create a truly connected enterprise, working in sync along every step of the manufacturing process.
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