As you’re onboarding with Windchill, it’s not uncommon to feel overwhelmed by its wide array of functionality …assembly instructions, supplier management, classification searches… the list goes on and on.

Let’s face it – change can be intimidating, and ‘doing it all at once’ can seem like a lot.

In a perfect world, we’d always be implementing WT Parts and accounting for Change Management at the start of every single Windchill implementation, but the unfortunate truth is, that’s not always the case.

It’s natural to have the desire to implement a Windchill project in bite-sized pieces. This article aims to explain the advantages of phasing your Windchill implementation to do just that.

Phase 2: What is a WT Part? Why WT Parts?

The WT Part is misunderstood and why often, many shy away from it.

Sure, it’s a different concept, but that doesn’t mean its necessarily hard.

So, what do I mean by different? It’s different in the way that most organizations aren’t thinking about their engineering data.

But, as a matter of fact, that same engineering data is exactly what I would consider the ‘enabling piece’ which has the ability to facilitate the core functionality every organization should have within Windchill.

It’s a vital piece that lets you do all the ‘other stuff’.

Another way of describing the WT Part (or gear icon) is a central hub of all information that is related to a part. It has to do with your relevant CAD files, drawings, engineering change history, primary BoM structures that link to all your other parts.

I’ll use a hypothetical situation to explain.

Imagine, inside Windchill you have a CAD structure of a bicycle.

There are all kinds of different parts that go into designing this bicycle. You have some assemblies that you have built up in Creo, along with a bunch of other different parts and sub-assemblies.  

You use Windchill to check your parts in, or in other words, manage all of your data.

In this case your bicycle has a variety of different parts, that have many different versions – but the important part is – at this point, you have your data under control. You check out a part, make a change, check it back in. Soon enough, version A.1 becomes A.2, A.3, etc.

With WT Parts enabled, your system has the ability to create a paralleled data structure. This means you can have the same assembly structure in CAD that you do in Windchill.

WT Part acts almost as a placeholder (I like to think of it as a shoebox). Inside your shoebox, you can put all kinds of ‘other things’, and I’m not talking about just CAD files. For your organization this could mean PDF’s, published visualizations (allowing you to look at your bicycle in Creo view), word documents, links to other webpages, or just about anything else you want.

Let’s say (in this scenario) you outsource the break calibers, the tires, or the spokes.

WT Parts allows you to have images and direct links to your supplier webpages allowing you to document and specify the exact parts and versions you need. This creates a parallel data structure.

But even with your paralleled data structure (for your bicycle line), you know that how your products are modeled in CAD won’t mirror the way they need to be assembled in manufacturing.

Your manufacturing assembly process includes other things, such as tape, Loctite for the handlebars, cable shrouds, etc. In fact, there are all kinds of things you’re never going to model in CAD, but are still essential components within your manufacturing bill of material.

By using WT Parts, you can start off with an engineering bill of material, create a parallel data structure, then add to it, and even rearrange that part structure in your manufacturing bill of material.

This allows you to properly represent how things should be put together in the shop.

Furthermore, down the line when you create a service bill of material, you’ll no longer need to need use your entire CAD structure (as it was designed in Creo) because your product only needs new tires and inner tubes.

With WT Parts you can easily create a service bill of material that states exactly what’s needed to service your product.

It creates individual containers allowing you to put things in, shuffle them around, and re-arrange them, so you can easily create different bill of material structures. These structures can even be based on what you need to do, downstream from your CAD models.

It also allows you to quickly create a service document explaining how to properly change your tires.

Phase 2: Change Mangement

Perhaps you have heard of it as the ECN process or maybe even the ECR process. What these really consist of – is just one stop along the journey of your change management process.

You might be wondering why more organizations choose Change Management for phase 2 over WT Parts.

The answer is quite simple. It’s because most companies are already doing a change process today in one way, shape, or form.

You might be more familiar with the outdated process, or what I like to refer to as ‘the red folder’.

Many companies today still trudge around the office with that red manila folder when they need sign off on a change. They walk from station to station with documents, prints and more to whoever needs to sign off on that change to get it done.

The Windchill Change Management piece has the ability to replicate what your physical real-world processes can. This allows you to entrench the workflows you’ve already established digitally, inside Windchill.

This is also one of the many reasons why you should not be afraid of the Change Management capabilities inside of Windchill.

So how does change management inside of Windchill work exactly?

The out-of-the-box Windchill Change Management workflows include problem reports, change requests, and change notifications.

Built within the core capabilities of Windchill Change Management, there’s a process in place for problem reports.

Starting at the beginning, the typical entry level is what’s called, ‘the problem report’. You can think of this as your digital suggestion box. Anyone can create a problem report (PR).

With a widget, your problem report gets pushed forward to a change admin, who can then review that report.

Your change admin has the ability to either approve or reject the change request. They can even send it back to the person who originated it (if needed) to ask for further clarification.

This helps you easily keep track of your problem reports, know the length of time they have been opened, and be aware of how many reports are currently active. This enables you to see, as a company, how you’re doing with respect to your problem reports.

The next step along the way is a change request. In the instance that your problem report is moved forward, it gets sent to the next person in line who sees that as an engineering change request.

At this point, there may be some additional research to say, “well, wait, now what other part is used, or what other assembly part is done, and what they might impact?”

When deciding to make a change, its crucial to think downstream and about what the implications of that change might be.

This is what the engineering change request feature inside of Windchill is all about. It allows you to do the research.

Once you meet the set of criteria or you obtain a certain serial number, you can say – “yes, we are going to do that.”

This allows you to have a formalized process where you can either individually approve changes or run change requests through a more formalized review board.

That’s when the change notification task gets assigned back to your design engineer that can then go into Creo, open up the part, and make the change.

The best part? With Windchill Change Management you actually have a way to keep track of your changes, processes, and documentation.

You’ll no longer need to wonder what hasn’t been completed or what the status of a change request might be.

Although that’s the out of the box Windchill Change Management functionality, there’s a lot of subtleties and nuances that can be tailored and configured to your specific company needs. It doesn’t have to be a strict 1 to 1 mapping – there’s flexibility with respect to how you map and manage them.

Say, for example – you had three different problem reports on one specific part. You could now bundle those altogether and roll that into a single change request.

You could also take 2 or 3 different change requests and roll those forward into a single change notification.

Yes, this change process will be new and different – it’s designed to make your life easier.

The difference is – now you’re not cruising around the office with that red folder trying to catch up with all the information. Instead, everything you need is right in front of you. You can see which assemblies will be impacted, what you have on-hand, and what series you want to do the cutover on.

That concludes the first half of a closed loop change management process.

Phase 3: Windchill Quality

The second half of the closed loop change management process stems from things such as nonconformance, that actually come from the Windchill quality management piece.

Again, more Windchill functionality here is also tied together in WT Parts, but these are your corrective and preventive actions.

Looking at the nonconformance piece – where you actually build and manufacture something, but it isn’t measuring out right. Or perhaps your drilled holes that are in the wrong place…or your part is the wrong dimension…or something to that extent.

Windchill Quality enables corrective actions you can take against these incidents to make sure that you’re not building parts to the wrong specifications or dealing with nonconformance. This helps you to take preventive action.

In other words, what steps are you going to take to make sure that you don’t make the same mistakes again? What are you going to do with the parts that you’ve already built?

That’s the second half of the closed loop change management process.

To truly explain how all the Windchill functionalities can be intertwined to create a true ‘digital thread’ – this article would go on for days.

Sure, you can learn about all the different parts and pieces individually, but my organization has a real, tight, concise methodology for doing this.

That’s why EAC Product Development Solutions is here to help. We know and understand what it takes to get your system stood up and in place to truly transform your organization.

Don’t leave your Windchill system with untapped potential. It’s time to make the most out of your money.

We can help with that.

EAC and INTAMSYS are partnering to expand 3D printing solutions for the Midwest

EAC Product Development Solutions, a Premier PTC partner, has recently entered into a strategic alliance with INTAMSYS to amplify their concentration and assistance towards Additive Manufacturing concerning product development.

Who is INTAMSYS?

Specializing in high-performance materials, INTAMSYS is a world-renowned expert in advanced solutions for 3D printing and industrial additive manufacturing.

INTAMSYS offers advanced 3D-printing solutions that are fine-tuned to cater to the specific needs of various industries and organizations, with the support of its partner network.

Offering a diverse array of 3D printing hardware, INTAMSYS effectively meets the needs of various industries, including but not limited to Aerospace, Automotive, Manufacturing, Consumer Goods, Healthcare, and Research.

INTAMSYS operates across multiple locations. They are headquartered in Shanghai (China) with regional offices in Stuttgart (Germany) and Minneapolis (Minnesota), where they extend their services to offer sales, operations, and support for their cutting-edge technology.

“We are very excited to be partnering with EAC Product Development Solutions”, says INTAMSYS CEO Charles Han. “EAC Product Development Solutions have a proven track record with various product development software offerings that strongly reside adjacent to our solutions. We believe this is the beginning of a strong partnership as they further dive into additive manufacturing with INTAMSYS. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that they are right down the street from our Minnesota office.”

EAC’s Industry Role

EAC Product Development Solutions, a predominant player in the product development industry, prioritizes staying ahead of the curve by providing top-of-the-line technology solutions to clients while also being responsive to market trends and customer demands. Teaming up with INTAMSYS enables EAC to enhance their market offerings, addressing additional business challenges encountered by their customers.

EAC Product Development Solutions (EAC) provides innovative solutions that transform the way companies design, manufacture, connect to, and service their products. The organizations’ primary objective is to improve and optimize product development systems, with the ultimate goal to help clients succeed in the marketplace.

EAC is renowned for their unparalleled expertise in product development, systems, architecture and innovative solutions, particularly in the areas of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), the Internet of Things (IoT) and Augmented Reality (AR).

“We help businesses and organizations in various industries change the way they design, manufacture and service their products by implementing a two phased digital thread strategy. We first optimize information flow and then transform business processes to enable companies to gain a competitive advantage with faster time to market, less waste, increased innovation, lower costs, and higher profits.” Thane Hathaway

EAC’s Partnership with INTAMSYS

Prior to the partnership, INTAMSYS aimed to form a strong alliance with a technology solutions provider in the Midwest region, renowned for exceptional customer service. After considering various options, INTAMSYS determined that partnering with EAC would result in an unmatched collaboration that would surpass any other potential partnership.

With the ability to leverage EAC’s broad portfolio of technology, services, and solutions; INSTAMSYS plans to enhance offerings revolving around anything from prototypes to functional real-world end-use parts that encompass real material properties for production, manufacturing, and industrial applications.

Expanding territory coverage and market presence, the partnership greatly aids both organizations, as well as their clientele, providing each to benefit from the proficiencies of one another.

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.

See how JR Automation saved seven figures with embarking on their digital transformation journey:

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).

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.

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.

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.

The Factory of the Future is a connected world of everything.

We will explore the benefits of IoT in manufacturing, including asset monitoring and utilization, quality control, predictive analytics, automation, safety and compliance, OEE visibility and productivity, and more.

With IoT solutions, companies can achieve their Industry 4.0 goals and increase their bottom line.

What is the Internet of Things (IoT)?

The Internet of Things (IoT) is the network of physical objects, people and other assets that are connected to the internet. IoT allows you to collect data from devices and analyze it in real time.

The goal is to make processes more efficient by optimizing performance and reducing costs.

IoT can be used to monitor machines in factories, track inventory at warehouses or even monitor traffic conditions on roads. It’s also used for home automation tasks like turning off lights when you leave a room or adjusting your thermostat based on your location inside (or outside) the house.

IoT Ecosystems

An IoT ecosystem refers to the network of devices, sensors, software, and services that are interconnected and work together to collect, analyze, and act on data.

They are often utilized to gather data on connected assets, and tools in order to gain real-time insights into their condition for predictive maintenance purposes.

The goal of predictive maintenance is to detect and address problems before they cause equipment failure, downtime, or safety issues.

By predicting maintenance needs in advance, organizations can schedule maintenance during planned downtime, minimize the impact of maintenance on operations, and extend the lifespan of equipment.

Connected Products

A smart, connected product (also known as a smart object or SCoT) is a product, asset, or other object embedded with processors, sensors, software, and connectivity that allows data to be exchanged between the product and its environment, manufacturer, operator/user, and other products and systems[1].

Smart, connected products enable the comprehensive monitoring of a product’s condition, operation, and external environment through sensors and external data sources[2].

This technology stack provides a gateway for data exchange between the product and the user and integrates with other systems to enable a new level of customer experience[3].

Connected Factory

Similar to connected products, a smart, connected factory is a digitized manufacturing facility that uses connected devices, machinery, and production systems to continuously collect and share data.

This data is then used to inform and improve processes and proactively address any issues that may arise.

It is an interconnected network of machines, communication mechanisms, and computing power, which uses advanced technologies to analyze data, drive automated processes and learn as it goes. It uses the sensors and software of the connected products to bring together the factory floor.

A connected factory is implemented to track the overall equipment efficiency or effectiveness (OEE) of the factory.

A smart connected factory is the telltale sign of a manufacturing floor that is functioning at its most optimal ability.

Having access to data insights regarding production health helps companies optimize earnings and minimize production downtime.

Augmented Reality

Integrating augmented reality (AR) with IoT involves using sensors and other IoT devices to collect data from the physical world, which is then used to augment the user’s experience in the digital world.

For example, AR can be used to display real-time data from IoT sensors, such as temperature or humidity, on a user’s mobile device. When a cell phone or tablet uses Augmented Reality (AR) to display data, it overlays virtual information on top of the real-world view seen through the device’s camera.

This can be particularly useful in industrial settings, where workers can use AR to monitor the performance of machines, detect any issues immediately, and take corrective action. This kind of data can be turned into a Digital Twin.

Digital Twin

With a Digital Twin, you create an exact replica of a working product, process, or service as a simulated model in a virtual space that performs under real-world conditions.

A Digital Twin in manufacturing helps companies find performance issues, schedule predictive maintenance, reduce downtime, and minimize warranty expenses.

This allows anyone to take a digital version of your factory with you anywhere in the world and know the exact, real-time data of how it is functioning. This is extremely helpful for decision-makers who often travel and need to know how their factories are doing.

Additionally, a digital twin of your factory helps maintenance teams find precisely where an issue may have occurred by giving them visual prompts of where the problem is originating from.

The Benefits of IoT in Manufacturing

Implementing IoT

The first step in implementing IoT in manufacturing is to identify your goals. Are you looking to improve efficiency, reduce waste or increase profitability?

Do you want to improve customer satisfaction by delivering products on time, or do you want to create new revenue streams with data collected from connected devices?

Once you’ve determined what kind of impact IoT can have on your business, it’s time to evaluate the current technology that’s not only available but that easily integrates with your current systems and shop floor.

Finally, develop an action plan for implementing these strategies broken down into digestible phases. It’s critical to understand what solutions fit best and most align with your unique business and prioritized initiatives.

Common Challenges

We hear from companies all the time regarding what challenges they feel stops them from implementing IoT in manufacturing.

The first is cost. However, with any good investment, the benefits of using IoT solutions offset the cost. While IoT ROI doesn’t happen overnight, the full impact IoT has on manufacturing organizations is tenfold.

NORMA Group met with EAC experts to understand what sort of impact an IoT initiative would have on their business growth and determined the challenges were well worth the wait – something we find other companies can relate to. Another early adopter, JR Automation was able to save $1.4 million by investing in IoT.

Security

The second common challenge that comes with implementing IoT is security. This includes both physical and data security issues that need to be evaluated and addressed before implementing any type of data management change.

Finding a solution with integrated automated tools and detailed monitoring is key to preventing attacks. Check out this article that talks further about data security and how PTC’s Kepware supports cybersecurity.

Data Management

Another challenge we see is considering how well your organization will be able to manage the new information coming from all over your facilities. It’s key you create a plan to integrate the new data flow into your existing systems.

With user-friendly IoT-connected solutions like PTC Thingworx, data is captured, consolidated into a dashboard, and presented in a consumable visual format for real-time insights.

Hardware

Another consideration is requirements: What sort of hardware do you have to support that software change? Replacing or updating existing systems and hardware to increase efficiency may be necessary to keep up with the fast pace environment of shop floors.

There is no doubt that these are important things to consider when making enterprise-wide changes. While implementing IoT can feel difficult and intimidating, it does not have to be.

EAC has a number of business assessments that can help you evaluate your current state and create a highly strategic roadmap to successfully scale your digital transformation initiatives.

Ultimately, Digital Transformation is a game changer for manufacturing companies who are unsatisfied with the “status quo” – and IoT will open up major opportunities for long-term success and sustainable growth that would not have been possible without making changes.

Connected Future

Empower your organization with enhanced connectivity to your products, systems, and customers.

IoT can provide significant advantages for manufacturers across the enterprise, but it is important to properly evaluate, plan and implement the right technology and the right solution at the right time in order to maximize the potential benefits.

Our IoT consulting and connect services provide comprehensive support from extracting valuable insights, and developing strategic plans to executing and implementing efficient IoT solutions that accelerate your digital transformation.

Chat with one of our experts on how we can help you identify the best IoT solution for your needs and how we can help your company implement it the right way.