X-mas & New Year’s Greetings From PLM&ERP News Team

To all the great people in the PLM, Automation and ERP Businesses – few can do so much to PROVIDE a BETTER WORLD than you. Technology and innovation mean a lot for human progress and all efforts and contributions are important. Thanks a lot for 2024 and let’s join forces for new exiting advancements during 2025.
All the best from Verdi Ogewell and PLM&ERP News' Editorial Team!

Why the Codebeamer Purchase Can Develop to Become PTC’s Smartest Move in Years

“THE BEST of both worlds,” when MICROSOFT and VOLKSWAGEN together with PTC develop a generative AI-based Copilot for the ALM solution Codebeamer. SOFTWARE/AUTOMOTIVE: One of the most interesting news on the PLM front in terms of software development this month is the announcement that PTC, Microsoft and Volkswagen Group are developing a copilot for generative AI based on PTC’s ALM solution Codebeamer. This copilot will support software development in physical products by enabling software engineers to create and manage product requirements more efficiently, as well as test, validate and release them.
The news raises the question of whether PTC’s purchase of Codebeamer in 2022 is not one of the company’s smartest moves in years. The solution was acquired by PTC, as part of the purchase of German Intland Software, and fits well into an industrial world where software has become a key domain. Not least on the automotive side where cars are increasingly living up to the image of “computers on four wheels,” or more correctly, SDVs (Software Defined Vehicles). How does PTC Codebeamer fit into this?
Mainly because it is a capable Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) solution for advanced software development. The open platform extends ALM functions with flexible configuration options for different product lines, thereby providing unique configurability in complex processes. Manufacturers are increasingly using software to differentiate their products and create different versions of them. In particular, car manufacturers require tightly integrated ALM and variant-based software management solutions to plan and deliver their different configurations.
On the user side, PTC's latest acquisition, Pure Systeme's pure::variants solution, plays a complementary role in the Codebeamer environment; manufacturing companies use this solution to manage different variants of software and system technology assets across their product configurations, especially in regulated industries such as automotive, aerospace and medical technology.
But now PTC, together with Microsoft and Volkswagen, is taking new development steps. They involve embedding generative AI via Microsoft Azure's AI capabilities. The background is that the VW Group made a decision in principle a little over a year ago that Codebeamer should be used to integrate, develop and cost-effectively maintain the increasingly complex software. The development of Codebeamer Copilot builds on VW's adoption of this ALM platform across all of the company's brands.
Undeniably a substantial order from the German automotive giant–which also owns the Audi, Porsche, Seat and Skoda brands–which can lead as far as desired, both technically and commercially. It is not just VW that is interested in Codebeamer…
"Microsoft Azure AI in the Codebeamer software can help us create new specifications and test cases. It can also improve the quality of our requirements by removing duplicates and checking against existing quality standards," says Robert Kattner, Head of IT Technology at the VW Group.
"The best of both worlds," says PTC's CPO, Kevin Wrenn.
Click on the headline to read more on PLM&ERP News.

Det bästa från två världar när MICROSOFT och VOLKSWAGEN tillsammans med PTC utvecklar en...

Mjukvarutveckling: Är KÖPET av Codebeamer 2022 ett av PTCs SMARTASTE DRAG hittills? En av månadens mest intressanta nyheter på PLM-fronten ifråga om mjukvarutveckling är beskedet att PTC, Microsoft och Volkswagen utvecklar en copilot för generativ AI baserad på PTC’s ALM-lösning Codebeamer. Denna copilot kommer att stödja mjukvaruutveckling i fysiska produkter genom att göra det möjligt för mjukvaruingenjörer att skapa och hantera produktkrav mer effektivt, samt testa, validera och releasa dem.
Nyheten väcker frågan är om inte PTCs köp av Codebeamer 2022 är ett av bolagets smartaste drag de senaste tio åren. Lösningen förvärvades av PTC, som en del i köpet av tyska Intland Software, och passar väl in i en industrivärld där mjukvara, tillsammans med el/elektronik (E/E), blivit en nyckeldomän. Inte minst på fordonssidan där bilar i allt högre grad lever upp till bilden av ”datorer på fyra hjul,” eller mer korrekt, SDVs (Software Defined Vehicles). Hur passar PTC Codebeamer in i detta?
Främst för att Codebeamer är en kapabel Application Lifecycle Management-lösning (ALM) för avancerad mjukvaruutveckling. Den öppna plattformen utökar ALM-funktioner med flexibla konfigurationsmöjligheter för olika produktlinjer och ger i detta en unik konfigurerbarhet i de komplexa processerna. Tillverkare använder sig allmänt alltmer av mjukvara för att differentiera sina produkter och för att skapa olika versioner av dem. I synnerhet biltillverkare kräver tätt integrerade ALM- och variantbaserade lösningar för mjukvaruhantering för att planera och leverera de olika konfigurationerna som driver deras utbud.
På användarsidan spelar f ö PTCs senaste köp, Pure Systemes pure::variants-lösning, en kompletterande roll i Codebeamer-miljön; tillverkningsföretag utnyttjar denna lösning för att hantera olika varianter av mjukvaru- och systemtekniska tillgångar över sina produktkonfigurationer. Framför allt då inom reglerade industrier som fordons-, flyg- och medicinteknik-marknaderna.
Men nu tar PTC alltså tillsammans med Microsoft och Volkswagen Group nya utvecklingssteg, som går ut på att man ska bädda in generativ AI via Microsoft Azures AI-kapabiliteter. Till bakgrunden hör att Volkswagen-koncernen för ett drygt år sedan tog ett principbeslut på en Codebeamer-satsning, där lösningen ska användas för att integrera, utveckla och kostnadseffektivt underhålla de allt komplexare mjukvarorna. Utvecklingen av Codebeamer Copilot bygger alltså på VWs upptag av ALM-plattformen över alla bolagets märken och fordonsprojekt.
Onekligen en substantiell beställning från den tyska fordonsjätten–som bl a också äger Audi-, Porsche-, Seat- och Skoda-märkena–som både tekniskt och kommersiellt kan leda hur långt som helst. Det är inte heller bara VW som är intresserade av Codebeamer…
I en kommentar säger Robert Kattner, chef för IT-teknik på VW Group: "Microsoft Azure AI i Codebeamer-mjukvaran kan hjälpa oss med att skapa nya specifikationer och testfall. Det kan också förbättra kvaliteten på våra krav genom att ta bort dubbletter och kontrollera mot befintliga kvalitetsstandarder.”
"Det bästa från två världar," säger PTCs CPO, Kevin Wrenn.
Klicka på rubriken för att läsa mer på PLM&ERP News.

”A Digital Milestone”: EPLAN and Siemens Establish Seamless Compatibility in Machine Engineering

ABB, TESLA and SpaceX among EPLAN's users. When it comes to software and service solutions in electrical engineering, automation and mechatronics, German EPLAN is undoubtedly one of the more prominent players. The company specializes above all in machine, line and panel builders. Not least for this reason, today's announced extended collaboration with Siemens Digital Industries Software is of great interest: The companies are deepening the collaboration and connections between EPLAN's software and the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio. They thereby significantly increase the compatibility between their products. It is generally about automated interactions between Siemens Teamcenter X software and TIA Portal on the one hand, and EPLAN Electric P8 and Pro Panel on the other. A heavy point is that all technical information now becomes available directly in EPLAN and vice versa; in other words, factors that allow you to directly benefit from a more efficient tool chain for machine and line technology, which also contributes to the fact that the electrical work can be done much faster and the risks of errors are reduced. In the press material, it is pointed out that the collaboration on both sides expands the companies' partner ecosystem: Siemens Xcelerator's open digital business platform and EPLAN's Partner Network. The effects are as follows: • Seamless data exchange between Siemens Teamcenter X, TIA-Selection Tool and EPLAN's software • Collaboration improves the tool chain in mechanical engineering • Machine builders can realize their projects in construction, operation and expansion faster and more efficiently. "The partnership between Siemens and EPLAN is a milestone in digital technology. The optimized data exchange makes it possible to realize your projects in construction, operation and expansion faster and more efficiently," says Cedrik Neike, board member of Siemens AG and CEO of Digital Industries. "Through this collaboration, we strengthen the Siemens Xcelerator ecosystem and create greater value for customers than any of us could do individually." EPLAN's CEO, Sebastian Seitz adds: "With this collaboration, Eplan and Siemens combine their broad experiences in mechanical engineering to provide our joint customers with comprehensive tool chain. This makes engineering processes much faster and less prone to errors." Companies using EPLAN include well-known players such as ABB, Tesla, Neilsoft, Bachner Elektro and SpaceX.
Click on the headline to read more on PLM&ERP News.

”En digital milstolpe”: EPLAN och Siemens etablerar sömlöst kompatibel maskinteknik

ABB, TESLA och SpaceX bland EPLANs användare. När det gäller mjukvaru- och servicelösningar inom elektroteknik, automation och mekatronik är tyska EPLAN tveklöst en av de mer framstående aktörerna. Bolaget spetsar framför allt för maskin-, linje- och panelbyggare. Inte minst av detta skäl är dagens annonserade utökade samarbete med Siemens Digital Industries Software av stort intresse: Bolagen fördjupar samarbetet och kopplingarna mellan EPLANs programvaror och Siemens Xcelerator portfölj. Man utökar därmed kompatibiliteten avsevärt mellan sina produkter. Det handlar övergripande om automatiserade interaktioner mellan Siemens Teamcenter X-mjukvara och TIA Portal å ena sidan, och EPLAN Electric P8 och Pro Panel å den andra.
En tung poäng är att all teknisk information nu blir tillgänglig direkt i EPLAN och vice versa; alltså faktorer som gör att man direkt kan dra nytta av en effektivare verktygskedja för maskin- och linjeteknik, vilket också bidrar till att det eltekniska arbetet kan göras mycket snabbare och riskerna för fel minskar.
I pressmaterialet pekar man på att samarbetet på båda sidor utökar bolagens partner-ekosystem: Siemens Xcelerators öppna digitala affärsplattform och EPLANs Partner Network. Effekterna blir följande:
• Sömlöst datautbyte mellan Siemens Teamcenter X, TIA-Selection Tool och EPLANs programvaror
• Samarbete förbättrar verktygskedjan inom maskinteknik
• Maskinbyggare kan förverkliga sina projekt inom konstruktion, drift och utbyggnad snabbare och effektivare.
"Partnerskapet mellan Siemens och EPLAN är en milstolpe inom digital teknik. Det optimerade datautbytet gör det möjligt för att kunna realisera sina projekt inom byggnation, drift och utbyggnad snabbare och effektivare", säger Cedrik Neike, styrelseledamot för Siemens AG och CEO för Digital Industries. "Genom detta samarbete förstärker vi Siemens Xcelerator-ekosystemet och skapar ett större värde för kunderna, än vad var och en av oss skulle kunna göra individuellt."
EPLANs CEO, Sebastian Seitz tillägger:
"Med detta samarbete slår EPLAN och Siemens ihop sina breda erfarenheter inom maskinteknik för att ge våra gemensamma kunder och heltäckande verktygskedja. Detta gör ingenjörsprocesser mycket snabbare och mindre benägna för fel."
Bland företag som använder EPLAN finns välkända spelare som ABB, Tesla, Neilsoft, Bachner Elektro och SpaceX.

The Manufacturing Industry’s New Paths: Real Time Data, IoT/IIoT and Networks Drive the Industry...

COGNIZANT's HAMPUS LINDVALL and BIRGITTE VILLADSEN on IoT/IIoT (Industrial IoT) and SMART MANUFACTURING. The rapid development in networking and IoT is driving a change in the manufacturing industry. Production lines, machines and factories are increasingly connected, creating a digital ecosystem where real-time data drives the next phase of smart manufacturing.
This is claimed in today's guest column by Hampus Lindvall, Automation Consultant and Birgitte Villadsen, Director IoT and Engineering, at the global IT and technology consultant Cognizant.
"IoT is an important enabler where physical assets are connected with the digital world. It gives manufacturers increased visibility into operations and promotes efficiency, flexibility and sustainability. From predictive maintenance to intelligent supply chains, IoT enables optimized processes, reduced downtime and customized production,” they write, arguing that business transformation is driven by generative AI (Gen AI), which augments human expertise using machine learning (ML). “Combined with IoT, Gen AI improves decision-making, automates routine tasks and promotes innovation by analyzing data from IoT systems. These technologies form the basis of the smart factories of the future, where human creativity and machine intelligence work together.”
But the current trends in networking, IoT and AI in the manufacturing industry are not only about technology, but also about changing business models and processes and creating a more sustainable and stable industrial future:
"Many organizations lack the ability to take advantage of the new opportunities. Digitization and implementation of connected devices is crucial. Organizations that have been lagging behind are now rushing to catch up and begin their journey towards Industry 4.0. According to Mobica, the IIoT market is worth $865 billion, with projected growth to $33.3 trillion by 2030,” the authors write.
Click on the headline to read the full article on PLM&ERP News.

Is the Manufacturing Industry Suffering From Digital Action Paralysis?

"A SURVEY from IFS shows that 68% of companies are STUCK IN THE EARLY STAGE OF DIGITALIZATION." That is perhaps the most startling conclusion in a study produced for business system developer IFS, which takes the pace of digital maturity in the manufacturing industry. The company's Nordics leader, CEO Ann-Kristin Sander, says in a comment:
"The background is that the manufacturing industry is at a crossroads," she says, pointing out that the survey shows that a full 68% of Swedish companies are stuck in the early stages of digitalization without any concrete plans on how to proceed. At the same time, most manufacturing companies know that they need to invest in digitalization to survive in the long term. Nevertheless, less than 10% can be described as digital role models, according to the survey from IFS.
The results are interesting, not least because it is a fairly extensive study in which 815 manufacturing companies, from among others Europe, North America, and the Nordics, participated.
A reasonable interpretation of the answers in the study is that many manufacturing companies are fumbling with their digitalization and have difficulty prioritizing which technology to invest in. They stand more or less still. At the same time, 79% realize that a stronger commitment to the digitalization of the business is crucial for its future, and that the business will not survive more than 1-3 years if it does not carry out modernization of its digital technology.
As noted above one aspect of the problem seems to have to do with difficulties with technical priorities. According to the study, 89% of the Swedish manufacturing companies have problems choosing which technology is the most important to invest in and marked as “essential” in the answer boxes all technology areas that were included as alternatives. This is more than the global average of 80 percent. The domains covered were: • Artificial intelligence • Data analysis • Large language models (LLM) • IoT • Augmented reality
In the press material IFS characterized the study’s results as an indication of a kind of paralysis of action within the manufacturing industry; a paralysis that appears even heavier when you look more closely at how the companies internally pull in different directions: It turns out that the expectations for digitalization are different depending on where you are in the organization. Almost all managers of the Swedish companies (97%) believe that virtual/augmented reality is the most important technology to invest in, while only 78% of operational decision makers believe that this technology is the most important. The technology investment that both executives (96%) and operational decision makers (89%) most agree is important is IoT.
“Many understand the urgency, but get stuck due to indecision, waiting for others to invest in the technology first so they can see the results. Or they wait for guidance from a trusted partner before taking action. This means that they stop in their development and risk falling behind their competitors,” says Sander.
Click on the headline to read the full article on PLM&ERP News.

The New Paths in Manufacturing: Real Time Data, IoT/IIoT and Networks Drive the Industry...

COGNIZANT's HAMPUS LINDVALL and BIRGITTE VILLADSEN on IoT/IIoT (Industrial IoT) and SMART MANUFACTURING. The rapid development in networking and IoT is driving a change in the manufacturing industry. Production lines, machines and factories are increasingly connected, creating a digital ecosystem where real-time data drives the next phase of smart manufacturing.
This is claimed in today's guest column by Hampus Lindvall, Automation Consultant and Birgitte Villadsen, Director IoT and Engineering, at the global IT and technology consultant Cognizant.
"IoT is an important enabler where physical assets are connected with the digital world. It gives manufacturers increased visibility into operations and promotes efficiency, flexibility and sustainability. From predictive maintenance to intelligent supply chains, IoT enables optimized processes, reduced downtime and customized production,” they write, arguing that business transformation is driven by generative AI (Gen AI), which augments human expertise using machine learning (ML). “Combined with IoT, Gen AI improves decision-making, automates routine tasks and promotes innovation by analyzing data from IoT systems. These technologies form the basis of the smart factories of the future, where human creativity and machine intelligence work together.”
But the current trends in networking, IoT and AI in the manufacturing industry are not only about technology, but also about changing business models and processes and creating a more sustainable and stable industrial future:
"Many organizations lack the ability to take advantage of the new opportunities. Digitization and implementation of connected devices is crucial. Organizations that have been lagging behind are now rushing to catch up and begin their journey towards Industry 4.0. According to Mobica, the IIoT market is worth $865 billion, with projected growth to $33.3 trillion by 2030,” the authors write.
Click on the headline to read the full column on PLM&ERP News.

Så förändras tillverkningsindustrin: IoT och nätverk driver Industri 4.0

COGNIZANTs HAMPUS LINDVALL och BIRGITTE VILLADSEN om IoT/IIoT (Industrial IoT)och transformation till SMART TILLVERKNING. Den snabba utvecklingen inom nätverk och IoT driver en förändring inom tillverkningsindustrin. Produktionslinjer, maskiner och fabriker blir alltmer sammankopplade, vilket skapar ett digitalt ekosystem där realtidsdata driver nästa fas av smart tillverkning.
Det menar Hampus Lindvall, Automation Consultant och Birgitte Villadsen, Director IoT and Engineering på globala IT- och teknikkonsulten Cognizant, i dagens gästkrönika.
”IoT är en viktig möjliggörare där fysiska tillgångar kopplas samman med den digitala världen. Det ger tillverkare ökad insyn i verksamheten och främjar effektivitet, flexibilitet och hållbarhet. Från prediktivt underhåll till intelligenta försörjningskedjor möjliggör IoT optimerade processer, minskade driftavbrott och anpassad produktion,” skriver de och hävdar att affärstransformationen drivs av generativ AI (Gen AI), som förstärker mänsklig expertis med hjälp av maskininlärning (ML). ”I kombination med IoT förbättrar Gen AI beslutsfattandet, automatiserar rutinuppgifter och främjar innovation genom att analysera data från IoT-system. Dessa teknologier utgör grunden för framtidens smarta fabriker, där mänsklig kreativitet och maskinintelligens samverkar.”
Men de aktuella trenderna inom nätverk, IoT och AI inom tillverkningsindustrin handlar inte bara om teknik, utan också om att förändra affärsmodeller och processer samt att skapa en mer hållbar och stabil industriell framtid:
”Många organisationer saknar förmågan att utnyttja de nya möjligheterna. Digitalisering och implementering av uppkopplade enheter är avgörande. Organisationer som har legat efter skyndar sig nu för att komma ikapp och påbörja sin resa mot Industri 4.0. Enligt Mobica är IIoT-marknaden värd 865 miljarder dollar, med en prognoserad tillväxt till 33,3 biljoner dollar år 2030,” skriver författarna.
Klicka på rubriken för att läsa hela krönikan på PLM&ERP News.

Digitization and AI Central Themes When German PLM Challanger CONTACT Drew Record Crowds

"DON'T WAIT, JUST DO IT NOW!" The German software developer CONTACT Software is a European PLM and IoT player, which is growing quite quickly. The company, founded by Karl Heinz Zachries, sees it as its mission to make complex product data more accessible and connect employees across technical and organizational boundaries. Pretty much spot on what most PLM developers are aiming for today. In terms of revenue, it is not one of the big names in the PLM industry, the company brings in just under 60 million dollars. But they are growing strongly and have almost doubled their revenue compared to 2020 ($32 million).
The main product, CIM Database, is an open and scalable PLM system. Its main advantages are solutions for collaboration and faster processes in projects reaching across disciplines, systems and organizations. The company claims that CIM Database's component architecture, "simplifies deployment and helps companies respond to new demands with agility." In this, it can be noted that the underlying open platform CONTACT Elements means that CIM Database PLM can be easily connected to IoT systems, such as Contact's own digital twin platform "Elements for IoT." This, says Contact leader, CEO Maximilian Zachries, means that you can fully exploit the potential for innovative product development with a digital thread end-to-end throughout the entire product life cycle. What makes Contact Software relevant right now is that it recently held a global user event in Munich that bears witness to the power of growth: Contact Open World 2024 actually attracted around 700 participants from 20 countries which was a new visitor record.
Generally, during the event, the company emphasized its position as a digitization partner and presented innovative solutions in the areas of PLM, IoT and AI, artificial intelligence, together with customers and partners. All under the motto "Fast Forward Digital Transformation". PIA Automation's Thomas Ernst's advice to the audience in connection with his case study was typical: "Don't wait, others are doing it now!"
From the opening keynote by CEO Maximilian Zachries to the presentations by science journalist Ranga Yogeshwar and AI expert Kenza Ait Si Abbou Lyadini, two topics unsurprisingly took center stage: AI and the interconnection of sustainability and economic efficiency.
Zacharies emphasized that systematic and rapid digitization is essential to navigate the challenging times of the age: "Pure data is the foundation - not just for AI, but for digitization as a whole," he said.
The company's AI manager, CIAO, Dr. Udo Göbel, also introduced upcoming AI applications in CONTACT's Elements platform, including a search solution for similar CAD models.
Click on the headline below to read the full article on PLM&ERP News.

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