Dassault Systèmes and IBM have announced the release of Version 5 Release 12 (V5R12) of their product lifecycle management (PLM) portfolio, comprised of CATIA for collaborative product development, and ENOVIA and SMARTEAM for lifecycle management, collaboration and decision support. Concurrently, Dassault Systèmes announced V5R12 of DELMIA for the engineering of lean manufacturing processes.

V5R12 introduces the next step in the evolution of Dassault Systèmes and IBM's PLM portfolio - collaborative PLM for on-demand businesses," explained local representative, Igal Filipovski of CNC Design Consultants. "V5R12 allows critical PLM components to be merged in collaborative workspaces, allowing lifecycle management and product design activities to be conducted in parallel while ensuring synchronisation of collaboration in the context of correct, up-to-date data. New capabilities in ENOVIA Portal 3d com, including enhanced CATIA-ENOVIA integration, allow 3D data, product structure, and other relevant product information to be shared in realtime through web portals."

With collaboration at the heart of PLM, V5R12 enables companies to move one step closer to becoming on-demand businesses. It helps them to focus on their products, become more agile, deliver right-to-market products, and achieve lean manufacturing. The new V5R12 product portfolio brings business value to manufacturers in the following areas:

* Core business - V5R12 enables companies to organise activities around their core business and focus on products. For example, it delivers built-in lifecycle management functions that enable designers to focus on the creative aspect of their jobs while complying with standard corporate processes and certain government regulations. V5R12 redraws the boundaries between traditional product authoring and PDM-related activities, providing users with unified PLM workspaces in which they can process all facets of their activity.

* Content for collaboration - V5R12 helps companies deliver the right content for collaboration throughout the product lifecycle. This improves exchanges between extended enterprise teams and helps businesses respond rapidly to market change. For example, it integrates 3D product visualisation functions and navigation within related manufacturing data (process and resources) into standard Web portals such as those created with IBM Websphere. It also seamlessly integrates 3D instant collaboration and leverages IBM's Lotus Sametime instant collaboration application.

* Requirements and specifications - V5R12 allows companies to better link product design with requirement and specification management in order to dynamically adapt to market demand. For example, it integrates specification-driven modelling for moulded parts based on revolutionary functional modelling technology from pioneering software company ImpactXoft. It also advances requirements and functional management in system engineering for electronics through enhanced tools and innovative best practices.

* Manufacturing resources - V5R12 provides a unified workspace that connects product creation and manufacturing resources definition to help companies make cost-efficient production decisions. For example, it delivers new capabilities for selecting optimal manufacturing resources and minimises tooling costs through maximising re-use. It also introduces a new set of generative tooling PLM Best Practices that facilitate resources standardisation and help tooling suppliers decrease costs and win more business.

* Additional highlights - In addition to collaborative workspaces, V5R12 offers improved deployability with enhancements that include: new products for small to medium-sized businesses (SMB), such as a new tool for quick surface development, improved functionalities for sheet metal parts design, and enhanced CATIA-SMARTEAM integration; core business-oriented features such as predefined lifecycle management methodologies for the electronics industry and new industry-specific applications; and improved adaptability for legacy operating environments via extended multiCAD support and enhanced IBM Websphere and Microsoft .NET support. Finally, the V5R12 portfolio is designed to enable industry-proven PLM methodologies to optimise the manufacturing process.

"The goal of collaborative PLM for on-demand businesses is to help companies focus on their strengths, adapt quickly, minimise costs, and remain flexible," concludes Filipovski. "Collaborative PLM is more than simply integrating the different components of a PLM portfolio. It is about giving businesses a completely integrated, collaborative, enterprise-wide PLM system that enables them to create value in competitive markets."

For further information contact CNC Design Consultants, 011 786 3516, igal@cdcza.co.za or see www.cdcza.co.za