Design data is being propelled out of drawing office and engineering environments and integrated across major enterprises, facilitating the maximum exploitation of data and promoting process efficiencies. The formation by Autodesk, a world leading PC-design software supplier, of an Enterprise Partner Programme (EPP) will enable its mechanical design solutions to work seamlessly with EPP companies' enterprise resource planning (ERP), product process management (PPM), product data management (PDM) and product life-cycle management systems.

With the ability to connect critical design data, once confined to design and engineering departments, to an entire enterprise, Autodesk users will achieve increased process efficiency and shorter time to market.

The first EPP member is leading inter-enterprise software solution provider, SAP. Over the next year Autodesk will expand EPP membership to other leading ERP and PDM vendors, consulting companies, and software developers.

"Increasingly, design data is becoming important outside the drafting and design departments - to procurement, sales, operations, marketing and the entire supply chain," says Errol Ashwell, Managing Director of Autodesk Africa. "Autodesk's EPP will help keep design information flowing smoothly throughout the enterprise to help our users gain new efficiencies and compete more effectively in today's global marketplace."

Autodesk

(011) 318 2900

www.autodesk.com