Studies Find ERP Systems Using PDM as Bridge to Engineering

1 September 1998

Recent Studies Find ERP Systems Using PDM as Bridge to Engineering

    CINCINNATI--Sept. 1, 1998--A pair of recent market research studies indicate that in the industrial ERP marketplace, project initiatives for ERP systems and product data management are closely linked.
    In a recent phone survey of 329 companies with active ERP projects, 207 companies (37 percent) also reported having active PDM initiatives. The research was part of an ongoing study of buying behavior conducted by Kalthoff International, leading producer of conferences for engineering document management and product data management technologies.
    Independently, a research study by Plant-Wide Research Group, a management consultancy and market research firm headquartered in Billerica, Mass., found that interoperability of systems is critical to the competitiveness of companies that have complex engineered products. According to the study, the state of interoperability is in transition from conventional stove pipe systems, to ERP systems using PDM as a bridge to engineering, to complex strategic supply network management.
    The topic, interoperability of ERP and PDM, will be addressed at Engineering ERP 98, a new technology conference presented by Kalthoff International with co-producers Plant-Wide Research Group and MidRange ERP Magazine. The conference will be held at the Omni Rosen Hotel in Orlando, Florida, September 28-October 1.
    "Our conferences have addressed data management needs in engineering for ten years," according to R. Michael Kalthoff, president of Kalthoff International. "Today, it's evident that engineering and manufacturing personnel need to understand the broader issues related to exchanging data throughout the enterprise. With Plant-Wide Research and MidRange ERP Magazine providing their expertise as co-producers of our new conference, Engineering ERP 98 is the first and only conference to thoroughly cover interoperability issues in industrial firms."
    Plant-Wide's research asserts, first, that interoperability can be achieved by the implementation of a robust, integrated ERP system, with application program interfaces (APIs) to extend the ERP scope. The second conclusion is that product data management can provide an effective link between product definition and ERP and can provide configuration management to the entire manufacturing operation.
    William McSpadden, president of Plant-Wide Research, commented, "Sixty percent of the responding companies expressed some level of interoperability problems within their own enterprise. We asked these firms what they thought would help them move from today's status to the year 2000 and beyond, and the most frequent response was new ERP and PDM systems. Given that the overall trend shows interoperability among manufacturing and engineering information systems increasing in importance, we recognized that there is a great need for education on the complex issues involved."
    Plant-Wide Research Group is comprised of professional industry analysts who focus on the manufacturing, financial, planning and control systems software and hardware markets. The firm provides up-to-date profiles and comparative analyses on hundreds of vendors and products each year through a series of specialized reports. For additional information, visit the Plant-Wide website at www.Plant-Wide.com.
    MFG Publishing is the publisher of Midrange ERP: The Management Magazine for Mid-Sized Manufacturers. The magazine, edited for middle- and upper-management professionals, presents the latest manufacturing software principles, practices, and applications for enhancing competitiveness, profitability, productivity, and quality.
    Kalthoff International, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, specializes in accelerating the movement of engineering information technology (EIT) into the hands of users through conferences, publications, and new media. For a decade, Kalthoff International has helped firms shorten the buying cycle for EIT, which incorporates the systems used to create, manage, and disseminate the engineering design and all related product information. For additional information, please contact Kalthoff International by phone: 513.794.3367; fax: 513.794-3363; e-mail: ki@kalthoff.com; or Internet: www.kalthoff.com.