GM Selects EAI and Unigraphics Solutions as Strategic Partners
10 December 1998
GM Selects EAI and Unigraphics Solutions as Strategic Partners in Enterprise-Wide Product Visualization and Collaboration
EAI/UGS Integrated Enterprise Solution to be Adopted Worldwide at GM
to Play a Key Role in All Aspects of Product Data Visualization and
Collaboration
AMES, Iowa, Dec. 10 -- General Motors has selected
Engineering Animation, Inc. , and Unigraphics Solutions, Inc.
, under a partnership agreement to provide next generation
enterprise-wide product visualization and collaboration solutions designed to
enable fast-to-market strategies and to drive down development costs of the
company's vehicles. An integrated solution called ProductVision(TM), which
tightly integrates EAI's state-of-the-art product visualization technology
with Unigraphics computer-aided design/manufacturing/engineering (CAD/CAM/CAE)
products and IMAN product data management (PDM) software, will be deployed
worldwide at GM.
ProductVision will be implemented throughout the vehicle development
process, including design, engineering, styling, testing and validation,
purchasing, service and manufacturing engineering for all of GM's vehicles and
major components. Together, EAI and UGS provide an integrated environment to
enable GM's technical and non-technical users, including suppliers in an
extended enterprise, to collaborate globally.
In September 1998, GM announced its use of interactive computer tools in
order to save hundreds of millions of dollars on product development. These
new tools, which include EAI/UGS' ProductVision, will enable cost savings by
decreasing the reliance on physical prototypes during development and
validation, by reducing engineering changes, and by shortening the lead time
during the pre-production part and tooling phases.
"ProductVision will play a key role at GM by enabling interactive viewing
and analysis of products to find and resolve design and manufacturing issues
early in the development process. The ability to access and visualize complex
product data will greatly improve productivity throughout the enterprise,"
said GM Director of Global CAD/CAM and Visualization Technology Diane Jurgens.
"ProductVision is a key component in our strategy to provide an integrated
environment that enables GM to meet the challenges of global vehicle programs.
EAI and UGS are working closely together to offer comprehensive solutions for
viewing, sharing and analyzing product data throughout GM. This alliance
provides a level of capability unprecedented in this industry," added Jurgens.
"GM requires integrated world-class technology such as the joint EAI/UGS
solution to significantly improve its vehicle development process and compete
in a competitive global market," said GM Director of Design Process and
CAD/CAM integration Ronald DeBrabant. "This team will deliver a complete,
integrated visualization solution to enable a collaborative math-data
environment, contributing to our cost, quality and through-put objective."
"ProductVision development is an integral part of GM's integration project
led by Hewlett Packard. GM's vehicle development process leadership position
is accelerated by the visualization of virtual product designs," said GM
Develop Product Information Officer Kirk Gutmann.
"We are proud to have been selected by GM as their provider for
enterprise-wide product visualization and collaboration. EAI is committed to
providing GM with a full spectrum of integrated enterprise solutions that will
enable GM to streamline its product development process," said EAI President
and CEO Matthew Rizai. "The adoption of the EAI/UGS solution into GM's
infrastructure will directly address GM's goals of reducing product
development time and lowering costs by dramatically improving communication
and collaboration across GM."
"The Unigraphics and EAI partnership signals a breakthrough in the
enterprise-wide accessibility of GM product design and manufacturing
information authored in Unigraphics, managed by IMAN and visualized with our
new ProductVision components," said UGS President John Mazzola. "Unigraphics
Solutions is committed to the successful deployment of this ProductVision
enterprise visualization and collaboration technology to help GM achieve its
time to market goals."
ProductVision will be used worldwide at GM, including its Small Car Group,
Mid/Lux Car Group, Truck Group, Metal Fabrication Division, Saturn,
Powertrain, and its global engineering design centers.
About EAI
EAI is the leading producer of enterprise-wide visual process management,
collaboration and communication solutions. EAI's family of enterprise
visualization solutions, which includes the VisProducts(TM) suite and
VisFactory(TM) suite, provide major manufacturers with the ability to analyze,
simulate and communicate product and process knowledge throughout the
enterprise. The VisProducts suite of product visualization and digital
prototyping solutions enable early discovery and communication of design and
assembly issues with all team members. The VisFactory suite of factory layout
and design solutions allows quick design and analysis of an entire factory to
maximize its efficiency. EAI's solutions improve business practices and
communication, resulting in improved efficiency, quality and time to market.
By leveraging digital assets early in the process, companies are more closely
linked across organizational boundaries and with their suppliers and partners.
EAI maintains its corporate headquarters and technology center in Ames, Iowa,
and has offices worldwide.
About Unigraphics Solutions
Unigraphics Solutions, Inc., provides end-to-end CAD/CAM/CAE/PDM software
and related services designed to improve its customers command of product
development. The company provides tools appropriate to a collaborative
engineering environment, converting ideas into easily shared concepts used to
develop products of varying complexity such as motor vehicles, aircraft, heavy
equipment and consumer goods and the parts that comprise them. Unigraphics
Solutions' software is used worldwide and includes Unigraphics for high-end,
complex design, manufacture and assembly; Solid Edge for mid-range, Windows-
based product design; IMAN for product data management; and Parasolid, a
design and manufacturing industries solid modeling standard. Many OEM software
developers have licensed the Parasolid kernel. The company, formerly EDS
Unigraphics, maintains corporate headquarters in St. Louis, Mo.
For more information, visit EAI at http://www.eai.com or call
515-296-9908.