Fiat's UTS Group Chooses MatrixOne for Collaboration
13 July 2000
Leading Supplier of Automotive Engineering Services Relies on eMatrix to Manage Integrated Product and Process Development Environment
CHELMSFORD, Mass. - MatrixOne, Inc. , a leading provider of Internet business collaboration solutions, today announced that UTS, a Fiat Group company and a leader in the supply of engineering services for the automotive industry, has chosen the eMatrix solution. UTS will use MatrixOne's software to manage its integrated product and process development environment. The goal of the company's initiative is to sharpen the company's competitiveness by giving its customers even more complete and efficient service. The eMatrix solution is the Internet collaboration backbone designed to enable UTS to reduce the time spent in the product development phase, while controlling the relative costs. It facilitates collaboration with its external partners also involved in the engineering process."By adopting eMatrix as our Internet collaboration solution, we will be able to achieve our goals of structured and efficiently managed data. The functional ensemble and simplicity of customization and usage are critical to our success. The eMatrix solution will become one of the basic components of the computerized nervous system of UTS," explained Marco Volpengo, R&D and PDM project manager of UTS.
The project started in the first few months of 1999 with the modeling of company processes and the identification of the fundamental requirements and functional specifications of the system. UTS wanted a solution that offered the ability to integrate with design applications such as CAD, CAE and digital mockup, and to enable the management and interchange of project data. In addition, UTS needed a tool to manage processes and relationships in its virtual enterprise environment, and act as an Internet collaboration tool to use with its external project partners. After comparing the detailed features of several systems, using the rankings of CIMdata and Gartner, three products were chosen to undergo an operational benchmark. The results of this benchmark propelled UTS to choose the eMatrix suite.
"MatrixOne solutions help companies by utilizing Web technology to manage data and processes more effectively. The eMatrix product improves communications both within the company and in its external relations with customers, partners and suppliers, and had extensive experience within the automotive industry," said Dario Marzoni, managing director of MatrixOne in Italy. "UTS, particularly, will be able to benefit from the vast experience and in-depth knowledge that MatrixOne has acquired in this industry."
About Fiat Group
Established for the purpose of manufacturing automobiles, Fiat has grown in every area of mobility, expanding its production to include aircraft, trains, commercial vehicles, buses, farm tractors and marine engines.
This industrial diversification was an important factor in the success of the strategy of globalization and worldwide expansion that Fiat has followed since its founding. The Company has pursued these goals by increasing production and market share in the emerging countries of South America, Eastern Europe and Asia, and making every effort to strengthen its presence in the more developed markets.
Today, with revenues of about 46 billion euros, Fiat is one of the world's biggest industrial groups, operating in 61 countries with 803 companies, which employ more than 220,000 people, about 88,000 of them outside Italy.
The Group operates 185 production facilities (100 of which are abroad) and 115 research centers (46 outside Italy).
About 40% of the value of production is generated outside Italy, while exports account for more than 60% of sales.
Fiat Group companies are organized into ten operating Sectors: Automobiles, Commercial Vehicles and Agricultural and Construction Equipment, which account for 72% of total revenues; Metallurgical Products, Components and Production Systems, which represent 12% of total revenues; and Aviation, Rolling Stock and Railway Systems, Publishing and Communications, and Insurance, which generate 16% of total revenues.
About MatrixOne, Inc.
MatrixOne, Inc. is a leading provider of Internet business collaboration solutions. The company's eMatrix suite of products provides an infrastructure for establishing business to business collaboration among trusted customers, suppliers and other business partners, while also enabling standards-based access to independent trading communities and applications hosted by industry service providers. This XML-based environment uses the web to link people, processes and information to enable dramatic improvements in profitability and efficiency throughout the value chain.
MatrixOne has global customers in the high technology, aerospace/defense, automotive, communications, consumer, mechanical, machinery, medical equipment and process industries. These companies are using MatrixOne solutions to enhance their competitive advantage in the burgeoning business-to-business economy.
Headquartered in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, MatrixOne maintains offices in North America, Europe, and Asia.