Looking back at the PRO.FILE User Event 2016

Simplexity meets PLM

A frequently heard term during the PRO.FILE User Event 2016 was Simplexity. Botter explains exactly what this word means: “The development of many products is currently often twofold. On the one hand, we think of the user and on the other hand of expanding the possibilities that the product offers. These developments can be found in everyday objects such as cars and consumer electronics, where the possibilities and functions increase while at the same time simplifying operation. Complex and simple go hand in hand with this, hence the term Simplexity. ”
With the rise of Industry 4.0, in which data and processes are interconnected, the management part is becoming increasingly important for producers, says Botter. This applies not only to manufacturers of physical products, but also to suppliers of business software such as PDM, PLM and ERP. “We think that the main challenge for PLM software developers is to keep their software manageable and user-friendly. A PLM solution must be able to manage complexity without the software itself becoming complex, that is the true meaning of Simplexity. ”

From partial solution to integral system

Some fifty guests were present at the PRO.FILE User Event, mainly customers of PLM Xpert, such as Nijhuis Water Technology, Mokveld Valves, IAI industrial systems, Demaco and Marvu and some seriously interested parties who are orientating themselves on the PLM market and have already expressed their preference for PRO.FILE. Although more and more companies are looking into the possibilities of PLM, that group is still far too small in Botter's eyes. “Too many companies seem to be floating in a vacuum when it comes to data management. A piece of vision let alone a strategy is missing. To begin with, there are still companies that do not use supporting software at all, which is of course a questionable thing. In addition, there is also a large group of companies that have invested in software but have only done so at departmental level. If you look at such a company from an IT point of view, you will see a patchwork quilt of solutions that all tackle sub-problems, but where there is no coherence and where the transfer of data still takes place amateurishly. That is a missed opportunity and that opportunity can only be exploited when looking at a company-wide solution. That means that the management of a company has to address this, and I think it is very important that awareness at board level is increased. If I compare it with German companies, Dutch entrepreneurs are really well behind. In a country that relies on its knowledge economy, the manufacturing industry should have better organized knowledge management. In addition, it is not a "nice to have" but a "must have" when viewed from a competitive position. "

Product Data Backbone

The most important characteristic of a good PLM system, according to Botter, is the ability to manage and view all information within a company via a central source. This does not mean that all information should be housed in a single system. “If every information source needs its own application, it is difficult to improve the business process because it is difficult to bring information together. However, when all data is housed in one system, the system becomes too complex, because all employees must be able to perform their own operations with their own application. It is therefore best to have an open system from which the data from all systems can be accessed and where the employees work in their own environment. We call this the Product - Data - Backbone. For example, we see a lot of added value in high-quality integration between PLM and ERP, provided that these systems remain separate at user level, with a view to Simplexity.”
It will come as no surprise that the software discussed at the PRO.FILE User Event also lives up to the description given by Botter. Raimund Schlotmann, CEO of PRO.FILE developer Procad, presented PRO.FILE next, a completely newly developed PRO.FILE software generation guided by the philosophy of Simplexity. This software is built on the most modern and future-oriented ICT techniques and is, for example, open to working with various (own) apps. Moreover, this generation of software is not only easy to link to ERP in terms of IT, but it is also open to the exchange of all kinds of other data-generating business applications. In addition, attention was also paid to the forthcoming new release of PRO.FILE, version 8.7, and the possibilities of the integrated exchange platform for project data: PROOM 3.0. The possibilities of PRO.CEED as a PRO.FILE module for managing critical processes were also discussed.

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