While I am thinking about the deployment of the ePDM solution, I am looking for some informed opinions on what this solution has brought to your companies.
Our needs are focused on structuring projects, monitoring the progress of business through the status of parts (design, consultation, production, etc.), managing indices and versions, linking with our ERP and finally capitalizing on our experience.
Thank you in advance!
Hello
One of the big pluses of the system is the simplification of the management of indices with a recoverable history. Another advantage is the simplification of the reuse of elements, through search tools and use cases. The bills of materials are also always up to date, especially if you couple it with Gateway to move towards an ERP.
It's also a great tool for cross-site syncing. Possibility of having a common database, therefore working on the same data in real time.
On the downsides, not necessarily related to the EPDM product but to the very principle of SGDT, it is the duration of the installation. It will depend on the quality of your 3D today (well-filled properties in particular), if you have duplicates (possibility of entering duplicates in the system, but I find it nonsense, especially with SolidWorks), how far you want to go in the level of customization of the tool and automation...
for information my experience of EPDM is as follows:
- configuration on 2 sites (with @flegendre present on Lynkoa). Duration of the configuration with implementation of 2 strategies for taking over the existing system: about 1 year (if I'm not mistaken!). Use for BEM service
- user in a new company that wanted to put all the services there.
Points not to be neglected:
- administrators who will be involved, and therefore who are interested in the subject. We are moving away from the role of a mechanical designer, but the configuration is done well because a good part of it is done without the use of code. Rigorous people with a spirit of analysis and synthesis are essential in my opinion.
- For multi-site, check the internet speed between sites before committing anything. We had big problems (tool simply unusable) because the line was bad 200m from one of the sites, while they were 400km away!
- the EPDM supplier... They don't all have the same level and especially the same experience! This has a profound impact on integration! (PM for more details)
Hoping to have given you some answers. Do not hesitate if you want to address other points, I appreciate the exchanges on this very complete subject!
A small clarification on this system. There is a subtlety to be understood, and it can be important in certain areas and depending on your working and indexing methods.
The principle of EPDM is to load the files you use on the local cache (the computer's hard disk to put it simply). You can only have one version of each file at a time. This principle reaches its limit when you need to have a component with different indices.
Example: you make a machine with a 001 module with index A. Some time later, you have to add an additional 001 module when upgrading the machine at the customer's site. In the meantime, this module 001 has been upgraded to the B index, with changes to its internal components. There, you will not be able to model your machine as it will be in real life at the customer's site: either the 2 modules will appear at index A or they will appear at index B! But not both!
This is a detail given the scope of the tool, but you might as well know it first!
Hi
Thank you for your feedback Benoit... For clarification:
Activity: Study and Construction of Machines and Special Means
Fields: All (Automotive, Capital Goods, Leisure, Agribusiness, Pharma,
SW 2014 Std users: 3
Contributors: +3
I am not a SW2014 user, I have 3 people at the BE who work daily with the user. I initiated the reflection and the approach to respond mainly to the problem of monitoring the nomenclatures and monitoring the progress of the various projects. To date, the designers who have validated the means by the client extract a bill of materials in Excel (the link is then broken), I retrieve them, compile them and follow the progress by part by adding columns... then copy/paste to our ERP (Sage) for order management. My wish would be to create statutes by parts: design, consultation, production, acceptance so that all the stakeholders can have a vision of the progress under e-PDM. All linked to the ERP to automatically retrieve (if possible through the gateway) this progress. Too much time spent compiling, resuming, following each of the excel tables... With the risks of modified plans, obsolete nomenclatures, everything depends on communication and we are more and more perfectible on this side. We will still have to be introspective enough to properly synthesize our need for a careful implementation. (For the MP integrator)
The management of the indices will also make it possible to meet a point of the ISO9001 standard to have assurance and control of the design.
No need for multi-site management for the time being.
I wonder about taking over the existing ones...
Thank you
I agree with you on the idea of appointing a pilot who has a
You should see in detail your working methods (you have to leave a little work to the pre-sales ;) ), but at first glance what you describe is compatible with EPDM. The workflow would be applied to business sets and parts, as well as their drawing. Retrieving the state in Gateway is certainly feasible (tool that I haven't had the opportunity to handle but this information appears on the data card so there is a chance).
There is a downside perhaps, you are talking about tracking supplies in EPDM? This point seems less appropriate. An example: if you have a commercial part such as an engine, which is found on several assemblies in the process of being appointed, on the data card of this element you will find general information (supplier, reference, weighted cost,...), but not related to a deal (delivery date, quantity per deal,... )! This is not an ERP for business! I don't know if you understand what I mean? (Unless the design office copies all the commercial documents on each case each time. I know that some people practice it for lack of "serious" methodology)
For the takeover of the existing buildings, we have to see with the design office how they are organised. Do the 3 of them work more or less in the same direction or each in their own way. A good indicator: how do they make their nomenclatures? Generated by SolidWorks and without rework (so yay, get out the champagne...) or everything by hand, no SW properties on the parts and assemblies (big work in perspective!). Tell them about my second post about releases. It's not insurmountable, but you have to be aware of it.
You will have to find out quickly about the cost of licenses and their maintenance (you can go through Lynkoa, it earns points!). As well as Gateway. To be put into perspective with the hoped-for time saved and avoided non-quality.
If you want to be the administrator on EPDM, you will need to know a minimum of how SW works, it will facilitate exchanges with the BE, especially for the takeover of the existing one.
And finally, 2 people on this project is good. Not only is there continuity if one of them leaves, but also during the configuration, the exchange is essential, alone in front of the EPDM administration tool when it is not its job you can quickly drown in it! We are talking about a very complete tool. You can't develop a racing machine with a single mechanic!
@Benoit said it all..... Not much to add.
Hello
To reassure: we have set up EPDM connected with our ERP for 3 years on 2 different sites and this in the space of 6 months.
Everything was set up easily thanks (it's not to advertise) to the support of Axemble who met our specifications (I had done it before to see what is feasible or not)
There are 3 administrators , a supervisor and 5 users.
This solution allowed us to structure ourselves with a rigor that we did not have before.
I hope I have dispelled some fears
A+
@dpusel
I confirm, Axemble is an excellent interlocutor (confirmed by MP) with the experience and the teams that are good for such a subject.
For the duration of commissioning, each case is different, especially if you start from a long way (data quality) and if you want to go very far (level of customization and automation).
And indeed, writing a very detailed set of specifications (even for what may seem trivial ) saves a lot of time.
@dpusel
Hello
We are in the process of installing EPDM.
We have 2 sites like you.
Have you created a single SQL Server for the 2 sites or a SQL Server per site?
Our 2 sites are doing studies and we are thinking of creating 1 sql server per site even if it seems less flexible/more complicated because we are afraid that the site not having the local sql server will be strongly impacted in case of an internet/router/server problem.
Typically for our company, if the SQL Server is unique, it would be installed on the site with the fewest SW users (it's not logical but that's how it is), so any problem on the link between the servers would impact a lot of people.
Your feedback would be interesting on this point.
Kind regards
F. Roussel
@froussel, (even if the question is apparently not addressed)
We had a SQL server (at the parent company, where the majority of users were located) and a data server on each site.
As I indicated in my first post:"- for multi-site, check before committing anything the internet speed between sites. We had big problems (tool simply unusable) because the line was bad 200m from one of the sites, while they were 400km away!"
From memory, you have to do a "PING" between servers. This gives the data transfer time. Your EPDM integrator must know the maximum value not to be exceeded.
It is also necessary to ensure a minimum speed for exchanges between EPDM servers, so as not to throttle the network by other internet activities (we had problems with an automation company that downloaded Windows updates in bulk and consumed all the bandwidth!).
For the risks of disconnection, you should know that if at any time the SQL server is not accessible, you can work locally with the data that is on your local cache. Well, we agree, it shouldn't happen too often.
For the little feedback I have from this installation (2nd site closed since), this configuration worked quite well with up to 4 projectors using EPDM on the site not having the sql database.