A mobility strategy for PLM users
The scope and reach of PLM is increasing rapidly as more product information and development activities are being managed using product data management (PDM) software. PDM has become a fundamental repository for managing product knowledge used in all aspects of the product lifecycle – from capturing customer requirements to servicing and supporting products in use. The process of developing products requires thousands and thousands of decisions. To facilitate smarter decisions, and make them more quickly, people need to access the most up-to-date information when and where those decisions are made. Siemens PLM Software is answering this call with Teamcenter Mobility – a mobile client for accessing Teamcenter, the world’s most widely used digital lifecycle management solution.
Access to product and process information has traditionally taken place from desktops or laptops connected to a hardwired network. But many tasks require users to leave the office for meetings, visiting the production floor or when performing field service maintenance. Mobile professionals need to access appropriate information and be able to act on that information as part of their workflow-driven processes. If they are not on the network, they can easily bottleneck a process by failing to respond in a timely manner with mission-critical decisions. As today’s products increase in complexity, service teams need to reference detailed product information or repair instructions while in the field or even when they work in and around the product itself (for example, when maintaining airliners, ships, trains, or automobiles). If they can’t get answers to their questions, they may need to schedule repeat visits, wasting their time and jeopardizing customer uptime. As companies push for more lean operations by removing waste from their processes, the time lost by people being “out of the loop” can no longer be accepted.
