Automotive specialist joins partner programme

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Aug 31, 2005

Virtual Services, a major provider of engineering solutions to the automotive industry, has joined CoCreate's partner programme as an authorised reseller of OneSpace.net and other CoCreate products.

Virtual Services, a major provider of engineering solutions to the automotive industry, has joined CoCreate's partner programme as an authorised reseller of OneSpace.net and other CoCreate products.

Virtual Services is a leading systems integrator and value added reseller providing the best practices and technologies needed for a complete product development process - from new business acquisition through product launch.

With over 350 customers, including six automotive OEMs, Virtual Services combines expertise in engineering solutions with specialised knowledge of the automotive industry.

The company will sell and recommend CoCreate products to help clients make the most of working with and as automotive suppliers - a relationship of growing importance in most major automotive supply chains.

"With 75% of a vehicle's value derived from the automotive supply chain by 2015 - compared with 65% today - the success of brand owners rests with their ability to use their supply base to support lower manufacturing costs within emerging and mature markets", writes Kevin Mixer in a 2005 AMR Research Alert, "The future of automotive".

Yet, evidence shows that despite growing industry dependence on suppliers, only the most sophisticated shops are positioned to profit from suppliers' greater role in vehicle development.

That is, those that can produce complex, cutting-edge designs and co-ordinate efforts across international design and manufacturing partners will thrive in the next 10 years.

While those relying on older technologies and processes will continue to find themselves squeezed out of the business.

Virtual Services expertise in implementing engineering solutions for the automotive industry combined with OneSpace.net equips suppliers, large and small, with the technologies, processes, and knowledge they need to work effectively across the multiple tiers of the supplier community.

"The auto industry is continually exploring new and innovative ways of reducing time-to-market through more efficient and more effective product development activities".

"We have observed a significant reduction in design time by automotive suppliers that implement OneSpace.net for use in product collaboration with their downstream Tier II and Tier III supply bases", said D Mark Ratliff, President and CEO, Virtual Services.

"Additionally, OEM and Tier I design review meetings can be scheduled or can occur add hoc with multiple suppliers regardless of their physical location".

"OneSpace.net has the capability of viewing, measuring, annotating, and marking-up CAD design real time".

"This is the most innovative and cost effective solution we have seen in this area".

"We welcome Virtual Services to our partner programme", said William M Gascoigne, CoCreate CEO.

"Their rich experience with the automotive industry in implementing successful solutions is a natural fit with CoCreate's vision for making lean product development a reality for manufacturers".