PLM solution aids innovation in miniature
An
IBM Product Lifecycle Management Solutions product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Jul 13, 2004
The Lee Company, a pioneer in the development of miniature precision fluid control components, has implemented PLM from IBM to streamline the product development process.
The Lee Company, a pioneer in the development of miniature precision fluid control components, has implemented product lifecycle management (PLM) from IBM to streamline the product development process between engineering, manufacturing, sales and quality assurance departments.
Founded in 1948, The Lee Company is a small business with big aspirations.
Looking to replace its aging technical document management tool with a more robust PLM environment, The Lee Company looked at several applications, but chose Smarteam from IBM for its seamless integration with multiple computer aided design tools and Microsoft Office, ease of implementation and out of the box workflow management.
The implementation was completed in less than four weeks with installation, configuration and training services provided by Axiom Systems.
"Using Smarteam's workflow capabilities our goal is to replace processes handled through inter-office memos and e-mails with Smarteam based processes that ensure proper audit trails and provide better status on the progress of various projects", said Serge Doyen, Vice President, Industrial Micro Hydraulics Division, The Lee Company.
"This has enabled us to automate more documentation processes and include more people in the approval cycle for a lower cost".
Today, over 30 engineers, sales and marketing employees have access to the Smarteam environment, which facilitates more collaboration and discussion on product design to meet customer requirements.
In addition, the use of Smarteam's Web Editor product has been implemented on the manufacturing floor to provide searchable access to the latest design data, including inspection reports, to the shop floor staff.
The sharing of this data has already reduced errors and has helped to streamline their problem reporting process resulting in time savings.
"One of the great benefits of the Smarteam solution is that it's possible to implement a robust solution so quickly", said Chuck Stickels, Vice President of Enterprise Solutions for Axiom Systems.
"Working with The Lee Company's team, we were able to configure Smarteam to meet their needs with very little effort".
Future capabilities to be deployed include Smarteam Gateway to seamlessly link ERP with engineering and BOM management as well as configuration control.
Synchronising the two systems will ensure consistent information and eliminate errors.
These will allow the Lee Company to greater leverage its engineering intellectual capital and increase its responsiveness to customer demands.
Not what you're looking for? Search the site.
Google Ads
Contact IBM Product Lifecycle Management Solutions
Related Stories
- Renault deploys Dassault V6 PLM
- DS acts as technical client for university project
- Controlair selects CDS Catalog and Modelserver
- Simulator receives FAA qualification
- Modelling research funded by Noble Denton
Articles by product category
- Consultancy and Services (903)
- Machine Building (4,517)
-
Engineering Design Software (6,179)
- Engineering Design Software (12)
- 2D CAD software (200)
- 3D CAD software (1,157)
- FEA and structural analysis software (369)
- Fluid, thermal, noise, vibration software (334)
- Simulation, modelling, validation software (914)
- Rendering, visualisation, styling software (196)
- Materials design and moulding design software (151)
- Process, instrumentation, automation software (258)
- Electrical design software (164)
- Publishing and documentation software (229)
- Maths, charting, statistics, QA software (317)
- Data, document management software (310)
- CAM, CNC, production management software (568)
- File conversion software, data capture (351)
- PLM and collaboration software (649)
-
Drives, Motors and Controls (3,361)
- Drives, Motors and Controls (1)
- Precision Motors and Gears (411)
- Industrial Drives/Controls (1,276)
- Linear Drives and Motors (114)
- Industrial Motors (497)
- Stepper and Servo Drives, Motors, Controls (1,060)
- Small Mechanical Components, Joining, Tools (1,975)
-
Control and Instrumentation (5,028)
- Plantwide control (1,324)
- Plant- and Machine-Wide Communications (1,174)
- Smaller-Sized PLCs (387)
- CNC and Motion Controllers (184)
- Mid-range and Large PLCs (201)
- Power Supplies, Uninterruptible Power (562)
- HMIs/Operator Interfaces (294)
- Logic Controllers, Timers and Relays (96)
- Cabling, Conduit, Signal Conditioning (806)
-
Monitoring, Measurement and Quality (5,459)
- Monitoring, Measurement and Quality (1)
- Data acquisition Software and Communications (494)
- Data Acquisition Hardware and PC I/O Boards (472)
- Electrical and Electronic Testing, PAT Equipment (630)
- Form/co-ordinate, optical, vision instruments (703)
- Gauges, Indicators and Instruments (440)
- Data loggers (422)
- Materials testing equipment (421)
- Telecomms/network test equipment, software etc (154)
- Testing and Calibration Services and Information (500)
- Testing, analysing and monitoring equipment (1,222)
-
Electrical and Electronic Equipment Design (4,160)
- Batteries, chargers and circuit protection (555)
- Connectors, Terminals, Busbars, Slip Rings (679)
- Enclosures and Equipment Cooling Fans (709)
- Knobs, Handles and Enclosure Hardware (420)
- PCs and Embedded Systems (798)
- Electrical and Electronic Subassemblies (369)
- Electrical and Electronic Components (630)
-
Materials and Processing (2,963)
- Materials and Processing (5)
- Materials and components (2,215)
- Rapid Prototyping (458)
- Materials processing and testing (285)
-
Engineering Industry News, Resources (6,093)
- Engineering Industry News, Resources (4)
- Engineering Business News, Views (388)
- Engineering Exhibitions, Events (562)
- Engineering Conferences (425)
- Engineering Seminars (400)
- Engineering Industry Developments, Awards (633)
- Engineering Guides, Newsletters (349)
- Engineering Recruitment, Employment (219)
- Engineering Training Courses (433)
- Engineering Education, Resources, Standards (838)
- Engineering Industry Reports, Surveys (597)
- Electronic Resources for Engineers (278)
- Health and Safety Legislation (402)
- Health and Safety Strategy, Risk Assessment (113)
- Health and Safety Consultancy, Software (175)
- Health and Safety Events, Training, News (277)
-
Powertrain Design (3,598)
- Powertrain Design (2)
- Bearings (939)
- Chains and belts (326)
- Gears, brakes, couplings and engines (1,441)
- Hydraulic Components (471)
- Lubricants (418)
-
Capital Equipment (3,387)
- Capital Equipment (1)
- Manufacturing Machinery and Plant Equipment (468)
- Production line blowers and fans (62)
- Compressors and Air Treatment (510)
- Electronics Manufacturing, Tools, Instruments (192)
- Electrical hardware (131)
- Machinery and Production Equipment (1,093)
- Robotics, Handling and Storage (930)
-
Sensors (7,080)
- Sensors (8)
- Accelerometers and Vibration Sensors (427)
- Loadcells, Force Sensors, Torque Sensors (699)
- Pressure sensors (621)
- Flowmeters and Flow Sensors (618)
- Level Sensors and Leak Detectors (527)
- Linear Position Sensors (399)
- Rotary Position, Tilt and Angular Sensors (546)
- Proximity Sensors (700)
- Gas, Chemical, Radiation, Magnetic Sensors (284)
- Humidity and Environmental Sensors (152)
- Temperature sensors (612)
- Vision and Colour Sensors (1,384)
- Barcode Sensors (103)
- Valves, Pumps, Process Hardware (3,623)
