PDMPlus Configuration Management Benefits

Inside PDMPlus : Overview l Applications l Capabilities l Functionality l Features l Benefits l Resources l Demonstration

CMstat’s PDMPlus configuration management software manages the flow of configuration history for long-life assets and mission-critical equipment. This starts with the initial requirements, into development, and all the way through maintenance, repair, refurbishment, and retirement. PDMPlus quickly delivers configuration management benefits by providing a standards-based commercial-off-the-shelf CM solution that is rapidly deployable, instantly usable, easily tailorable, and quickly affordable.

For the Organization as a whole, PDMPlus helps to simplify, standardize, automate, track, and report on the many detail-oriented tasks and site-specific requirements of performing configuration management and change control. Time spent checking configuration status or changes is significantly reduced because managers can view the data on-line in a collaborative process with their colleagues or contract suppliers. Costly errors or reworks is minimized due to users outside of engineering having more reliable and usable access to the live configuration data of as-deployed products or assets.

For CM users in a Product Engineering role, PDMPlus provides the ability to identify, relate, and track the components of products and documentation through all phases of the lifecycle without regard to the original CAD, PDM, or PLM software. Engineers can query vaulted drawings and part structures created from multiple CAD or PDM systems to perform where-used and what-if assessments of proposed configuration changes.

For CM Specialists, the PDMPlus data model retains historical records of the relationships between all related product configuration objects along with their hierarchies, dependencies, effectivities, and supersessions. With its built-in CM rules base and pre-programmed data relationships, PDMPlus provides total control of the “one-to-many, many-to-one and many-to-many” data object relationships which are so unwieldy to manage otherwise. Changes can then be analyzed and implemented with all of the relevant history logged via a paperless change review and document revision-roll process. Records and reports can be easily produced for verification audits and compliance verification.

Users of configuration data in functions such as Engineering Services, Quality Assurance, and Document Control have a CM tool that is easily mastered for even the most occasional usage. The time-consuming work of creating, tracking, and updating configuration-related data, spreadsheets and reports from disparate manual systems is dramatically reduced. Data is entered one time and then reused wherever necessary for greater efficiencies.

Manufacturing Engineers, Logistics Planners, Buyers, and Suppliers have instant access to what is often missing in their ERP systems or that which is beyond their access of engineering controlled PDM vaults. This includes not only part information, but also alternate and substitute parts, serial and date effectivities, current and historical EBOM information, authorized suppliers, and cross-referenced documents such as manuals, procedures, drawings, etc. all which are easily retrievable for live decision making.

Personnel in the important functions of Technical Support, Field Service, Tech Pubs, Repair, and even Customers themselves can locate As-Planned, As-Built, As-Shipped, and As-Maintained baselines, review pending changes, and view all product-related drawings, documents and change orders all in one source. They can track rebuild orders, repair instructions, and replacement swap-outs of fielded products at the level of component parts, BOMs, software versions, sub-assemblies, assemblies, complete systems, and field sites. Proposed modifications to product structures by serial or lot number can be held as work-in-progress views without needlessly populating or polluting all the product history of all the deployed structures.

Project Leads and Program Managers are able to track the status of their projects, create and distribute version controlled technical data packages, satisfy contractual requirements that specify configuration management controls, and assign work by project that can be monitored with automatic metrics reporting.

Finally, IT professionals responsible for software deployment, maintenance, security, and upgrades will appreciate a solution and its provider that are right-size, responsive, and easy to work with. PDMPlus’ architecture permits nimble integration with existing systems and migration of legacy data without having to invest in a much larger enterprise architecture just to support a new contract, product line, or supply and service chain.

To learn more about specific customer use cases of PDMPlus, and the value users received from its numerous configuration management benefits, contact CMstat by e-mail at information@CMstat.com or call (+001) 877-537-1959.

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