Today, speed to market is half the challenge for manufacturers. With customers demanding innovation and competition moving faster and faster to deliver it, you have to get it right the first time—on time and on budget. Developing innovative products that can successfully compete on the global stage requires the informed and involved collaboration of every stakeholder in the effort, from the drawing board to the sales floor. On This PageMicrosoft Helps Reduce the Complexity of Implementing Product Lifecycle Management SystemsMicrosoft works with major PLM vendors to deliver PLM solutions that deliver superior business value for customers seeking improved product innovation. Microsoft delivers the industry’s leading collaboration platform and tools to support PLM solution deployments and help drive manufacturing innovation. Microsoft-based PLM solutions create the kind of visibility and communication that puts every player in the product development process—from sales, research and development, and design and engineering, to partners, suppliers, and customers—on the same page. Now global teams can be managed more efficiently and decisions can be made faster and better based on timely access to information. Key benefits of Microsoft-based PLM solutions include: | • | Faster turnaround from design phase to market delivery. | | • | Less time developing market share and market leadership. | | • | Lower costs associated with design, procurement, and manufacturing. |
How Cooper Tire Improved ProductivityWith four plants using four different methodologies, Cooper Tire & Rubber Company needed to find a way to streamline, track, and maintain mold production data. To avoid costly production delays and employee frustration, the company sought out Microsoft for a product lifecycle management system. The Microsoft solution included using Microsoft Office InfoPath to standardize the distribution systems at each plant location, streamline overall processes, and reduce operating costs. According to Ronald Sawyer, the manufacturing IT manager for Cooper Tire & Rubber, "Microsoft’s InfoPath technology helps us stay competitive by using forms to deliver consistent processes across our manufacturing plants, supporting our goals of continuous improvement in manufacturing." The Benefits: Imagine Your Company with a Microsoft-based PLM SolutionConsistent, Fast, and Efficient Solutions The ideal PLM solution builds consistency into the development cycle, allowing a winning process to repeat itself for maximum efficiency. It can allow greater flexibility for the inevitable snags and changes and can provide clearer visibility so that everyone can see what’s been done so far and what remains to be done. At its best, the Microsoft-based PLM solution can expedite the process, cutting the expense of developmental delays. Team members spend less time keeping up with status reports and more time completing tasks. In reality, most of today’s PLM solutions come up short. Companies need to invest in training for their team members, costing time and money. The solutions don’t always make a smooth fit with a manufacturer’s existing process, and complete visibility isn’t always achieved. Solutions with Enviable Ease of Use Compared with competitive platforms, Microsoft-based PLM solutions offer ease of use at a lower total cost of ownership. For example, no add-ons are needed to integrate the PLM solution with existing Microsoft Office applications. Furthermore, there’s no need for extensive training. Employees know the software already, so they are less resistant to the new program and work can begin sooner. The standards-based PLM is efficient and nimble, able to tie disparate systems together, and ready to accommodate sudden changes in direction. Microsoft also has the largest partner ecosystem in the industry, featuring PLM specialists like UGS, Dassault Systemes, and CoCreate Software. How Microsoft Helps Microsoft has already helped many companies push product innovation and boost profits. According to industry analysts, General Motors boasted a 50 percent cut in product development time and costs. Similar successes have happened to Fortune 500 companies such as Lockheed Martin and Eastman Kodak. Effective Solutions Your Employees Will UseThe best productivity and collaboration tools in the world won’t help your company if all your employees can’t easily learn and use them. When you employ a Microsoft-based PLM solution, you’re giving your employees a software solution with a look, feel, and operating style they are already familiar with. Your employees will learn and embrace the Microsoft solution faster and more thoroughly than they would use anyone else’s platform. Learn More About These Microsoft-based PLM Solutions:
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