CIMdata eBook

Product Innovation Platform Assessment

Aras PLM Platform

Global Leaders in PLM Consulting www.CIMdata.com Key Takeaways

Key Takeaways What You Need To Know

Introduction End-to-End Lifecycle Support Takeaway #1 Excellent Product complexity has increased Availability Connection dramatically since the time when Product Innovation Very Good many companies deployed their Platform Drivers current PLM systems. Enterprise Infrastructure Good Gravity Utilization Platform Defined Fair Poor Takeaway #2

Upgradability Flow CIMdata has developed a set of PDM vs. Platform criteria that define the Product Innovation Platform needed to manage the end-to-end lifecycle of today’s smart, connected Platform Measurements Process & Knowledge Openness Management products—from concept through life.

Aras & the PLM Platform Sustainabilty Data Management & Find

Through-Life Configuration Management & Traceability Takeaway #3 Aras Differentiators Aras PLM Platform’s Scores on CIMdata’s Aras PLM Platform meets CIMdata’s Product Innovation Platform Assessment expectations for supporting the purpose of a Product Innovation The Path Forward Platform and ranks extremely high across CIMdata’s criteria.

Conclusion

2 Introduction

Key Takeaways CIMdata’s Assessment of the Aras PLM Platform

Introduction CIMdata has received many inquiries from industrial companies and solution providers about Product Innovation Product Innovation Platforms. As Platform Drivers understanding and knowledge of the benefits of the Product Innovation Platform approach to Platform Defined enabling Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) grows, industrial companies want to ensure PDM vs. Platform that their PLM solutions can enable their future Product Innovation Platform. Additionally, solution providers want to understand how Platform Measurements well their technologies meet Product Innovation Platform requirements. Aras is one such Aras & the PLM Platform provider that believes their solution can satisfy Product Innovation Platform requirements and approached CIMdata to evaluate the Aras Differentiators Aras PLM Platform against CIMdata’s Product Innovation Platform definition. The Path Forward

Conclusion

3 Product Innovation Platform Drivers

Key Takeaways Key Drivers for a Platform Approach to Product Innovation

Introduction Increased Product Complexity Failure of Legacy PLM calls the business of engineering and There are many examples of product Today’s reality is that most PLM recognizing the need to implement a Product Innovation Platform. Product Innovation complexity, but the biggest driver is implementations reviewed by Platform Drivers the inclusion of electronics and CIMdata have rarely gone beyond the In addition, manufacturers are software and network connections enablement of core product data recognizing the value of the digital into virtually every product. Smart, management (PDM) capabilities. The thread and the digital twin. The Platform Defined connected products, those with better implementations become a digital thread connects a product and embedded software that single source of truth for released its digital assets (i.e., parts, CAD communicate in real-time with server data and thereby provide significant models, documents, process plans, based backend applications in the value to organizations, but service manuals, etc.) over the PDM vs. Platform cloud are perhaps the most complex. unfortunately still do not achieve course of the product’s complete For example, today’s automobiles their full potential. In Table 1, the lifecycle while the digital twin refers have orders of magnitude more usual scope of traditional PDM to the digital representation of a Platform Measurements complexity, millions are produced implementations are compared to a specific real-world asset (e.g., an each year, and are operated by Product Innovation Platform’s intent aircraft, a specific railway locomotive, hundreds of millions of people every and support required. etc.) in-service in the field at a specific moment in time. Aras & the PLM Platform day. Managing product development, Digital Transformation Initiatives manufacturing, and after-sales As global competition continues to operations is already complex. Add to increase and multiple technologies that the rapid industry moves to Aras Differentiators such as social, mobile, analytics, autonomous connected vehicles and cloud, and IoT rapidly mature, an approach to PLM is required manufacturers are recognizing that beyond what has been typically they must undertake a digital The Path Forward offered by commercially available transformation, replacing manual and PLM solutions. spreadsheet-enabled processes and retiring legacy systems. Under this Conclusion initiative, forward-looking companies are taking a fresh look at what Aras

4 Platform Defined

Key Takeaways Why is a Product Innovation Platform Necessary?

Introduction The goal of a Product Innovation CIMdata has published a dossier on Platform is to connect all users and our website that contains reference their information in a single material and publications related to Product Innovation environment to cultivate continuous the Product Innovation Platform. Platform Drivers creativity, yielding improvements in products and processes, plus inspiring new and better ones Platform Defined throughout full lifecycles and across generations of products. The Product Innovation Platform is critical for PDM vs. Platform companies that design and deliver smart, connected, and innovative products. Platform Measurements A Product Innovation Platform spans the enterprise, to support all users across all functions and disciplines. The platform provides a Aras & the PLM Platform comprehensive set of heterogeneous process-enabling capabilities including platform-native Aras Differentiators applications which can be packaged and configured to establish and support standardized end-to-end business processes, and related data The Path Forward access. A Product Innovation Platform enables the creation of both the digital thread and the digital twin CIMdata’s Product Innovation Platform Conclusion .

5 PDM vs. Platform

Key Takeaways The Expanded Scope of a Product Innovation Platform Drives Increased Capability Requirements

Introduction

Product Innovation Traditional PLM vs. Product Innovation Platform Platform Drivers Domain Traditional PLM Product Innovation Platform

Platform Defined Lifecycle Scope Product Development Full product lifecycle Discipline Scope Primarily mechanical, electrical, and Systems—mechanical, electrical, software electronic, software, control systems, PDM vs. Platform manufacturing and service Information Some CAD, documents, parts, and All product items across all lifecycle Platform Measurements Scope BoMs disciplines Supply Chain Limited supplier involvement Full supply chain and customer support Scope Aras & the PLM Platform

Aras Differentiators

The Path Forward

Conclusion

6 Platform Measurements

Key Takeaways Strategic Imperatives

Introduction Using research done over the last few years on PLM investment, Strategic sustainability and enterprise Imperative Definition Product Innovation application architecture Platform Drivers frameworks, CIMdata developed the Connection The platform’s ability to share & transact value. Product Innovation Platform Gravity The platform’s ability to attract participants, both assessment model. Our researchers producers (i.e., application builders) and consumers Platform Defined used their knowledge gained from (i.e., users). more than 30 years of PDM and PLM project support as well as input Flow The platform’s ability to foster the exchange and co- PDM vs. Platform from key CIMdata clients to creation of value. determine the key criteria. These criteria define not just the Openness The platform’s ability to provide unencumbered technology offered by a PLM vendor access to managed data and related services. Platform Measurements but also associated services and the overall business model. End-to-End Lifecycle A platform’s ability to support the full product and Support plant lifecycle, from concept through life. Supporting The most important criteria that Aras & the PLM Platform the entire extended enterprise, including all its define the Product Innovation engineering and non-engineering disciplines that Platform are the five Strategic create and/or use product data. Imperatives, shown in the Table to Aras Differentiators the right Connection, Gravity, and Flow are identified as the primary elements of a successful platform strategy in the seminal Harvard Business Review article The Path Forward “Three Elements of a Successful Platform Strategy.” CIMdata extended this generic platform definition with characteristics critical to the Product Innovation Platform definition by including “End-to-End lifecycle support” and “Openness.” Conclusion Mark Bonchek and Sangeet Paul Choudary. “Three Elements of a Successful Platform Strategy.” Harvard Business Review. Jan 31, 2013.

7 Platform Measurements

Key Takeaways Foundational Characteristics

Introduction The Foundational Characteristics shown in the table below are similar to more traditional measures of PLM with the proviso that they must meet the goals implied by the Strategic Imperatives defined earlier. Product Innovation Foundational Platform Drivers Characteristic Definition Data management & find The platform’s ability to manage and find data. Platform Defined Through-Life configuration The platform’s ability to manage a product’s configuration from concept management & traceability through its entire lifecycle and provide traceability forward and backwards. PDM vs. Platform Sustainability The platform’s ability to support a company’s data and process management requirements over a long period, at a reasonable cost, even as the business needs evolve. Platform Measurements Process & knowledge The platform’s ability to represent business processes and capture process management outputs, as well as capture and organize data representing knowledge.

Aras & the PLM Platform Upgradeability The platform’s ability to easily be updated to use a newer version of a solution.

Enterprise Infrastructure The platform’s ability to effectively leverage existing and future IT utilization infrastructure to meet a business’s requirements. Aras Differentiators Availability The platform’s ability to provide its services.

The Path Forward Each Strategic Imperative and Foundational Characteristic is further divided into a set of sub-elements. For more information on the Strategic Imperatives and Foundational Characteristics please refer to our recently published position Conclusion paper.

8 Aras & the PLM Platform

Key Takeaways The Aras PLM Platform ranked extremely high across CIMdata’s recently released Product Innovation Platform criteria

Introduction Overall, CIMdata found that the Aras PLM Platform meets or Product Innovation exceeds the requirements of a Platform Drivers Product Innovation Platform. In addition, the Aras Enterprise Open Source business model Platform Defined and technology roadmap should allow Aras to meet their customers’ needs long into the PDM vs. Platform future.

Platform Measurements

Aras & the PLM Platform

Aras PLM Platform Scores on CIMdata’s Aras Differentiators Product Innovation Platform Assessment

Achieving high scores on the five the areas and Very Good in the fifth. provided documentation. Average The Path Forward strategic imperatives is required for a CIMdata scored each element based scores were then calculated for each solution to be considered a Product on a review of public literature of the item. Innovation Platform, and the Aras solution, select customer Conclusion PLM Platform did just that. In fact, it implementations, Aras responses to received Excellent scores in four of questions, demonstrations, and

9 Aras Differentiators

Key Takeaways Strategic Imperative: Connection

Introduction Requirement: The underlying building blocks of the platform. For • SOAP and REST support architecture must be consistent and example, the security service is the • Flexible data federation service modular with complete, fully only service that manages Product Innovation documented APIs that support all protections, all other services use it • OOTB and field implemented Platform Drivers appropriate standards and can be to provide security and any connections to Enterprise Service combined into services and application configured by customers Buses (ESB) applications. Product data and uses the same service. When an Platform Defined associated business processes must existing service is extended to add be easy to access, create, modify, and functionality, the original syntax does consume via a cohesive set of APIs not change so applications can easily PDM vs. Platform and related services. be upgraded to the new release. Yet, The Aras PLM Platform’s architecture, any application using the extended illustrated on the right, is comprised service can now take advantage of the new functionality. Aras’ services Platform Measurements of a number of robust functional layers. The Service-Oriented approach is well proven and core to Architecture (SOA) and application the platform’s extensibility and Modeling Engine provide Aras upgradeability. Aras & the PLM Platform customers with extensive flexibility in The Aras PLM Platform easily building applications (or modifying supports platform connection the available OOTB applications) to requirements, and multiple Aras Differentiators meet their needs and take advantage connection strategies are supported, of the fast upgrade service that Aras including: offers as an inclusive part of their • Direct API access to the Aras PLM service subscription. The Path Forward Platform Services (e.g., vault, Aras PLM Platform Aras keeps its services layer lean and visualization, workflow, and (Image courtesy of Aras) clean. The services are atomic (i.e., configuration) are included in the there is little if any duplication of service oriented architecture Conclusion functionality) and they form the (SOA)

10 Aras Differentiators

Key Takeaways Strategic Imperative: Gravity

Introduction Requirement: The platform must be able to attract participants, both producers (i.e. application builders) Product Innovation and consumers (i.e. users). Platform Drivers Aras has had a lot of success with their Enterprise Open Source Platform Defined business model (see Openness) which attracts both customers and partners. Despite Aras’ small market size when calculated in sales dollars, PDM vs. Platform CIMdata has identified Aras as a PLM Mindshare leader in our 2017 Executive PLM Market Analysis Platform Measurements Report because of its large impact on the global PLM market and broad partner ecosystem. Both Aras customers and partners report on the Aras & the PLM Platform flexibility of the data model as a critical differentiator. They are able to supplement the OOTB applications Aras was named a “PLM Mindshare Leader” in the Aras Differentiators and develop their own solutions CIMdata 2017 Executive PLM Market Analysis Report using the data modeling and based on the company’s industry vision, platform services—an example of a platform approach, and the impact that Aras is having in the approach to solution development. The Path Forward market.

Conclusion

11 Aras Differentiators

Key Takeaways Strategic Imperative: Flow

Introduction Requirement: The platform’s ability including CAD tools and Microsoft requirements created and managed to foster the exchange and co- Office. The service can be accessed within the Aras PLM Platform, and creation of value. by any user, has a simple interface, automatically create physical Product Innovation A critical, but perhaps less obvious, and requires no client installs or structures (EBOMs) in Cameo using Platform Drivers browser plugins. the Aras PLM Platform part data and element of flow is that a platform must create an ecosystem that the In another example that manage those EBOMs within Aras. Platform Defined platform provider and platform demonstrates Flow, Aras has an Aras gains value when such advanced application developers benefit from interesting partnership with IHS, a capability is released because it beyond just selling software to end cloud based supplier of electronic results in additional subscribers users for product lifecycle component data. The Aras PLM within an organization’s systems PDM vs. Platform management. To be a platform, value Platform enables ECAD users to engineering discipline. No Magic must be created and exchanged for access IHS data and find appropriate should also gain value because it all participants, not just the platform components for a given electronic brings systems engineering to Platform Measurements users. design, then manage the item data mainstream design thereby The Aras PLM Platform makes it easy within the Aras database. As IHS increasing the size of their market for users from different functions and updates component master data, and sales revenue. such as changing a component Aras & the PLM Platform domains to collaborate. Systems engineers, mechanical and lifecycle state from production to electronics engineers, software end-of-life, the Aras PLM Platform developers, manufacturing can identify the impact of that Aras Differentiators engineers, quality specialists, and change on products in development more can all connect to the same or production so appropriate action Product Innovation Platform to share can be taken. The Path Forward information and work with common Flow support is also demonstrated by processes. For example, the Visual the integration to No Magic’s Cameo Collaboration service allows users to Systems Modeler. Systems engineers review, markup and comment on are able to generate functional and Conclusion content from almost any application, logical structures in Cameo using

12 Aras Differentiators

Key Takeaways Strategic Imperative: Openness

Introduction Requirement: The platform must website. Access to data is open at all provide unencumbered access to times and does not require a managed data and related services. subscription. Data can always be Product Innovation Aras is unique in the PLM market accessed via the application that Platform Drivers created it or directly from the with their use of a permissive open source license for their OOTB underlying repository if required. Platform Defined solutions. Thousands of companies Finally, Aras publishes their product have downloaded and installed an roadmap on their website and open release to check it out, and prioritizes it based on public input. many smaller organizations run in PDM vs. Platform production without a subscription. Although applications may be freely developed, shared and modified Platform Measurements (including the open source OOTB applications provided by Aras), customers have no need to modify the underlying services, which Aras & the PLM Platform enables easier platform upgrades. CIMdata sees this as a testament to the scope and quality of the Aras Aras Differentiators PLM Platform. The Aras PLM Platform supports appropriate IT and product related The Path Forward standards such as XLM, STEP, SysML, and the Codex of PLM Openness. An extensive set of APIs can be accessed without cost and full documentation Conclusion Image courtesy of ProStep is publicly posted on the Aras

13 Aras Differentiators

Key Takeaways Strategic Imperative: End-to-End Lifecycle Support

Introduction Requirement: A platform’s ability to service maintenance, and finally end • A DoD manufacturing facility is support the full product or plant of life support. Aras has many using Aras to manage MBOM, lifecycle, from concept through life. examples of customers using the Aras routings, work instructions, Product Innovation Supporting the entire extended PLM Platform to support aspects of preventive maintenance, and Platform Drivers enterprise including all its disciplines. the product lifecycle that have often tooling as well as Six Sigma The Aras PLM Platform provides presented challenges to legacy PLM processes including Gauge R&R. systems: Platform Defined support for the complete product • The U.S. Air Force is using Aras to lifecycle from requirements gathering • A large aerospace company is manage as-maintained through modeling, design, using the Aras PLM Platform configurations of multiple early development, simulation, across multiple sites to manage warning radar stations. PDM vs. Platform manufacturing planning, quality, MBOM authoring and EBOM reconciliation.

Platform Measurements

Aras & the PLM Platform

Aras Differentiators

The Path Forward

Conclusion Image courtesy of Aras

14 The Path Forward

Key Takeaways The Aras PLM Platform Roadmap

Introduction Aras has demonstrated that the Aras this time but Aras continues to • Procedure modeling PLM Platform performs well against broaden and deepen the capabilities • Transaction management and data CIMdata’s criteria for Product of the Aras PLM Platform. For recording Product Innovation Innovation Platforms. Many of the example, the following aspects of the • Advanced requirements and Platform Drivers capabilities in the Aras PLM Platform product roadmap were presented at simulation management are relatively new and have not been the recent ACE user conference: • Manufacturing execution widely adopted by customers yet. We • Graph visualization Platform Defined • Maintenance and repair look forward to seeing broader • Branch and merge (configuration adoption of these capabilities in the management) We look forward to seeing these and near future. other capabilities becoming available • Generalized effectivity and being adopted by customers. PDM vs. Platform No vendor provides 100% support for management the Product Innovation Platform at • Extended federation services

Platform Measurements

Aras & the PLM Platform

Aras Differentiators

The Path Forward

Conclusion

Aras’ Product Roadmap is Public and Available Online: https://www.aras.com/plm-roadmap/

15 Conclusion

Key Takeaways CIMdata’s Final Thoughts

Introduction CIMdata’s assessment of the Aras PLM Platform against the criteria of the Product Innovation Platform resulted in a set of high scores. Overall, CIMdata was very impressed with Product Innovation how well the Aras PLM Platform met our definitions of both Platform Drivers the Strategic Imperative and Functional Characteristic criteria. Although we have yet to formally review other solution providers’ offerings against the Product Innovation Platform Defined Platform criteria, it is our belief that the Aras PLM Platform and the Aras business model and services sets the bar high. The separation between the underlying platform framework PDM vs. Platform and applications, the scope and quality of the platform services, the enterprise open source business model, and the quick upgrade service included in the Aras subscription Platform Measurements provide excellent support for the Product Innovation Platform criteria.

Aras & the PLM Platform

Aras enables the world’s leading manufacturers of complex, connected products to transform their Aras Differentiators product lifecycle processes and gain a competitive edge. Aras’ open, flexible, scalable, and upgradable PLM platform and applications connect users in all disciplines and functions to critical product information and processes across the extended enterprise. Aras customers include Airbus, BAE Systems, GE, GM, Hitachi, Honda, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, and Microsoft. Visit www.aras.com and follow Aras on Twitter @aras_plm. The Path Forward

Conclusion Global Leaders in PLM Consulting www.CIMdata.com

16