Company acquisitions present the people responsible for PLM with a major challenge. The PLM landscapes at larger companies cannot be consolidated overnight. Instead they need to be harmonized and consolidated gradually, step-by-step. It could be the case that, following an acquisition, the parts of the company are only to be linked together "loosely" so that future decisions in the context of M&A can be made more quickly and flexibly.

As a specialist for system integration and data migration, it is our job to provide you with advice and support when designing your joint PLM infrastructure and defining a strategy for harmonizing the heterogeneous PLM landscapes. We offer you tried-and-tested strategies for integrating and standardizing your PLM systems while accepting the temporary coexistence of different data sources.

Joint ventures are usually provided with a separate PLM environment that first needs to be filled with initial data. This data can come from multiple source systems at the participating companies, which makes the initial data filling a complex undertaking. It is not unlike a migration project, but it is often subject to greater time pressure and must also take into account the selection of data relevant to the joint venture. If joint ventures are also to be provided with data from the PLM environments of the participating companies over the long term, the project turns into a regular task in which the protection of intellectual property deserves special attention. In addition, the integration solution often has to be adapted to the IT departments of the various companies involved and has to operate within the specific context of those IT departments.

PROSTEP has demonstrated that joint ventures can be provided with optimum support in both scenarios in a number of different projects. We offer the appropriate solution components for both the initial data filling and long-term data provision, IPP protection, rapid ramp-up and third-party operation, thus ensuring a smooth transition between initial data filling and long-term data provision.

Not only has the number of mergers and acquisitions and joint ventures increased greatly in recent years but also the number of carve-outs and spin-offs. The problem with these carve-outs and spin-offs is the fact that data and IT systems need to be unbundled without disrupting day-to-day activities. This requires an accurate understanding of the business processes and the IT systems used that need to be unbundled. The dismantling of established heterogeneous PLM system landscapes in particular poses a major challenge because engineering/development data has to be transferred, or even migrated to another PLM system, during operation without posing a risk to know-how.

Our experts give due consideration to the different technical and organizational requirements of our customers. Thanks to our many years of experience gained in PLM migration and integration projects, we are in a position to get to grips with such carve-out projects in terms of both methodology and the data models. With our tried-and-tested software solutions, we provide support for the carefully planned transition of the PLM landscapes, regardless of whether this involves big bang migration or the coexistence of the different IT systems over a longer period of time.

There can be a number of different reasons for replacing a PLM system. Regardless of whether this is due to the acquisition of a company or the fact that the solution is technically obsolete and no longer meets the more extensive requirements, it is a monumental task for the people responsible for PLM. A task that they will be hard pressed cope with using their own resources. They not only have to transfer the existing data to the new solution, which first needs to be found, but also record the PLM processes, identify the shortcomings of the existing application, clarify the stakeholders' expectations and specify requirements with regard to the new system.

PROSTEP is an expert partner with many years of experience in the planning and implementation of PLM migration. It provides customers with support – from selecting a system to migrating the CAD and PLM data through to deactivating the old systems. In addition to system-independent PLM consulting services, our service portfolio also includes the creation of a PLM development concept, the development of a customized migration plan and the creation of a "migration office" that monitors adherence to deadlines and achievement of the project objectives. Our PLM Migration Framework, which has proved its worth in numerous migration projects, guarantees efficient and transparent migration with measurable results, thus making it possible to plan migration.

The aim of any type of partner integration is to provide support for distributed value chains; their concrete focus, however, will depend on the different focus and objectives of the partner relationship. Is it, for example, a customer-supplier relationship in which the customer can stipulate certain requirements or a partnership between equals? Does development data have to be exchanged in both directions and if necessary modified by both parties, or is it a matter of providing information on purchased parts? In addition, the duration of the partnership, the speed of ramp-up and ramp-down, the necessary protection of intellectual property (IPP) and the desired level of automation are all key factors that impact on the selection of an integration solution.

Ever since it was first founded, PROSTEP has been getting to grips with the various challenges associated with partner integration. It provides a variety of solutions for this purpose, ranging from PLM2PLM integration to data exchange platforms through to collaboration portals. As the world's leading PLM integration specialist, we have the expertise needed to provide our customers with comprehensive, vendor-neutral advice on partner integration.

The Internet of Things (IoT) describes a global infrastructure that makes it possible to interconnect physical and virtual objects. It forms the basis for smart products, Industry 4.0, predictive maintenance, the digital twin and big data analytics. IoT technologies and big data make it possible to analyze and use data from the entire product lifecycle with the aim of optimizing products in terms of functionality, costs and quality. To do this, the information collected using IoT technologies and platforms needs to be linked with the PLM data and processes. In addition, service-oriented business models require the tighter integration of digital data from development and production with information relating to product utilization, something that would not be possible without the integration of PLM systems.

Data integration between systems, the departments in a company and within value and supply chains is absolutely vital when it comes to optimizing products and establishing new business models. Along with the automation of process chains in the field of PLM, it is one of PROSTEP's core competencies. In addition to our extensive expertise, which is based on the many years of experience gained from countless PLM integration projects, we also offer software solutions for integrating IoT platforms, such as PTC's ThingWorx, which are needed for developing and manufacturing smart products.

Interdisciplinary change management in the context of developing smart products, Industry 4.0 and IoT is not only a challenge for a company's own organization but also when collaborating with other development partners and suppliers. The complexity and variety of different vehicles in the automotive industry in particular can give rise to over 100 change requests per day, which can affect several thousand company employees and external partners. Depending on the scope of the changes involved, this means that both the various departments and the partners – who are working with very different IT systems – have to be involved in the change management process.

The provision of the relevant change information in the different management systems is key to creating a high-performance, traceable change process. In addition to its many years of experience, PROSTEP offers a PLM integration framework with standardized connectivity modules that can be used to implement end-to-end change processes inside and outside a company without having to adapt the systems to be integrated. This means that the information and data are available to all those involved in their respective system environments, which reduces processing times and greatly increases process quality and reliability.