011000358700000576752009e rich data management for the full product life

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Todays global marketplacepenalizes enterprises fordisjointed processes andstrategic decisions basedon incomplete information.Streamlining operations toreduce cost and providing asingle view of the businessto improve judgment areessential to growth. TheSAP Product LifecycleManagement applicationprovides industry-leadingdata management to help youaddress these chal lenges

while protecting your flexi-bility to respond to a volatile

economy. It integrates dataacross all relevant SAP andnon-SAP applications, help-ing you create and maintainproduct and service struc-tures and facilitate data

visualization and publication.

RICH DATA MANAGEMENT FORTHE FULL PRODUCT LIFE CYCLETIMELINESS, ACCURACY, ANDCONSISTENCY ACROSS ALL PROCESSES

SAP Solution in DetailSAP Product Lifecycle Management


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CONTENT

4 Integrating Information ina Single View

4 Product Master and StructureManagement

4 Defining and MaintainingProduct Structures

7 Managing Formular-BasedProducts

7 Recipe Management9 Specification Management

10 Providing Top-Notch After-Sales Service

10 Service and MaintenanceStructure Management

10 Higher Efficiency andLower Risk

11 Handover and TakeoverProcesses

12 Publishing Consistent Data Across the Enterprise

12 Visualization and Publication 12 Moving Products to Market

Faster 12 Increasing Product and

Service Revenue 12 Collaborative Development

and Sourcing 13 Technical Publications

and Training 13 Sales and Marketing

Communications 14 Product Visualization in

Manufacturing 14 Service and Support

15 The Rewards of ThoroughData Management

15 Business Benefits of DataManagement in SAP PLM

15 For More Information

16 Quick Facts


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This functionality originates the bill ofmaterial (BOM) and maintains keymaster data for manufacturing. SAPPLM is one of the few life-cycle man-agement applications that offers thistrue integration between product master

data and manufacturing master data.You can share relevant engineer ing andcompany master documents and mate-rials lists and link to CAD soft ware in

which the geometry of individual partsis defined. Product master and struc-ture management functionality alsounderpins configuration manage ment

with data on versions and effectivityranges of parameters. And it integrates

with the SAP ERP application to man-age core operations data and interface

with other processes such as inventorycontrol and quality management.

Defining and Maintaining ProductStructuresProduct master and structure man-agement includes several importantelements for product and structuredefinition and maintenance, includingclasses, functions, views, variants,assemblies, and instances.

Product ClassesProduct classes define product char-acteristics and their particular values.Product characteristics describe theproduct from an external customerperspective as well as from an internalengineering perspective. By bindingproduct characteristics to a sharedtechnical basis, product classes guar-antee consistent product description

Weve left behind the days when a robustlist of products and services ensurescompetitive advantage. Inte grated pro-cessing and fast and accurate decisionmaking have become equally crucial tosuccess in our rapid-fire global market-

place. To help you eliminate multiplemanual interfaces and make the rightinformation available to the right people

at the right time, the SAP ProductLifecycle Management (SAP PLM) appli-cation features top-notch data manage-ment functions. SAP PLM provides asingle view of your current operationsand business knowledge across your

value chain, eliminating the pain of dataconversion at process interfaces, withthe attendant risk of inconsistencies.

And this means you can maintain theaccessibility and reliability of crucial datafor all your employees and part ners withminimal strain on your valuable tech-nical support resources.

SAP PLM helps you integrate dataacross your processes using these keyfunctionalities: Product masters and product

structures Recipes and specifications Service and maintenance structures Mechanisms for data visualization

and publication

Product Master and StructureManagement

Product master and structure manage-ment in SAP PLM is a rational, com-prehensive, flexible approach to definingand maintaining documentation onproducts and product families. This corefunctionality helps ensure com plete,consistent, and up-to-date infor mationacross your product portfolio. It supportsdynamic collaboration and workflow-controlled processes that managestructured product and product familydocumentation from the earliest phasesof development, over the whole lifecycle, to the last phases of retirement.Key features of product master andstructure management include clearlymaintaining product families and vari-ants; efficiently orchestrating changesalong the life cycle; and optimallysupporting downstream manufacturingand service processes.

INTEGRATING INFORMATION IN A SINGLE VIEW CONNECTING THE ENTIRE VALUE CHAIN

Weve left behind thedays when a robustlist of products andser vices ensurescompetitive advantage.Integrated processingand fast and accuratedecision making havebecome equally cru cialto success in our rapid-fire global marketplace.

4 SAP Solution in Detail SAP Product Lifecycle Management


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from early product planning and engi-neering, through sales and customerorder fulfillment, to follow-on marketingand field maintenance.

SAP PLM derives a product class from

a high-level product description in whichboth structured and unstructured com-ponents are melded into quantifiableproduct characteristics. Classes in turnare structured into a hierarchy, the toplevel of which represents a product lineor product segment.

A subordinate product class inheritscharacteristics from the class above.On each level, a class may modify itsinherited characteristics to exclude or

add certain values or characteristics.This paradigm lets you describe prod-ucts in detail without devolving the de -scription further into individual elements.

Product FunctionsProduct functions are structural or non-structural decompositions of products;they are always associated with productcharacteristics. Functions describe theproperties and functionali ties of a sys-tem, subsystem, or component inde-pendent of the specific representationof the object. This technique supportsa systems engineering approach tomultidisciplinary product development.In contrast to product classes and char-acteristics, functions devolve a productdescription further into its indi vidual ele-ments. This detailing can occur accordingto a product template or in a top-downapproach.

The product template is a detaileddescription of a product down to itslowest level. In cases in which youknow the full product decompositionin advance, the template serves as aframework against which you perform

engineering work. Templates are heavilyused in the automobile industry, forexample, where even for a brand-newdesign, a car will still have a chassis, anengine, a transmission, front and rearaxles, and so on. Even for industrialmachinery, engineers usually know theproduct structure in advance and cansimply adapt content or introduce anew design. With a top-down approach, the product

is only partially structured from above,and you perform engineering bottomup against this scaffolding. In the most

common cases, the definition of theupper structure is driven by require-ments and takes a functional approach,

while the definition of the lower struc-ture is driven by design and takes ageometrical approach.

ViewsMechanisms for analysis and displayuse views in product master and struc-ture management to provide variousdrill-down paths on product data. One

view, for example, yields all productdata with respect to electronics, andanother view provides all color options.Views thus let you group product func-tions and alternative navigation pathsalong a logical framework that you can

define to suit your specific needs. And you can classify views to make searchand retrieval easier as well.

Figure 1:Product-Centric View

Aggregates the EnterpriseInformation Relevant tothe End User

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Product Variants A variant is a specific representationof a system, subsystem, component,assembly, subassembly, or part. Itcontains references to objects suchas part or material masters and docu-

ments, as well as attributes, quantities,and classification data. A variant is

connected to a product function andmay carry various product characteris-tics such as weight or cost or any otherattribute you assign it.

Variants carry information from theproduct class, which records thecharacteristic value or range of valuesdefined for each variant. This connec-tion between the high-level descriptionand the structure detail is called depen-dency. It is a very powerful mechanismthat lets you combine a whole productfamily into a single product structure,a requirement for effective variantmanagement to counteract undesiredproduct proliferation.

You can maintain variants along a time-line, by means of a change masterrecord that creates historical instancesof variants. The change master deter-mines under which conditions a par tic-ular historical variant becomes effective,

using a mechanism called an effectivityparameter. Examples of effectivity para-

meters include ranges of serial numbersor open or closed time inter vals; youcan define any others appro priate for

your business. And as with views, youcan classify variants to speed searchand retrieval.

Assemblies Assemblies are used to document asystem, subsystem, or component thathas a fixed decomposition and may beinstalled in several locations in the prod-uct or product family or even acrossproduct families. Using assem blies helps

you document frequently occurring sub-products and manage complexity byavoiding repetitive documentation.

Often sourced from a design structuredefined in a CAD application, assem-blies can have any number of levels.Simple assemblies have a single headerand a fixed decomposition into a fixedset of assembly items. Assemblies with

variants use multiple headers to formseveral groups of subassemblies thateach share some assembly items.

InstancesEvery product variant has its own setof properties defining spatial locationorganized in a device called a trans-formation matrix. Instances are thegeometric representations of specificentries in a transformation matrix.

Product-Centric ViewProduct-centric view capabilities withinSAP PLM integrate product-relatedinformation and analytics directly intothe business application, supportingthe user with a new level of quality whencarrying out product design decisions.Product information is aggregatedfrom different sources within the SAPBusiness Suite soft ware and embed-ded in the user inter face in a context-sensitive way. The context is definedby the main application.

SAP PLM provides a single view of your current opera tionsand business knowledge across your value chain, elimina-ting the pain of data conversion at process interfaces, withthe attendant risk of inconsistencies. And this means youcan maintain the accessibility and reliability of crucial datafor all your employees and partners with minimal strain on

your valuable technical support resources.



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MANAGING FORMULA-BASED PRODUCTSSHORTENING TIME TO MARKET

Recipe Management

The SAP Recipe Management applica-tion contributes significantly to SAPPLM, particularly by shortening timeto market for products developed by

manufacturers in the process indus tries.The application was designed specifi-cally for such firms, especially largemultinational organizations that need tocentralize product data management.

SAP Recipe Management includes a wide range of functions to help youhandle product and process definitioninformation, including specifications,

formulas, and recipes. The applicationmaintains a central repository of life-cycle data that provides a synchronized

view of critical technical informationacross all processes that produce oruse the data. This approach supports

high standards for product quality,labeling, and compliance, and it helpsensure proper management of con-trolled substances.

SAP Recipe Management facilitates thedevelopment of formula-based productsby harmonizing and simplifying accessto all data related to the definition ofmaterials, products, equip ment require-

ments, and manufacturing processes.The software helps you structure prod-uct data into multilevel recipe hierar-chies, from a global enterprise-widerecipe down to country-specific andline-specific recipes, in accordance with

the International Society of Automation(ISA) S88 standard.

Figure 2:How Specification

Management Works

Specification database

Substances Pure substances Preparations Polymers Listed substances Catalogs

Packagings Bottle Box Drum

Agents Real substances Noise Biological hazard Climate Electrical hazard

Dangerous goodsclassifications

Waste codes

. . .

Characteristics

Value

Usage

Rating

Validity area Assessment

Source

Text, graphic, document

Components

Key

Status andrestrictions

Properties andcompositionIdentifiers

Relationshipsand references

Materialassignments

Data record

Names

Numbers

FormulasMaterial : Spec.= 1:1

Material : Spec.= n:1

Material : Spec.= 1:m

Material : Spec.= n:m

Material : Spec.= 0:1

Specification



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The application also automates themanagement of product developmentprocesses from the early phases ofidentifying new product conceptsthrough development of specifications,recipes, and formulas. Change man-

age ment functions capture alterationsin specifications, formulas, and recipes,and integrate approval processes tohelp ensure good manufacturing prac-tices during execution. Best-in-classproject management tools help youkeep all product data processes aligned

with plans in order to manage cost andschedule over the product life cycle.

Additional functions in SAP RecipeManagement facilitate Web-based

collaboration with vendors and supplierson joint definition of material and prod-uct properties. Sensitive product infor-mation is protected along the wholepath through robust and flexible accesscontrol based, for example, on status,organizational affiliation, or location.

A recipe trials function supports theprocess of iteratively adapting recipeand formula information in preparationfor full-scale production. Once finalized,product and process definition infor-mation is released by R & D for use indownstream production operations.

Tight integration between SAP RecipeManagement and SAP ERP keepsproduct quality, compliance, and label-ing information aligned with the tech-nical product parameters defined byR & D during product development.

You can automate the generation ofcus toms declarations and labels, andlocalization mechanisms help ensureadaptation for multiple languages and

vocabularies.

The SAP Recipe Manage-ment application maintainsa central repository of life-cycle data that provides asynchronized view of criticaltechnical information acrossall processes that produce

or use it. This approachsupports high standards forproduct quality, labeling, andcompliance, and it ensuresproper management of con-trolled substances.



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In short, SAP Recipe Management inSAP PLM automates the sharing ofconsistent product development knowl-edge across all relevant departments,reducing the time required to developnew products while increasing the quality

of goods and processes. The result iscost savings through stream lined devel-opment and revenue enhance mentthrough speed to market.

Specification Management

One of the most important elements inmanaging product data in the processindustries is the aggregation of tech ni-cal information on which product formu-las are based. SAP PLM leverages the

specification database developed forthe SAP Environment, Health, andSafety Management application as theglobal foundation of product technicaldata. This approach provides a highdegree of synergy between productdevelopment processes and supportfor related environment, health, andsafety requirements, such as productsafety and environmental protection.

The specification database at the coreof SAP PLM provides for simple entryand maintenance of the broad and com-plex set of technical product infor mationgenerated during product devel opment.You can use specifications, for example,

to capture all relevant technical orscien tific information about theoreticaland controlled substances encounteredin your enterprise. These include rawmaterials, ingredients, and packagingmaterials, as well as finished and semi-finished products. This central reposi-tory of specification data provides asingle view of your business. Thus, youhelp ensure that users anywhere in the

world can work with the latest versionof technical information about all mate-

rials developed, used, or manufactured. The scientific data about materialscontained in formulas is then used informula explosion and calculation pro-cesses to determine the theoreticalproperties of all finished and semi-finished products. Integration betweenthe specification database and manu-facturing execution functions in SAPERP helps ensure that plant-level quality,compliance, and labeling processes arekept consistent with product data createdand maintained by R & D.

Key features of productmaster and structuremanagement includemaintaining product

families and variants;orchestrating changesalong the life cycle; andsupporting downstreammanufacturing and ser-

vice processes. Thisfunctionality originatesthe bill of material andmaintains key masterdata for manufacturing.SAP PLM is one of thefew life-cycle manage-ment applications thatoffers this true integra-tion between productmaster data and manu-facturing master data.



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PROVIDING TOP-NOTCH AFTER-SALESSERVICEEFFICIENT LEVERAGING OF ECONOMIESOF SCALE

Service and MaintenanceStructure Management

Organizations that manufacture com-plex equipment were among the first torecognize the difficulty of maintaining

market share and raising profit mar ginssimply by providing state-of-the-artproducts. As customers become moreknowledgeable and their service de-mands more sophisticated, most manu-facturers are learning to leverage theirestablished engineering and design

capabilities by offering industry-leadingafter-sales services. This new revenuestream is indeed lucrative, but it chal-lenges manufacturers tradi tionallyfocused on building new assets to viewservice in a new light. Many firms that

already manage both manu facturingand maintenance do so only from dualbusiness models. SAP PLM offers ser-

vice and maintenance struc ture man-agement to help you create a consoli-dated overview.

Higher Efficiency and Lower Risk As the original creators of a technicalasset, manufacturers have the mostcomplete knowledge regarding propermaintenance and can thus perform

preventive or corrective upkeep tasksmuch more efficiently than outsiders.They can also take advantage of eco-nomies of scale through extendedcustomer support efforts that providesimilar marketable services to multipleorganizations.

On the other end of the value chain,equipment operators are consistentlypressured to get the most out of theirinvestment in assets. And in tandem

with the mushrooming complexity ofequipment, the volatile global economybrings a heightened risk of grave

consequences in the event of failure.Data management in SAP PLM helpsensure that operators can quickly andaccurately track asset usage acrossthe product life cycle. This empowersoperators with increased visibility that

facilitates informed decisions aboutmaintenance schedules and proceduresand can considerably boost availabilityand productivity.

Product data management helps manu-facturers start compiling asset infor ma-tion from the earliest conceptualizationphases. Specifications and related infor-mation typically take the form of CADdrawings and text documents duringinitial design. Component suppli ers pre-

pare and supply many of these descrip-tive artifacts, and you must compileand centralize these items to improvethe collaborative supplier managementprocess. SAP PLM keeps these detailedproduct documents consistent as theyare refined multiple times across engi-neering, procurement, and productionprocesses. Once production is final-ized, the manufacturer has completedetails regarding equipment, assembly,parts, and corresponding serial numbers

with which to create all the necessaryoperations documentation beforeinstallation at a customer site.

As customers becomemore knowledgeable

and their servicedemands more sophis-ticated, most manu fac-turers are learning toleverage their estab -lished enginee ring anddesign capabilities byoffering industry-leading

after-sales services.



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Handover and Takeover ProcessesThe process of synchronizing assetdelivery with knowledge transfer iscalled handover. SAP PLM supportshandover by compiling as-built andas-installed information on specified

technical objects, including equipmentname and number, BOM, functionlocations, measurement points, andmeasurement documentation. Thesoftware compiles this information ina predefined, XML-based formattedfile for presentation to the customer.

The customer can use the data in theformatted file to create a correspondingstructure in much less time and withmore consistent results than would be

possible starting from scratch. To com-plete the takeover, technical personnelreview the details, adapt the infor ma-tion to suit internal needs, prepare andcreate corresponding master data,design site-specific maintenance plans,and schedule maintenance events.

Once the asset is online, the customerexecutes the maintenance proceduresdefined in the maintenance plan, check-ing planning and execution processesfor consistency with documentationfrom the manufacturer. If customersanticipate needing specialized mainte-

nance services in the future, they reviewthe current condition of the asset andprepare a file for incremental update

with change information. When thetime comes for the special servic ingevent, they send the asset to the man-

ufacturer or to an authorized ser viceprovider, handing over the compiledasset information as well.

The service provider takes over thesedetails and reconciles the informationreceived with the information on theasset as it was delivered. Armed withthis full and accurate detail, the serviceprovider can plan resource utilizationso that the required maintenance tasksare performed with optimal efficiency.

This helps ensure that the serviceprovider can send back equipment tothe cus tomer for return to active pro-duction in far less time than possible

without comprehensive service andmaintenance structure management.



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PUBLISHING CONSISTENT DATA ACROSS THEENTERPRISEVISUALIZATION IN FAMILIAR FORMATS FOR CAD

AND OTHER SYSTEMS

Visualization and Publication

Companies have typically investedextensively in operational processesand information systems to improveefficiencies across the product life cycle.

Yet smooth and timely delivery of pre-cise, up-to-date, and usable productinformation across all depart ments isstill just a vision for some companies.Powerful product visualization featuresin SAP PLM maximize efficient transferof product knowledge to downstreamstakeholders. SAP PLM does thisby automatically publishing productinformation readily available in CAD,product life-cycle management, and

enter prise resource planning softwaresystems into common document for-mats and business applications. Thismultifaceted viewing saves time bykeeping decision making intelligent andquick, and it encourages collaboration

by giving viewers dynamic productinformation in their preferred formats.

Moving Products to Market Faster Time to market historically consists ofthe time to develop a product plus thetime to initiate product-related com mu-nications. Organizations typically com-municate product information throughtechnical publications, marketing collat-eral, and part catalogs. The embedded

product visualization component inSAP PLM lets product communicationsprofessionals develop their materialsconcurrently with product design, ratherthan waiting for physical prototypes.

Automation of 2-D and 3-D graphics

processes helps further compresspublication times.

Increasing Product and Service RevenueRich 2-D and 3-D product graphics candifferentiate both goods and services.When customers must choose betweensimilar products, a portfolio of high-impactmarketing materials and wide-rangingservice offerings can tip the scale in yourfavor. In addition, enhanced con tent forsales training, marketing col lateral, and

accessory catalogs can shorten sellingcycles and increase revenues.

Collaborative Development and SourcingBusiness pressures now require engi-neers to lower costs by acceleratingdesign iterations and reducing cycletimes for change orders. They need tocommunicate and collaborate securelyand relay up-to-the-minute knowledgeon product and process designs to allstakeholders at the push of a button.

Embedded visualization in SAP PLMcuts the time to prepare design pack-ages, supplier communications, andother engineering deliverables. Product

Figure 3:Embedded Product

VisualizationCapabilities

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design information based on currentdesign data stored in the central data-base is published through reliable andaccessible document-viewing formats.

Typical documents published among

engineers and suppliers include: Product design reviews Supplier communications Requests for quotes Quality inspection reports

Technical Publications and TrainingBudgets for the development of tech -nical publications and training are dwin-dling, and many companies are out-sourcing the task to countries withlower labor costs. Delivery of accurate

and readable technical documentationis further hobbled by increasing productcomplexity and the need for localizationin international markets.

In SAP PLM, an integrated visualizationcomponent can display animated prod uctassembly instructions or main tenanceprocedures. You can view technicalpublications and training concurrently

with product design, minimizing the riskof delays in product launch. With high-quality product graphics partly replacingcumbersome text, knowledge transferimproves, translation costs decrease,and rollout time shrinks.

Typical documents produced in thisarena include: Assembly process sheets Operator procedures manuals Operator training guides

Sales and Marketing CommunicationsSales and marketing teams are con-stantly pushed to deliver consistentmessaging and branding on a limitedbudget. And while carefully managingcosts, these teams must also differen-tiate products and services in a super-saturated marketplace.

Embedded product visualization helpsthe marketing communications teamdeliver consistent messaging and helpsteams view compelling marketing andsales presentations while also eliminat-ing costly physical prototypes and

on-location photo shoots.

Communications typical in this sphereare as follows: Customer briefings Print, electronic, audio, and video

product collateral Sales training materials Online and print catalogs

Figure 4:Embedded visualiza-tion supports extended

com munication insales, marketing andservice



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Product Visualization in Manufacturing As global competition intensifies, man-ufacturers increasingly rely on partnersand suppliers around the world to helpreduce costs and time to market byaccelerating design and delivery of new

products. However, this practice iscomplicated by the need to implementcomplex and untried design and devel-opment processes and, at the sametime, integrate new materials and man-ufacturing processes. To succeed,manufacturers must find effective waysto communicate and collaborate witha wide variety of participants in theglobal supply chain who have varyinglevels of technical and linguisticexpertise.

Embedded product visualization facili-tates effective graphic communicationthat can optimize communications in a

wide variety of core product develop-ment and manufacturing processes.

And SAP PLM leverages and integratesexisting CAD data with operations datafrom SAP ERP, enabling manufacturersto keep a single view of the business infront of all eyes.

Typical manufacturing documentsinclude such pieces as the following: Assembly process sheets Manufacturing process reviews Configuration control and

management reports

Shop-floor training materials

Service and SupportEconomic trends are teaching corpora-tions to treat service and supportorganizations as revenue generatorsinstead of cost centers. Industry leadersalready differentiate established products

with innovative support offerings andafter-sales services.

The embedded visualization function in

SAP PLM facilitates the differentiation ofproduct support offerings with graphic,interactive, and up-to-date service docu -mentation, training, and part catalogs.Improved knowledge transfer translatesto higher customer service levels andlonger product uptimes.

In this arena, the important publicationsinclude the following: Electronic parts catalogs Service procedures Service training materials Service bulletins

SAP PLM supportshandover by compilingas-built and as-installedinformation on speci fiedtechnical objects,including equipmentname and number,BOM, function loca-tions, measurementpoints, and measure-ment documentation.



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Business Benefits of DataManagement in SAP PLM

Data management in SAP PLM encom-passes comprehensive product masterand structure management, optimal

recipe and specification control, pro ac-tive service and maintenance man age-ment, and graphic visualization andpublishing. This multidimensional datamanagement can help streamline youroperations and improve outcomes across

your value chain in a host of ways: Enhance productivity by relying on

a single source of truth for product-related information, thus shrinkingsearch times and reducing errors

Help prevent proliferation in manu-

facturing, logistics, sales, and services by enabling reuse of parts andassem blies across products, productlines, and projects

Optimize plant-floor layout by man-aging work cells, materials, and pro-cesses within a 3-D rendering of theentire plant

Shorten time to market throughenhanced communications andknowledge transfer that boostcreative collaboration

Lower resource requirements byreusing knowledge assets collectedduring previous similar efforts andleveraging process and projectmanagement skills

Boost sales by reaching a wider

audience through content suited to a variety of interactive media channels.

Validate customer requirementsearly by interpreting needs againstlive product structure data

Increase the efficiency of externalcommunication through automaticallycompiled as-built and as-installedinformation in a predefined, XML-based formatted file

Lower marketing communicationscosts by replacing costly physical

prototypes and on-location photoshoots with computer-generatedimagery

Add a revenue stream by applyingproven engineering and design exper-tise to value-add after-sales services

Decrease service and maintenancecosts by integrating animated serviceprocedures into diagnostic softwareand part-ordering systems

THE REWARDS OF THOROUGH DATA MANAGEMENTHIGHER PRODUCTIVITY, BETTER COLLABORATION,LOWER COSTS

For More Information

To learn more about how SAP PLMmanages data across the entire productlife cycle, call your SAP representativetoday or visit us on the Web at

www.sap.com/plm .

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50 095 225 (09/05)2009 by SAP AG.

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SummaryIf, like most companies today, your organization needs to manage change, reduce cycletimes, and control costs, the SAP Product Lifecycle Management (SAP PLM) applicationcan help make your life simpler. It offers powerful functionality for product structure man-agement, recipe and specification management, and service and maintenance structuremanagement. And it integrates data across processes and disciplines in your extendedenterprise, delivering it to stakeholders everywhere through the kind of dynamic visuali-zation that makes short work of knowledge transfer.

Business Challenges Deliver consistent quality while lowering costs and shortening cycle times Empower downstream workers with access to real-time design and engineering data Manage change effectively and efficiently throughout the product life cycle

Key Features Marketing Match clearly defined product variants to customer segments Sales Ensure availability of current product structures in the field and stay flexible

to meet customer-specific requests Customer service Empower customers with good handover procedures and turn

maintenance management into a value-added service Enterprise resource planning integration Consolidate information into a single

executive view over products and operations for your entire business network

Business Benets Higher revenues as a result of quicker redesign, longer equipment uptime, and increased

employee productivity Enhanced decision making based on a single, consistent overview of all product master

data and quality management efforts Greater impetus for innovation through collaboration across functions and buy-in

to change Lower software maintenance costs through embedded data visualization and knowledge

transfer features that reduce outlay for technical documentation and training materials

For More InformationTo learn more about how SAP PLM manages data across the entire product life cycle,

call your SAP representative today or visit us on the Web at www.sap.com/plm .
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