starwars ebook - engineering lessons from the dark side

A Galactic Guide to Innovation and Designing Great Products

eBook

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22015 Arena Solutions, Inc. Arena and Arena Solutions are trademarks of Arena Solutions, Inc., Reg. U.S. Pat. & Tm. Off. All rights reserved. Other product and company names are the property of their respective holders.

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table of contentsEpisode I: Engineering Lessons from the Dark Side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Episode II: Building R2-D2: The Wild Years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Episode III: Help Us PLM...Youre Our Only Hope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Episode IV: Darths Too Sexy for His Suit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Episode V: Find the Droid Parts Youre Looking For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Episode VI: Bogus Parts Make You Sith Your Pants? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Episode VII: Luke, Im Your Father...(sigh) and Uncle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

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weve provided innovative product companies domestically, internationally, and in galaxies far, far awaywith a better way to manage product data and get to market fast.

Our work all started a long, long time ago when Arena invented cloud product lifecycle management (PLM). Our objective

was, and still is, to help product companies of all sizes across industries speed prototyping, reduce scrap, and streamline

supply chain management. Accomplishing these translates into higher product quality, reduced cost and a faster time

to market.

Whether youre designing a droid, a GoPro camera or Fitbit

wearable device, Arena PLM eliminates the time consuming

complications of managing unwieldy change orders by

formalizing the change management process with an intuitive

cloud-based solution.

In this eBook parody are seven Star Wars stories of how Arena

PLM improved new product introduction (NPI) and new product

development (NPD) for several of the films iconic characters.

Stories include:

Engineering Lessons from the Dark Side

Building R2-D2: The Wild Years

Help Us PLM...Youre Our Only Hope

Darths Too Sexy for His Suit

Find the Droid Parts Youre Looking For

Bogus Parts Make You Sith Your Pants?

Luke, Im Your Father...(sigh) and Uncle

In this fierce period of global competition and galactic outsourcing, companies need an affordable cloud-based PLM solution

to manage product data and get their product to market before their competition. And with supply chain teams spread across

the galaxy from Tatooine to Dagobah, companies need a better way to collaborate with their suppliers. Keeping a close

eye on suppliersand their suppliersensures unscrupulous Jawas dont sell you dangerous bogus parts at inflated prices.

So whether youre building a high tech Death Star or a groundbreaking medical device, a modern cloud-based PLM system

ensures your company triumphs. Read on to discover why more innovative product companies across the galaxy say, Help

us Arena PLM. Youre our only hope.

...Companies need an affordable cloud-based PLM solution...C

A long time ago... Arena invented Cloud PLM

here at arena solutionsh

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is a tragic example of an enterprise-size organization thatbecause of a failure to foster a culture of collaboration and implement a holistic enterprise-wide quality management solutionsuffered from catastrophic quality failure.

The Galactic Empires Death Star was shipped to market with a single design flaw that resulted in costly and time consum-

ing scrap and reworkas well as serious damage to the Dark Side brand. How can you expect to instill fear throughout the galaxy and squelch a rebel uprising when your ultimate weapon has a flaw so glaring that it can be exploited by a one-man X

Wing Fighter? said Death Star scientist and quality manager Rorax Falken.

Sadly, the Death Star failure could have easily been avoided; however, the Galactic Empirelike many large companiesfailed to integrate a quality management system (QMS) with its design and development processes to more effectively reduce

supply chain oversights, employee missteps and design errors.

When we were the Galactic Republic, it was a really relaxed vibejust me and a handful of engineers, said Falken. When I needed a design spec or bill of materials (BOM) verified, I could boogie over to Senator Palpatines cube near the foosball

table and get him to signoff on drone specs, but once we became the Galactic Empire, it all fell apart. We failed to upgrade

to a formal BOM solution capable of keeping pace with the complexity of the Death Stars product documentation set.

How quality errors doomed the Death StarH

Episode I: Engineering Lessons from the Dark Side

There is no question the Death Star was the Empires most

ambitious project ever launched. The space station had a crew

of 265,675, as well as 52,276 gunners, 607,360 troops, 30,984

storm troopers, 42,782 ship support staff, 180,216 pilots and

support crew. The hangars contained assault shuttles, blast

boats, strike cruisers, land vehicles, support ships and 7,293 TIE

fighters. The station was protected by 10,000 turbolaser batter-

ies, 2,600 ion cannons and roughly 768 tractor beam projectors.

And those are just estimates.

To keep esprit de corps high among staff members, the Death

Star housed a miniature golf course, a bowling alley, and a TGI

Fridays (servers were required to wear Dark Side vest flair)

conveniently located for crew and guests of The Emperor.

The problem with manufacturing the Death Star and manage-

ment of all related quality issues was that the Galactic Empire

continued to rely on manila folders, emails, and spreadsheets as

well as disparate quality management systems to jury-rig correc-

tive action and preventive actions (CAPA).

How can you expect to instill fear throughout the galaxy and squelch a rebel uprising when your ultimate weapon has a flaw so glaring that it can be exploited by a one-man X Wing Fighter?

The galactic empireT

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These tactics, which were eons old, failed to foster the cross-functional collaboration and visibility necessary to sustain

successful quality management across the entire product lifecycle. For example, with all the emphasis placed on the

development of the fortresss magnificent defense system, engineers overlooked the potential design flaws and security risks

of a simple exhaust port.

I warned engineering that if a two-meter-wide thermal exhaust port suffered a direct hit from a photon torpedo it would ignite

a chain reaction in the main reactor that could destroy the Death Star, said Falkan. According to the quality manager, the port

was never fixed for two reasons: one, a system to foster collaboration and overcome engineerings mistrust of the quality group

was never implemented; and two, because Falkans quality people were not allowed to provide feedback early in the design

cycle, engineering was even more reluctant to rework designs so late in the manufacturing process.

come to the Dark Side, and stop nagging us about this ridiculous exhaust

port? Falkan recalls scolding the engineers. In the end, the engineering group didnt change it, rationalizing that a direct hit

was impossible since the portal was no bigger than a womp rat. Boy, were they wrong.

Falkan recognized that once a product quality failure is out the door, the cost to rectify it increases dramatically. The destruc-

tion of the Death Star demonstrates the importance for companies to foster collaboration across the enterprise early and

implement a holistic quality solution to prevent the same type of costly errors that the Galactic Empire experienced.

FAlkan recognized that once a product quality failure is out the door, the cost to rectify it increases dramatically...

F

Why cant you be a team player,w

*Not a Parody: Arena PLM customer Jawbone slashed Time to Market by 50% and reduced ECO Cycles by 75%.

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...said an anonymous IA Procurement Manager. S

When we outsourced our manufacturing, we also outsourced our material planning, leaving us blind to the total quantity of parts we would buy across the portfolio.

Inside R2-D2s cylindrical frame were arms, sensors and

tools that could interface with computers, extinguish fires,

project holograms, and repair starships. However, to

reach a wider family market, IA introduced several new

child-friendly features with its R3 and R4 models, includ-

ing: lefty scissors, Elmers glue, Betty Crocker Easy Bake

Oven, and a Super Soaker water gun.

Although the R-series brought IA great wealth, the com-

pany remained locked in fierce competition with Cybot

Galactica, which had its own product line of advanced

droids. However, IAs ability to manufacture high precision

products at deeply discounted prices enabled the

company to protect its market share.

spunky spirit and little known dance moves, R2-D2 was the crowning achieve-ment of high tech manufacturer Industrial Automaton (IA). In fact, the brave droid and his persnickety protocol counterpart

C-3PO played a pivotal role in saving the galaxy.

But how could IA lower prices, meet their margins and

still collapse time to market? The answer: Arena PLM

BOMControl, a cloud-based product lifecycle manage-

ment solution that streamlines design processes. When

coupled with Arena Demand (a material aggregation

tool), IA could forecast and better negotiate even the

most inexpensive part costs across their entire product

portfolio.

Arena Demand helped IA reduce purchased component

costs by enabling personnel to aggregate the usage of

all individual components, parts and capacitors used

across the companys entire R-series linesfrom the R2 to the R9 models. Knowing the total aggregated

usage of the components in advance provided IA with

leverage to better negotiate with tough suppliers, such

as Jabba the Hutt.

Episode II: Building R2-D2: The Wild Years find the penny components that can save you millionsf

legendary for his many tools,l

Arena Saved Customers on Earth From Quality Failure and Product Disaster A

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...and IA became the undisputed droid manu-facturing champion, R2-D2 bid farewell to the Rebel Alliance and set off to Hollywood to realize his long-time dream: to play lead guitar in an LA-style Guns N Roses hard rock band.

the droid went by the stage name of Guitar 2-D2 and enjoyed the decadent lifestyle of a rock star. Sadly, he fell into a bad crowd, got hooked on WD-40, and ended up working as a lowly trashcan on the grimy streets of Sunset Boulevard.

C-3PO, who was working as a butler at a Hollywood producers nearby mansion, found the strung-out droid, put him into rehab and got him a cushy job as an hors doeuvre plate holder. And while R2-D2s adventures werent as exciting as they once were, he finished out his golden years living a sedentary but peaceful life in LA sipping the occasional Darjeeling tea with his long-time companion.

Arena Demand allowed IA to profit by tracking inexpensive components; for example: a single insignificant capacitor used in

multiple quantities at many BOM levelsand shared across different productsrarely has its total aggregated usage (portfo-lio wide) accounted for. Knowing the sum total usage of the capacitors to forecast in advance provided IA with significant lever-

age to negotiate higher volumes and lower prices.

When we outsourced our manufacturing, we also outsourced our material planning, leaving us blind to the total quantity of

R-series droid parts we would buy for the droid line over the next year, said an anonymous IA Procurement Manager. Arena

Demand provides us with parts visibility across the entire product portfolio (both broad and deep) to forecast demand and bet-

ter negotiate bulk discounts. With Arena Demand, we didnt need a material resource planning (MRP) system (or an expensive

team to run it), who often just took our money and trolled at Dexs Diner. When it came to finding all the small components that

went into all our R-series droids, Arena helped us find the pennies that saved us millions.

R2-D2: The Wild Years

once peace was established...o

For a stint, F

Fortunately,F

*Not a Parody: Arena PLM customer Graphite Systems removed 90% of product errors, saved an estimated $500,000 recurring annually by removing costly on premise IT management.

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Episode III: Help Us PLM... Youre Our Only Hope

adorable Muppet-speak and warm wise eyes, Yoda was straight gangsta. He was one of the most powerful Jedi Masters in galactic history, renowned for his legendary wisdom, mastery of the

Force and intrepid lightsaber skills.

The lightsabers biggest product design challenges were managing end-of-life parts, such as the rare Kaiburr crystals, that

powered the Jedi weapon. Keeping track of these hard-to-find crystals had become increasingly complicated during the Ga-

lactic Civil War. The problem was the Empire banned trade and possession of these sought-after gems due to their propensity

towards molecular instability that left generations of life-forms in ashes.

Without these vital components and stones, lightsaber production ground to a halt, resulting in a catastrophic impact to

weapon builders everywhere.

Compounding this domino effect, Yodas inability to ship product resulted in a wide-spread market panic. Customers scrambled

to find secondhand early edition First Blade lightsabers, which were highly unstable and inefficiently guzzled energy from a

belt-mounted power supply. Because these lightsabers could only be used for a brief duration before overheating, Jedi Knights

often had to use their voice to make faux humming/buzzing sounds while swinging their lightsabers around to ward off foes.

This, while not only ineffective, was quite humiliating.

Yoda was too old and wise to ignore the fact he needed product lifecycle management (PLM) tools to help him identify parts at

risk as well as gain an in-depth look into component life cycles, availability and compliance data.

If youve ever designed embedded electronic compo-

nents, in a high mix, high change environment for parts

that are non-compliant or approaching end-of-lifeunderstand the value of up-to-date parts, you must,

said Yoda. But unless you work for an enterprise with

access to expensive data aggregation services, easy

to get detailed and timely information for off-the-shelf

components, it is not.

To solve his parts-management problem, Yoda turned

to Arena, which had developed Supplier Item Lookup

(SIL)a BOMControl add-on that provides current market availability, datasheets and compliance informa-

tion for all your BOMs. SIL communicates with Silicon-

Expert, a leading component database, which provides

up-to-date supplier information, lifecycle status and

regulatory or environmental compliance information.

Why Yoda preached the power of PLM W

Yoda was too old and wise to ignore the fact he needed product lifecycle management (PLM) tools to help him

Y

Despite his cute chihuahua-like looks,D

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Part search is often a mystifying and frustrating process that burns through countless man-hours and eats away at profits,

it can, said Yoda. By using Arena PLMs Supplier Item Lookup with SiliconExperts vertical search, OEMs and distributors

can simplify the process, avoid the manual legwork, and cure many of the headaches associated with part search, it does.

Hmmmmmm. Superfluous data is ignored, buried information is uncovered, and insight is built in. With an electronic component

database, the task becomes less about locating data and more about locating intelligence. Yessssss, he said while nodding

knowingly.

Yoda continued to preach the

value of SIL to heal manufacturers from component lifecycle and compliance pains they faced on a regular basis. SIL gave

OEMs visibility into component availability that accelerated time to market and reduced line-down situations that could result in

catastrophic shipments delays.

Everyone in the design, sourcing and manufacturing process stumbles upon data problems, they do, said Yoda. With Arena

and Supplier Item Lookup, OEMs save time by being able to quickly lookup part information, avoiding the tedious and arduous

process of going through different supplier websites, they can. Yessss.

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Yodas Top Six Benefits of Supplier item Lookup

To solve a Parts Management problem...TIf components youre evalu-ating are available for pur-chase, it knows. Hmmm.

Determine if components meet the regulatory require-ments for your product, it can.

Identify potential supply shortages for essential components in your bill of materials (BOM), you will.

Quickly it can provide a part crossit can.

For all the parts in your BOM, pull up-to-date datasheets. Herh herh herh.

For sudden market availability changes, monitor items in your BOM, you do. Yesssss.

before his life was tragically cut short at the tender age of 903,b

*Not a Parody: Arena PLM customer Aurora Networks lowered Time to Market by 75%, increased Product Quality by 75%.

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Episode IV: Darths Too Sexy for His Suit

was manufactured to compensate for the serious injuries Anakin Skywalker suffered after his duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi.

But precious few knew the luminarys statuesque, gloom and doom outfitdesigned with groundbreaking medical device technologyalmost didnt happen.

How the Dark Side accelerated FDA approval for Darth Vaders suitH

If the Galactic Empire had not previously met FDAs stringent compliance ap-

proval, the cyborg system would have never shipped to marketand the most recognizable icon of evil the universe has ever known would have never existed.

Vaders life-support system included a chest-worn, 256 bit SSL encrypted

control panel that regulated his respiratory functions with a breathing apparatus

and embedded heartbeat regulator. A ventilating filter in his iconic mouth grill

doubled as an asthma inhaler.

Vader would sometimes get so worked up over the Rebel Alliances shenani-

gans that hed stomp his feet and hyperventilate, remembers Emperor Palpa-

tine. He would curse and wheeze so hard, we thought he was going to blow a

lung. So, we made sure to include a device to regulate his breathing.

The suit also came equipped with a Fitbit, a state of the art activity tracking

device, which enabled Lord Vader to calculate the distance he walked, calories

burned, floors climbed, activity duration and intensity. Before Lord Vader was

into the Dark Side, he was into fitness and having great glutes, recalls the

Emperor. In fact, he might have had the best buns in the galaxy.

Product designs for the suits frightening look and revolutionary medical device functionality had existed for some time but

had repeatedly failed to meet FDA standards. The problem was the Galactic Empire never formalized design control and

change management processes. Without a corrective action/preventive action (CAPA) management system and lack of formal

design history files (DHFs), device master records (DMRs) and design processes, the evil empire labored under severe

regulatory delays.

Since we are the Dark Side, I thought intimidating the FDA to expedite compliance approval would be easy, said Palpatine.

However, the FDA was tougher than we imagined. Their incredibly impudent rep said to me, Listenyou can stop with all the blah, blah, blah Dark Side claptrapnothing is more powerful than the FDA. Get it, you crazy old kook?

Now, how are those hurtful words supposed to make me feel? sighed the crestfallen Emperor.

Fortunately, the Galactic Empire had Arena PLM, which made audits easier and less time consuming. this enabled Palpatines team to meet compliance require-ments and go to market fast with medical device technologyall while dressed in a killer suit.

F

Darth Vaders fearsome black mobile life-support suitD

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Star Wars historians are quick to point out that the Galactic Empires medical device division was

savvy enough to understand the compliance value of using Arenas cloud-based PLM and Quality to formalize design process-

es; however, the larger weapons manufacturing division was too set in its old ways, relying on on-premise solutions or outdated

spreadsheet to adopt new software.

Darth vaders Suit: Looks That Kill

Fashionistas and haute couture historians wonder...F

important Note:i

...how Did Darth Vaders suit became one of the hottest outfits in the galaxy?

For three years running, the Endor edition of GQ magazine voted Vaders outfit as Mobile Life Sup-port Suit of the Year. The ensembles sweeping lines, industrial gauged breastplate armament, and accessoriesgloves, helmet and capebecame the darling of the Empires Fall collection. The rakish outfit had such flair, it also placed Best in Show for form, fit and function (FFF) at runway shows from Paris to Tatooine.

To accelerate FDA approval and meet the requirements of other galactic regulatory compliance standards, Palpatine knew he

had to rectify the Galactic Empires missing or poorly maintained compliance handling proceduresnot to mention their out-dated auditing procedures. To achieve this goal, he turned to Arenas PLM solution.

The Galactic Empire discovered Arena PLM streamlined the management of the bill of materials (BOMs), DHF, DMR, and

change orders associated with the suit. And Arena Quality, embedded in Arena PLM with integrated CAPA capabilities, pro-

vided a superior empire-wide approach. This holistic quality solution offers visibility, cross-functional team collaboration, and

long-term tracking of quality resolutions which accelerated FDA approval for Lord Vaders suit and allowed us to enter mass

production earlier, says Palpatine.

The Senator bristles when asked what would have happened if the Empire had not achieved regulatory compliance in time.

We were resigned to the possibility that Lord Vader would be forced to ride around on either a mall cop Segway, or a cherry

red Rascal with a basket in front, growled Palpatine. Even if Medicare subsidized the Segway or the scooter, imagine how

degrading that would be. How does one strike abject fear into entire galaxies while brandishing a front basket with pinwheels?

Fortunately, the Galactic Empire had Arena PLM, which made audits easier and less time consuming. This enabled Palpatines

team to meet compliance requirements and go to market faster with advanced medical device technologyall while dressed in a killer suit.

The camera loves you, baby.

*Not a Parody: Arena PLM customer IPG Photonics reduced Time to Market by 25%, lowered ECO Cycles by 100% with 100% improvement in Supply Chain processes.

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Episode V: Find the Droid Parts Youre Looking For

and most mean-spirited contract manufacturer in all of Toydaria. Headquartered in downtown Mos Def with second and third tier suppliers hidden across the planets, Watto consistently

exploited the fact that OEMs, who outsource their manufacturing (and consequently their material planning), were left blind to

evaluate and forecast their total component needs. Without knowledge of the total aggregated usage of components, OEMs

had no leverage to negotiate with supply chain partners on price-based part volumes. This lack of visibility gave contract

manufacturers like Watto the upper hand in price talks.

Secrets to negotiating component part purchases without Jedi mind tricks

S

Not even the shiftiest Jedi mind trickseven those wielded by a revered Jedi Master, like Qui-Gon Jinncould improve the bargaining position with Watto.

I wanted to buy some parts from Watto, but I told him I didnt have

cash and tried to (making air quotes) convince him that he should

accept my Discover Card, recalled Jinn. Watto snapped, Discover

Cards and Jedi mind tricks dont work on meonly money. No cashno parts. I felt violated by the inflated prices he was charging but

helpless to bargain. I was so frustrated I wanted to punch him right in

his nosetrunkbeak?

The Jedi Master knew he needed a new strategy to strengthen his

negotiating leverage with Watto.

Turns out that Jinn, who had just inked lucrative sponsorship deals

with Pennzoil, STP and Budweiser to manufacture his own line of pod-

racers, had a high volume need for millions of tiny capacitors to build

both onboard and embedded electronic entertainment consoles for

his luxury and mid-size racers. But he didnt know how many common

modules used the same insignificant part across disparate product

lines. To gain greater part visibility so as to better negotiate attractive

volume price discounts, Jinn turned to Arena Demand.

Arena Demand works with Arenas flagship product Arena PLM BOMControl. It reduces purchased component costs by aggre-

gating the usage of all individual components across multiple products. This visibility provides leverage to better negotiate with

supply chain partners on price-based volumes.

Arena Demand...reduces purchased component costs by aggregating the usage of all individual components across multiple products.

A

Watto was the greediestw

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Compounding the suffering of Wattos isolation was his inexorable frugality, which made dating difficult, especially for some-one with craggy teeth and a hooked trunk.

Jinn took pity on Watto and took it upon himself to offer the uncomely creature some double-secret Jedi dating advice.

but I learned from Jinn that even a hideous blue insect like me could find love if I just started being a bit more generous, said Watto, his bug eyes welling with tears.

OEMs should count their pennies but suitors should not. I now understand in matters of love how a man spendsor fails to spendreflects how caring and giving he is as a person, adding with a sniff, Arena Demand was a blessing in disguise, man.

How Watto Got His Groove on

Watto was broke and friendless. W

Look, Im no george clooney,l Soon after that,s

Arena Demand allowed me to shave microns off my tiny penny componentsheretofore ignoredthat added up to millions of dollars in savings, said Jinn, proudly flipping his luxurious mane of hair back and forth as though starring in a shampoo com-

mercial. Arena Demand was created for OEMs like me to gain leverage in negotiating with the Wattos of the world.

Eventually, Jinns negotiation position became so strong that when he entered the Chalmuns Spaceport Cantina, the most

notoriously exploitive CMs across the galaxy would visibly quake, averting their gaze in abject fear. The Jedi Master became

so formidable, he was subsequently able to bargain for the release of Wattos slave (and Jedi prodigy) Anakin Skywalker who

was formally tendered over to his custody.

As more OEMs across the galaxy discovered how Arena Demand enabled a fast, efficient way of looking across BOMs and

product lines to update forecasting as products change, Watto could no longer charge exorbitant markups for parts. His wan-

ton ways were splayed open as warning that OEMs possessing Arena Demand should not be trifled with.

With Arena Demand, OEMs can identify track, roll-up, and forecast even the most inexpensive components, turning pennies

into dollarsand in some volumesmillions.

Watto got a Euro-styled haircut, bought Georgio Armani Aqua cologne and started taking his dates to upscale restaurants. Not over-the-top fancy mind you, so as to not appear showy.

*Not a Parody: Arena PLM customer Affirmed Networks slashed Time to Market by 50%, and reduced ECO Cycles by 100%.

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Episode VI: Bogus Parts Make You Sith Your Pants?

the risk of counterfeit components making their way into the manufacturing mix has increased at a disturbing rate.

The Rebel Alliance discovered the dangerous impact of bad parts the hard way. In the weeks before the battle of Yavin, X-wing

fighter pilots realized their onboard targeting computers were not generating an accurate projection of the battlefield.

The Incom T-65 X-wings perfect balance of speed, maneuverability and defensive shielding made it the fighter of choice for

Rogue Squadron, said Rebel Alliance General and Manufacturing Operations Manager Carlist Rieekan. However, without our

targeting computers, wed be as awkward as Jabba the Hutt twerking, said Rieekan. And the chance of shooting two photon

torpedoes down an exhaust shaft two meters wide was as likely as a Wookie winning a swim suit competition.

The Rebel Alliances entire mission was nearly compromised because

faulty components had made their way into the computer systems

due to a lack of supply chain visibility.

K eep Your Suppliers Close and Your Suppliers Suppliers CloserK

Let me explain something about Jawas. They are relentless scav-engers who comb the deserts of Tatooine in search of any scrap metal, droid or mechanical part left behind.

L

How could that happenyou ask?

The Rebel Alliance contracted with several top tier contract manufac-

turers, giving them absolute ownership of the design of their respective

piece of the X-wing product line and responsibility for managing their

own subcontractors. Unbeknownst to the Rebel Alliance, one of those

second-tier part suppliers for the tracking computers IP happened to

beJawas.

Let me explain something about Jawas, said Rieekan. They are

relentless scavengers who comb the deserts of Tatooine in search of

any scrap metal, droid or mechanical part left behind from the millen-

nia of star travel. And guess what? Those very old junk parts were

what our primary contacts ended up buying from the Jawas and using

in our X-wing fighter tracking systems. So frustrating.

To reduce the occurrence of bogus parts, the Rebel Alliance turned to

Arena Exchange, a supply chain solution that allowed the Rebel Alli-

ances manufacturing division to forward, filter and share build pack-

ages across their entire extended supply chain at a fraction of the

cost of others. Arena Exchange enabled more robust team collabora-

tion and greater visibility into second-tier supply chain suppliers.

W ith part suppliers spread across the galaxy,w

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While the Rebel Alliance wants efficient supply chain approval processes, we dont always want to give our primary supply

chain contacts second and third teams Login access to our innermost PLM system, especially if those providers are sneaky,

hoodie-wearing Jawas, said Rieekan.

The need for greater supply chain visibility impacts manufacturers from industries ranging from medical devices to high tech-

nology. And organizations that span from evil empires to the Sea Monsters of Naboo. Its a galactic fact that even stellar sup-

pliers oftentimes unintentionally employ unscrupulous employees who could vacuum up your IP and jet off to the Clone Wars

to use their powers for evil. And its also a universal truth that bogus parts often rear their ugly heads during times of despera-

tion when suppliers are hurried to service their OEM customers.

When youre trying to get an assembly built quicklyor your demand has suddenly increasedthink Death Star super laser or X-wing tracking computeryoure going to find youre short of components and your contract manufacturer and suppliers will work very hard to get you parts. That is classically when you end up with counterfeit parts, admits Rieekan. Unfortunate-ly, you wont know theyre bogus until you re-spin the board and get into system tests. So, with Arena Exchange, were able to

see where our distributors and suppliers are actually getting parts before its too late.

the Rebel Alliance gained a clear competitive advantage over the Galactic Empire by

eliminating the counterfeit parts that might result in unforeseen scrap, rework and shipping delays. My college fraternity bro

Grand Moff Tarkin went to work for the Empire. We made a bet I could blow up his Death Star before he could finish building a

vehicle mounted laser to destroy our rebel base on the fourth moon of Yavin, snickered Rieeken with an impish smile.

Continuing, But he didnt have a way to guard against fake

parts. That caused laser production delays, giving us time

to steal a Death Star blueprint and discover an exhaust port

vulnerability. Because of Arena Exchange not requiring a

specific PLM, I prevailed. I wish he were still here so I could

open up a cold brew and say nothing. Just take a few pen-

sive sips and gloat.

To this day, Star Wars historians debate whether Luke Sky-

walker actually used the Force or an eleventh generation

tracking computer to destroy the Death Star. When I first

heard a Yavin Base controller yell, Luke, you switched off

your tracking computer! Whats wrong? I said to myself. Oh,

no! Another counterfeit part has caused product failure at

the worst possible time! explained Rieekan. But then Luke

responded, Nothing. The tracking computer works fine. I was

just listening to my favorite audio book, The Bridges of Mad-

ison County. Some people claim we were victorious because

of the Force, but I believe it was actually Arena Exchange.

By using Arena ExchangeB

*Not a Parody: Arena PLM customer Nimble Storage slashed Time to Market by 100%, reduced ECO Cycles, Scrap and Rework by 100%, increased Supply Chain improvements by 100%.

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Episode VII: Luke, Im Your Father... (sigh) and Uncle

the apprenticeship of a Padawan (Force-sensitive adolescent) traditionally began with a disciplined one-on-one instruction with an assigned Jedi Knight or Master.

Unfortunately, this one-to-one transfer of knowledge between student and teacher had dangerous pitfalls. A Jedis untimely

death at the hands of an evil Sith could sever the line of wisdom passed from one generation to the next. And no one can deny

that if Yoda and Ben, Obi-Wan Kenobi, had not escaped the clutches of The Empire and hidden in Tatooine and Dagobah,

millenniums of Jedi Teachings would have been completely lost.

Despite avoiding capture, the Jedi realized that a humans memoryeven that of a wise Jediis prone to failure due to the outrageous slings and arrows of aging.

Star Wars historians originally believed Obi-Wan was protecting Luke Skywalkers feelings by not revealing that his father,

Anakin Skywalker, was Darth Vader. But the truth is Obi-Wanin the twilight of his yearssimply forgot this important bit of information.

A young Jedi named Darth Vader [long pause to remember what he was saying] um, hmmm, betrayed and murdered your fatherI think, fumbled Obi-Wan, while drinking prune juice. This wasnt the only time the ancient Jedis absent-mindedness had nearly doomed the rebel alliance.

Despite reminding him many times, Ben Kenobi completely forgot to take R2-D2 and his How to Destroy a Death Star for

Dummies guide to Alderaan like I asked, huffed Luke Skywalker, who began disdainfully referring to the senile old Jedi as

Bengay On Kenobi.

Next-generation supply chain collaboration tools saved the JediN

Seeing the potentially catastrophic amount of historical data and

Jedi teachings nearly lost during the Great Jedi Purge, the Jedi

quickly realized the importance of sharing and permanently re-

cording important product information in a more formalized man-

ner. Because of this, the Jedi soon employed a collaboration

system that facilitated teamwork to avoid risking the loss of criti-

cal product information, wisdom and important documents, such

as the Death Star SOP (standard operating procedure).

The next generation collaboration solution the Jedi Academy

chose to support their Force, for engineering and manufacturing

teachings was Arena Scribe. Scribe provides the entire product

supply chain a digital slate to socialize, record and share all tribal

knowledge, said Skywalker. Stakeholders can get up to speed

quickly and make informed decisions.

Scribe provides the entire product supply chain a digital slate to so-cialize, record and share all tribal knowledge

S

W ithin the halls of the illustrious jedi academy,w

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...the Rebel Alliance cataloged the wisdom of Jedi, such as Mace Windu, who was portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson. Often quoted at Jedi Council cocktail parties, here are some of Windus best-known bon mots:

of the Galactic Sen-ate of the Republic, youre under arrest, Chancellor.

I have had it with snakes on this plane!

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This is some serious gourmet coffee. Usually, me and Vince would be happy with freeze-dried Tasters Choice, right? And he goes and springs this serious gourmet coffee on us. This is some serious uptown funk.

Windus Greatest Hits

With Scribe...W

in the namei

enough is enough!E

mmm. Jimmie.m

Because the Jedi were already using Arena PLM BOMControl to manage their product data for their engineering and manu-

facturing needs for the design of lightsabers, X-Wings, droids and Jedi Jamborees (the galaxys most popular wearable fitness

consumer products), adopting Arena Scribe was a no-brainer. With all the product documentation already in BOMControl,

Scribe made it so easy to facilitate collaboration; in fact, theres actually no training manual.

Luke had long recognized that the Jedis one-on-one teaching heritage and heavy reliance on email fell short of the knowl-

edge-sharing potential that only a next generation collaboration solution could unlock. Theres only so much you can gain

by giving Yoda piggy back rides and slurping raw space bat eggs straight from the shell after a tough training session,

said Skywalker.

He continued, Although Obi-Wan forgot my dad was Darth Vader, I was able to go back to Scribe and discover a Jedi thread

that accurately recorded that Darth Vader was not only my fatherbut my uncle, too! Whoa! This made me really uncomfort-able about my familys unhealthy close relationships.

Enterprise social collaboration is not just a platformits a means of transforming business processes. The solution releases the power of your human capital and captures it in a single knowledge-base repository. By collaborating, youll bring the ease

of consumer-like social experiences to the supply chain, said Luke. Everyone within a manufacturing organizationengi-neers, operation managers, executives, even supplierscan share their domain knowledge broadly within their groups or nar-rowly across discrete functions.

*Not a Parody: Arena PLM customer Liquid Robotics reduced Time to Market by 75%, increased Product Quality and Supply Chain improvements by 100%.

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Arena PLM Saves the Galaxy

engineers relate stories of how cloud-based PLM helped heroic product companies triumph over costly product errors, shipping delays and quality failure.

Arenas suite of easy, affordable PLM and supply chain solutions enable product companies to deliver quality products on time

and on budget. With a collaborative environment for centralizing, controlling, and analyzing complex and constantly changing

product information (including bills of materials (BOMs), part specifications, and change orders) product companies are better

equipped to get their products to market ahead of their competition.

No company wants to suffer a Death Star-like product disaster. Arena helps engineers, operation managers, and executives

make sure their BOMs dont bomb.

Because of Arena, manufacturers, of world-class companies such as GoPro, Fitbit, Nutanix and SunPower have become Jedi

Masters of their BOMs and product design processes.

For more information on how to save your company from BOM errors and achieve galactic success, contact Arena Solutions at

www.arenasolutions.com or call us at 866.937.1438.

To quote Yoda, Buy it, you will.

today,t

Author John Papageorge, the author of ENGINEERS STRIKE BACK: STORIES, TIPS & SECRETS, has worked with some of the biggest names in technology, including Oracle, IBM, Hewlett Packard, Cisco and Silicon Valley Bank, to analyze and communicate emerging business and technology trends. Today he works with Arena Solutions.

*Not a Parody: Arena PLM customer Blast Motion reduced Time to Market and ECO Cycles by 100%, increased Product Quality by 100%.

*Not a Parody: Arena PLM customer Cypress Semiconductor slashed Time to Market, Scrap and Rework by 75%, experienced 100% Supply Chain improvements.

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