Introduction
This topic serves as a guide to achieving the successful adoption of the SOLIDWORKS PLM Standard role in managing an Engineering Bill of Materials and the product release process. This topic is primarily focused on the Engineering Release app, but it will also discuss complementary capabilities found in other supporting apps, where applicable.
The following sections outline how to approach and structure the adoption process with key stakeholders. If you have any questions or require further guidance on approaching your implementation, please contact your SOLIDWORKS reseller.
Roles and Apps Covered in This Topic
Role: SOLIDWORKS PLM Standard (and Product Release Engineer)
| Primary Apps | |
| Engineering Release | |
| 3DPlay | |
| Design with SOLIDWORKS & SOLIDWORKS Connected |
Note: This guide refers to the SOLIDWORKS PLM roles. The SOLIDWORKS PLM Standard role contains the same apps that are found within the Product Release Engineer (XEN) role; therefore, the workflows and capabilities discussed in this wiki will apply to customers with either role.
Before You Begin - Recommended Learning Content
If you are new to the concept of using the 3DEXPERIENCE platform for managing an engineering Bill of Materials, it is recommended that you familiarise yourself with the capabilities and recommended use cases of the Engineering Release app, with the following content:
- Getting Started with BOM Management Using Product Release Engineer - SolidPractices guide
- ENOVIA to the Max Webinar - Product Release Engineer
Before embarking on any customer-facing implementation activities related to this topic, in addition to the capabilities of the Engineering Release app, you must also be familiar with the following adoption guide topics and 3DEXPERIENCE platform concepts.
- Introducing the Platform User Interface to SOLIDWORKS Design Users
- Organizing and Controlling Access to SOLIDWORKS Design Content
- Revision and Lifecycle
- Item Naming and Numbering
Planning for Successful Implementation and Adoption
Implementing the 3DEXPERIENCE platform for Engineering Bill of Materials management represents a major shift from the traditional approach of using a model-driven table on either an engineering drawing or within a SOLIDWORKS assembly. Therefore, it is important to plan the implementation. An implementation can be broken down into the following stages. The first three represent the planning phase, and the final three the project rollout.
The scale of each implementation will vary. For companies with only a small number of users, the three planning stages may only require a single meeting. For larger companies needing to involve multiple departments, the planning stages may require a number of dedicated workshops to fully understand all of the outcomes and requirements.
1. Identify the key stakeholders
Before starting the rollout of any new process, thorough planning is critical to ensure that the implementation of the new process is a success. All of the different people who interact with the Engineering Bill of Materials today must be identified, and their roles in the current process must be understood. For some companies, it may only be the SOLIDWORKS users who are involved; in others, it will be several people across multiple departments and disciplines. Involvement for some may just be awareness that a new process is being implemented, but for others, involvement will mean hands-on training and a complete understanding of the potential benefits to their business.
Finally, a nominated person or group of individuals in your business must have the responsibility of leading the project and making the implementation a success. It is key to identify champions who will support others and maintain momentum. In many cases, this will be the same person or people who were involved in making the original decision. Failure to have dedicated leadership on the implementation risks the project failing to meet its outcomes. This situation will often result in users reverting to their old methods.
Below are examples of typical personas and their responsibilities who may be involved in the creation and release of an Engineering Bill of Materials.
IT/CAD Administrator
| Design/Engineering Manager
| Lead Designer/Engineer
|
Procurement Collaborator
| Manufacturing Collaborator
| Sales Engineer
|
2. Align Stakeholders and Build Knowledge
Managing an Engineering Bill of Materials (BOM) on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform represents a major change away from the traditional approach of using a driven table on either an engineering drawing or within a SOLIDWORKS assembly. At the start of the adoption journey, all stakeholders must be fully aware of the value of using the 3DEXPERIENCE platform to manage their Engineering BOM.
Below are some common business value examples that will apply to the majority of companies adopting the SOLIDWORKS PLM standard role.
- BOM Curation – Reduce errors and rework by ensuring all teams have access to the exact data they need
- Data Modification – Boost productivity with advanced navigation, smart organization, and flexible visualization for effective data editing
- Product Definition – Improve efficiency by maximizing reuse while managing product structures
- Part Numbering & Responsibility Assignment – Ensure adherence to corporate standards through early definition of part numbers and governance responsibilities
It is often the case that the people who will be using the solution day to day may not fully understand their companies’ requirements and reasons for adopting this new way of working. Lack of understanding of why a new process is being implemented can lead to friction and can, at best, slow down the adoption or, at worst, completely derail it to the point where the implementation is abandoned, and users revert to their old methods or another solution entirely.
Common Objections
Below are some common objections (and answers) when users do not understand the value to their company of adopting this new method of working.
Doesn’t SOLIDWORKS Design make BOMs?
Yes, but BOMs can only be created/viewed with a SOLIDWORKS license. The engineering Release app allows CAD BOMs to be enriched with live platform attributes in any format for any audience. The Engineering Release app is easier and faster to use when cleaning up CAD data by repairing any mistakes the design team might have made (e.g., replacing a downloaded part with its correct library reference).
Do I need a new app just to see part and assembly quantities?
Indeed, you can only see quantities in the Engineering Release; you can also edit them. Additionally, Engineering Release allows full editing of your product structures, such as adding new or existing parts (including raw materials if you have the Specification Manager role), and using Engineering Release is also the easiest way to assign an Enterprise Item Number (EIN).
Aren’t a lot of these features available in the SOLIDWORKS Design role apps?
Yes, Product Explorer provides basic viewing capabilities, and many common PLM commands (e.g., Ownership, Revisions, Maturity, etc.) are available in Bookmark Editor. The ability to execute PLM commands within the context of flexible structure views without having to open a model in SOLIDWORKS Design is what makes the Engineering Release app the ultimate user experience for viewing and editing engineering data.
Creating Awareness
To ensure that all the stakeholders are starting with the same knowledge and understanding, it is recommended that one or more awareness sessions be held for any users who have not yet seen how an Engineering Bill of Materials is managed using the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. An awareness session will typically take the form of a product overview framed in the context of how the new solution will provide benefits over and above your company's existing workflows.
In addition to the product overview, an awareness session should always be attended by one or more key customer stakeholders for the project. These people should be responsible for answering any questions related to why the company has decided to adopt a new way of working and to help in explaining the expected benefits to the business as a whole.
3. Defining Clear Goals and Outcomes
To achieve a successful transition from model-driven tables in drawings to managing the Engineering BOM on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, it is critical to define and agree on clear outcomes with all of the key stakeholders. It is recommended that this be done as a dedicated workshop (video call or in person). When only a small number of stakeholders are involved, a couple of hours may be all the time necessary to define the outcomes. In larger organizations, this process can involve many stakeholders from different areas of the business; therefore, more than one session may be required to define and agree on all of the objectives and outcomes.
Information gained during any pre-sales activities with your SOLIDWORKS reseller, for example, process mapping workshops, use case definitions, and the expected benefits, should be used to help define the objectives of the implementation and be related to the three adoption levels outlined in the next section.
4. Process Mapping and Training - Recommended Use Case Examples
Each company will have its specific requirements; however, adoption for the majority of companies can be broken down into three common use cases.
- Interact and Visualise
- Finalise and Release
- Reuse and Define
Focusing on these core aspects of the Engineering Release app examples from the start will help to demonstrate the value of using the 3DEXPERIENCE platform over and above a traditional approach of managing a model-driven table on an engineering drawing.
In addition to highlighting the value to target users, the use cases will provide a strong foundation on which additional requirements related to each customer can be added. Not all of the capabilities will be applicable for every customer, so it’s important to fully understand your business needs and desired outcomes as part of the implementation planning stage.
5. Pilot Project
Every process, workflow, and configured functionality should be tested and validated before going live. For a small team, this may only require one or two hours and could be included as part of the user training.
For larger organisations, it's recommended that a small group of users be nominated. The group should include representatives from each department involved in the workflow. Once the testing is complete, any changes to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform or SOLIDWORKS configuration can be made before the workflow goes live.
Following a successful pilot, it is recommended that the working practices being implemented are fully documented in a 3DSwym community on your 3DEXPERIENCE platform and made available to all users and stakeholders. This will provide a valuable resource for everyone involved to refer back to when they have questions related to day-to-day usage.
Ongoing Engagement
Following the user training and subsequent go-live, some users may hit a roadblock. Not addressing these promptly risks the business reverting to its old methods of working. Therefore, after the user training and subsequent go-live, project leaders should hold regular check-ins with the key personnel to ensure that the project is on track and the company is seeing value from the new process. The format of these activities will depend on the size of the project and the number of people involved; it will range in scope from a regular short call every couple of weeks to more formal in-person meetings.
It's important to build in these regular checkpoints within the scope of every implementation plan.
Summary
Following this structured approach to implementing Engineering Bill of Materials Management on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform will provide your business with a solid foundation for achieving its desired outcomes. Remember, it is important to set expectations with the customer at the pre-sales stage that a planned implementation and support from stakeholders within their business are necessary for success.
For detailed information on using the Engineering Release app, please refer to the SolidPractices guide titled Getting Started with BOM Management Using Product Release Engineer.
Feedback
Was this page useful?
Hit the Like Button or let us know what we can improve in the comments section below.
