Cloud PLM with Modern Interfaces
How ELMA created a future-oriented system architecture.
- Leading global provider of embedded computing solutions
- Headquarters in Switzerland
- Subsidiaries in 9 countries
- Develops and produces electronics and enclosures for industry, rail and medical technology
- employs more than 500 people
Cloud PLM: Secure and solid basis for future growth
Elma Americas identified the need for a future-oriented digital system architecture for various benefits for the Elma Group:
- to increase efficiency and productivity,
- reduce operating costs,
- improve customer experience,
- improve employee morale and
- enhance communication in an agile competitive environment.
Therefore ELMA evaluated various applications and operating solutions in a global evaluation process and opted for a Produkt Data Management (PDM) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system in the cloud. Accordingly, ELMA designed a modern cloud Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) architecture together with Intelliact featuring a cloud-based PDM-ERP interface.
Challenge: Integrate CAD migration, cloud systems, and on-premise systems efficiently and seamlessly
ELMA's goal was to harmonize the global IT landscape and to complete a generational change for PDM, ERP, and other core systems.
Due to the major change in the system landscape, ELMA implemented the changes at a first smaller location in the US in order to gain experience. This change included:
- Conception and implementation of the new global PDM system with interface to ERP
- Migration of item and BOM data
- Migration of CAD data to PDM
- Migration of non-CAD documents to PDM
Global requirements for ELMA, which are to be implemented with cloud solutions:
- Outsourcing services so that ELMA can reduce complexity and ensure uptime which is monitored by the vendors
- Professionally maintained and secure environment: Ensuring security even with cloud systems such as ERP, which have been made available outside of ELMA’s domain in order to enable employees to access the applications through the web
- Simple and flexible connection of further systems or implementation of functional extensions
- Good work efficiency/system performance
Implemented: Cloud interface between PDM and ERP
To ensure the flow of information from PDM to ERP, a cloud-based interface was developed and implemented. The related interfaces are configured/implemented through an API connector based on a standard product running in the cloud and use standard APIs for both PDM and ERP.
The interface operation was designed to meet the given requirements. In the future, it will also be possible to connect other systems (on-premise or cloud solutions) to the PDM and ERP systems via this API connector.
"Future ready" thanks to modern, powerful cloud systems: PLM, ERP and Interface
- Thanks to its future-ready architecture, ELMA now has a modern PLM system that is optimally integrated into all company processes.
- With its modern cloud systems, ELMA can flexibly scale in the future: in global collaboration, in the number of employees or in the implementation of future requirements such as the integration of new systems, e.g. at new locations.
- The operation of the systems was largely outsourced.
- Through cloud operation, security could be increased.
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