Customizing at a leading marine technology provider: using Teamcenter more effectively
Using Teamcenter more effectively
A leading global provider of marine technology tasked PITERION with optimizing the complex work processes in its PLM Teamcenter client. While Phase 1 of the project dealt with straightforward changes in configuration, Phase 2 saw PITERION delve deeper into the programming to customize individual client applications according to customer requirements. The project’s objective was to achieve increased working efficiency and higher data quality.
The client is not only an expert in all kinds of ship propulsion systems, but also offers a wide range of products in the civil and military maritime and aeronautics sectors. The company operates in more than 50 countries for customers from over 150 nations, and uses the product lifecycle software Teamcenter at each of its sites. The software depicts the complete history of every product in electronic form and in accordance with audit requirements – from the first development sketches right up to scrapping.
TC Rich Client – potential for optimization
However, considering the multitude of tasks performed by the daily users of Teamcenter, there was certainly potential for optimizing the user interface of the Rich Client (RAC), especially when it came to creating data objects, working with change management for product modifications, and with structure management for assembly information.
For example, tasks in the typical TC inbox were easy to overlook, as they were filed into different folders that each had to be checked individually. The standard wizard took users through too many steps and pages, tables weren’t clear enough, and copying processes were too complex. Not only did this have a negative impact on efficiency and quality, but the Teamcenter users weren’t happy either, as the processes were simply too cumbersome.
“Many of the objectives could be quickly achieved by making small adjustments to the configuration, while the more complex situations were resolved using our tried-and-tested toolsets. These consist of preconfigured solution modules – for example for smart tables or wizards. The modules can be adapted and further developed according to the customer’s specific environment, so that users can work more comfortably with fewer clicks. We carried out most of this customization at our site before implementing it,” explains PITERION.
Intuitive dashboard, creative wizard, smart tables
One of the Rich Client’s central elements is the dashboard, whose new intuitive starting screen now enables users to create data objects such as components, problem requests or change requests by clicking on an icon rather than through several complicated menu items.
The convenient “One Page Creation Wizard” provides users with everything they need to create a data object – all on one page. The page includes several clearly arranged sections where further data fields can be opened and closed with a click of the mouse. This means that users see just the fields that they currently need.
With the smart-table feature, users benefit from certain basic functions, for example the option to group items according to date or size, or to filter according to particular item properties. It is also possible to highlight individual table values or several processes with one click and then set them to “completed,” for example.
With the option “My Smart Worklist,” users get a restructured inbox. Here, a status bar displays the number of unread tasks, the original Teamcenter tree structure is now displayed in several clearly laid-out tables, and processed tasks are highlighted in color.
Furthermore, it is now simpler to process components: predefined text elements can be selected from a table or a drop-down menu, while the same parts in a product structure can be easily copied into another file. These texts also appear in the structure required when evaluated later by SAP. In addition, it is easy to create component descriptions and automatically link these with other file types, for example a Word or Excel file, on the hard disk using a list of file paths.
“Overall, the optimization process has made the applications faster and far more comfortable to use. This not only saves users time, but also puts the fun back into working with Teamcenter,” explains PITERION.
PITERION is an international PLM service provider headquartered in Germany with branches in the USA, India, Tunisia, Sweden, Switzerland and Poland. Our highly qualified staff offers solutions and services independent of system manufacturers. We always follow the provisions of the EN 9100 (aerospace), ISO 9001, ISO 27001 and ISO 14001 quality management standards. We have set up internal standards and processes that enable us to maintain a consistently high quality of service across our sites throughout the world.
We constitute a competent and independent partner of our customers providing tailor-made solutions and services. Jointly with our technology providers we may therefore support the PLM strategy of our customers in the best way possible.
