The Business challenges:

• Avoid point-to-point integrations and synchronize PLM (Teamcenter) data with ERP (SAP).
• Create and update materials, MBOM, Inspection records and classification on certain authoring events originating from PLM to SAP.
• Ability to orchestrate SAP workflows to manage various business processes involving systems and SMEs.

Benefits of DaaS platform:

• Seamless integration of various workflows spread across PLM and ERP to orchestrate a business process.
• Managing multi-system transaction boundary.
• Code-less last-mile connectivity to systems using COTS eQube^® connectors.
• Rapid eQube^® solution deployment (within 3 months) without disrupting or deploying any component on end-systems.

Features:

• eQube^® process initiated by TC workflow.
• Creating/updating classification structures in SAP.
• Creating and managing change records for MM and MBOM.
• eQube^® SAP Connector was used to fetch SAP data
• eQube^® SAP Connector leverages BAPIs, IDOCs, or OData services.

eQ Process:

• eQ Products used: eQube^®-TM and eQube^®-MI.
• eQube^® Connectors used: Teamcenter, SAP ECC6, and Web Service Connector.
• Model driven integration approach.

The Business Challenge: Integrate Planning, Procurement and Accounting:

• Create High-Level Build plan from P6 to Teamcenter.
• Create parts from Tc to SAP for procurement.
• Synchronize work orders between TC and SAP for accurate accounting.

Benefits of DaaS platform:

• The data integration solution was deployed in Production in 3 months.
• Solution has been running in Production since 2014.
• 10 million Parts and Fitments transferred between Tc and SAP.
• Seamless integration of various workflows spread across Tc and SAP to orchestrate a business process.
• Solution easy to maintain and extend due to eQube's codeless integration environment.

Features:

• Audit trail generated for the integration.
• Cross-systems orchestrations driven by business processes.
• Data transfer triggered through Tc Workflow.
• Bi-directional data transferred between Tc and SAP.
• Connected 3 disparate systems to form a network of integrated data.

eQ Process:

• eQ Products used: eQube^®-MI and eQube®-TM.
• eQube^® Connectors used: Teamcenter, SAP ECC6, and Primavera P6.
• Integration triggered through Teamcenter workflows.
• Solution designed leveraging Service oriented architecture (3 tiers of Services).

The Business Challenges:

• Keeping the SPIRIT Teamcenter In synch with the Prime's Teamcenter
  • Commercial Part, Raw Material, Components and Assembly Parts, Assembly BOM, Technical documents, Engineering change, CAD Models and data sets need to be kept in Synch.
• Synchronize SPIRIT Teamcenter data with SAP
  • Following information needs to be synchronized:
  • Document Information Records ('DIR' - Parts List, Drawing Picture sheets, CAD Files, Customer specifications), Classification on Document.
  • Material Masters (Commercial, Raw Material and Components).
  • Material BOMs (Components and Assembly BOM).
  • Effectivity on BOM/Variant Configuration/Object dependency.
  • Engineering Change Masters.
  • Production Order link to Document Notes.

Benefits of DaaS platform:

• Seamless integration of various workflows spread across Teamcenter and SAP to orchestrate a business process from receiving the hand-off package from the Prime to updating the data in SPIRIT Teamcenter and SAP.
• Code-less last-mile connectivity to systems using COTS eQube connectors.

Features:

• Data Transfer process automatically initiated once Prime's hand off package is available in a shared file location.
• Creating/updating various structures in Teamcenter and SAP.
• Creating Effectivity on BOM/Variant Configuration/Object dependency.
• eQube^® SAP Connector was used to fetch SAP data
  • eQube^® SAP Connector leverages BAPIs, IDOCs, or OData services.

eQ Process:

• eQ Products used: eQube^®-MI and eQube^®-TM.
• eQube^® Connectors used: Teamcenter, SAP ECC6, and Files.
• Model driven integration approach.

The Business Challenges:

• Northrop uses a homegrown shop floor management system with ERP(SAP) and PLM (Tc) to manage Engineering and Manufacturing data.
• Manufacturing BOM and BOP data is authored in Tc and then transferred to SAP and MES where many details are added to the data
  • Material Master Data synchronization between PLM & ERP (two way)
    • Parts created in PLM are transferred to ERP - triggered by release workflow
    • Additional attributes populated in ERP are brought back in PLM for reference
  • MBOM transfer from PLM to ERP
    • Complex data extraction & transformation needed to create Change Masters (Effectivity) and MBOM data in SAP
    • Revisions of BOM in PLM are calculated to translate into add/modify/delete in SAP
  • BOP transfer from PLM to ERP
    • Includes SWI (Supplier Work Instructions)
    • Operations, TWIs, Workcenters, Tools and Effectivity data
  • BOP transfer from PLM to MES
    • Includes TWIs, Workcenters, Tools along with Effectivity data, attached documents/artefacts

Benefits of DaaS platform:

• Seamless integration with Teamcenter workflows leverages the existing processes in place
• Features such as Wait-Publish Auto Retry used to ensure data integrity & minimum human intervention
• Code-less last-mile connectivity to systems using COTS eQube connectors

Features:

• Failure messages returned from destination system are made available in PLM audit logs to end users
• Modular design allows reuse of sub-processes reducing development and maintenance efforts
• Validations included as part of transformation logic which ensures data quality

eQ Process:

• Product used: eQube-MI
• eQube Connectors used: Teamcenter, Databases
• Publish to Webservice - to communicate with SAP/PI
• Common eQube-MI processes used across interfaces for error handling, workflow sign-offs etc.

NGAS OPS Manufacturing Lead and SME

The Business Challenges:

• Authoring/editing across two source systems (Teamcenter and SAP) is non intuitive, error prone, and time consuming
• Need to introduce timely enhancements to each system and its user interface
• Material Master Data synchronization between Teamcenter and SAP (two way)
• Poor user adoption due to usability and productivity
• User productivity impacting program schedule and cost Northrop Grumman Case Study

Benefits & Highlights of DaaS based solution:

• EasyMBOM was developed as a 'for-purpose' app.
• Single intuitive user interface with federated data from Teamcenter and SAP
• Initial solution was developed within 3 months
• User productivity increased by 30%
• Training time reduced from 40hrs to 1hr
• User adoption increased
• Real time reconciliation of Teamcenter and SAP data

Features:

• EasyMOBM consolidated and orchestrated task based activities in a single click operations within a single screen in most cases
• No modifications to Teamcenter, SAP, or Customer Customization layers were required
• Orchestrations driven by business processes within and across both systems
• Real time reconciliation on live data from Teamcenter and SAP reduced error and infrastructure costs
• Increased productivity with improved quality

eQ Process:

• eQ Products used: eQube^®-MI and eQube^®-API Gateway
• eQube^® Web App Toolkit for Visualization layer
• Data virtualization layer for data mashups
• Smart Cache technologies user for performance

The Business Challenges:

• Authoring/editing within source system non intuitive, error prone, and time consuming (Notes, Processes, Finishes, Materials, Product Structure, Effectivity,...)
• Need to introduce timely enhancements to the system and user interface
• Poor user adoption due to usability and productivity
• User productivity impacting program schedule and cost

Benefits & Highlights of DaaS based solution:

• Initial solution deployed in Production within 3 months
• User productivity increased by more than 30%
• Training time reduced from 40hrs to 1hr
• User adoption increased
• Consistent EasyPDP interface for both Teamcenter Unified and Teamcenter Enterprise benefiting user training, adoption and productivity

Features:

• The EasyPDP 'for-purpose' app, for most use cases. consolidated and orchestrated task-based activities in single click operations within a single screen
• No modifications to Teamcenter or Teamcenter Customer customization layers were required
• Orchestrations driven by business processes
• Reduction of over 90% of user interactions (picks and clicks/windows)
• Increased user productivity with improved quality

eQ Process:

• eQ Products used: eQube^®-MI and eQube^®-API Gateway
• eQube^® Web App Toolkit for building the EasyPDP app
• eQ Smart Cache technologies used for performance

The Business Challenge:

• Difficulty in automatically establishing MBSE digital thread while authors work in various systems of record (SORs)
• Manual and error prone processes to track and validate MBSE digital thread
• Difficulty in cross-training engineering workforce to build digital thread due to infrastructure and ownership
• MBSE digital thread difficult to visualize, navigate and maintain Northrop Grumman Case Study

Benefits & Highlights of DaaS based solution:

• Established the MBSE digital thread in the background across various applications while authors continued to work in various SORs (P6, DOORS-NG, CAMEO, JIRA, BitBucket, ArtiFactory, and Teamcenter UA)
• Delivered a 'for-purpose' App for MBSE to visualize, navigate and maintain the MBSE digital thread
• Delivered compelling KPIs to monitor performance for actionable insight
• Embedded KPI portal for: Design maturity, Earned Value, Quality, and Validation
• Initial solution was developed within 2 months

Features:

• Agnostic to the disparate MBSE systems
• Auto creates objects across MBSE tools
• In the background, creates links and relationships assuring a "digital thread" across MBSE tools
• Orchestrates business processes across multiple MBSE tools
• Provides insights into the health of the 'digital thread' during the entire MBSE lifecycle (Mechanical, Electrical, Firmware)
• Leverages MBSE systems providing closed loop verification with actionable insight
• Integrated A/BI for KPI, Metrics, and Model Maturity

eQ Process:

• eQ Products used: eQube^®-TM, eQube^®-API Gateway, eQube^®-MI and eQube^®-BI
• eQube^® Web App Toolkit for building the 'for-purpose' app
• Orchestration between multiple MBSE applications

NGAS Teamcenter Access Manager

The Business Challenges:

• Employee onboarding backlog resulted in weeks of delayed access
• Error prone manual process resulted in users without the required access permissions
• Poor user adoption due to usability and productivity
• User productivity impacting program schedule and cost
• Account Generation/Maintenance limited to IT Admins

Benefits & Highlights of DaaS based solution:

• UAR App - single simplified federated user interface
• Initial solution was developed within 2 months
• User onboarding reduced from weeks to minutes
• Orchestrates account approval process
• Supports Supplier access
• Automated account creation and notification
• Automated Group and Role assignments
• Advanced reporting and analytics for real time analysis

Features:

• Self serve for users and managers to request/approve system accounts with permissions for Teamcenter and eQube^®
• No modifications to Teamcenter or Customer Customization layers were required
• Improved productivity:
  • UAR App consolidated and orchestrated task based activities in a single click operation on one screen
  • Ability to copy access permissions from existing users
  • Single location to create and assign permissions for authors, consumers, approvers, and combinations of the above across programs/projects
  • Self-serve capability removed dependency on SMEs and Admins ability to create templates for grouping roles for simplified request creation

eQ Process:

• eQube^®-MI and eQube^®-API Gateway
• eQube^® Web App Toolkit for Visualization layer GUI
• eQ's smart Cache technologies for improved performance
• Authentication: SSO with active directory using Kerberos allowing any windows user access to UAR

The Business Challenge:

• Integrating the Material and Product Specification system from acquired packaged foods brands
  • Integrating the Material and Product specification systems took too long
    • Many overlapping ingredients get used in Source and Target systems with minor differences. Details are scattered across applications.
• Historically, Source systems data was entered/edited manually causing errors.
• Searching for the right data and documents was time consuming.
• Large number of resources needed.

Benefits of DaaS platform:

• Rapid development of an 'eQ Integrator' App to address these challenge.
• Material and Product Specification system Integration time reduced by 75%
  • Target system 1: Oracle Agile PLM for Process - Ingredients, Formulations, Trade Specs, Packaging, Master Recipe etc.
  • Target system 2: SAP ECC6 - Ingredients, Packaging, Master Recipe etc.
• Internal resource needs reduced by 50%, lowering the overall costs.
• Data and documents are presented to cleansers without searching.
• Appropriate data elements automatically created in Oracle Agile and in SAP using transformation rules.
• 1st Phase go live in 3 months from project kickoff.

Features:

• eQ Integrator App enabled data enrichment and cleansing through user friendly UI
  • Intermediate data cache was created to reconcile differences between source systems with Oracle Agile PLM and for data enrichment.
• Creates various types of specifications in Oracle Agile for Process and SAP - Ingredients, Formulations, Trade Specs, Packaging, Master Recipe etc.
• At a glance comparison between existing and incoming specs - including extended attributes such as chemical and physical properties.
• In built verifications to enforce PLM processes (e.g. mandatory attributes, LOVs from PLM etc.).
• Same eQ Integrator App can be re-used for new acquisitions by changing eQube^®-TM maps with minimal changes to the App.

eQ Process:

• eQ Products used: eQube^®-BI, eQube^®-ADA, eQube^®-TM, and eQube^®-MI.
• eQube^® Connectors used: Oracle Agile PLM for Process, SAP ECC6, Databases, Excel, and files.
• eQ Integrator - For-purpose-App built using eQube^®-API gateway and eQube^® UI services.
• ADA (augmented data analytics) analysis sorts data based on semantic similarities into match/no-match buckets.
• Review, resolve, verify and commit approach.
• Most-used and high-impacting specs were prioritized for migration.

The Business Challenge:

• Consolidation of day to day operational data gathered in Excels by various teams
• Manual efforts in generating various Weekly, Monthly reports
• Real time reports and dashboards displaying multi-system data not available
• Integrate Service Desk application and Teamcenter

Benefits & Highlights of DaaS based solution:

• Connecting disparate systems to form a network of integrated data
• Provide the business with clear and timely operational performance information
• through live dashboards and reports
• Provision to scale to other Business Units

Features:

• eQube^®-MI based 'For-Purpose' application built to simplify day to day operational data entry
• Role based access to functionality
• Master Data management for Domains, Projects, Products, and Teams
• eQube^®-BI/TcRA based Dashboards and Metrices for Design Centre health and trends based on the data collected from applications
• Create Teamcenter Change objects based on Service Desk application data

eQ Process:

• Product used: eQube^®-MI and eQube^®-BI
• Solution designed leveraging Service oriented architecture (3 tiers of Services)

The Business Challenge: Data Migration from multiple systems:

• Migrate data from multiple systems viz. Teamcenter 9.x with SFC, Teamcenter 11.x, SAP5, EPDM, SharePoint, Solid works, Creo, Files and homegrown systems to Teamcenter 11.5.
• Consolidate SolidWorks CAD models to a single multi CAD (SolidWorks, Creo, NX) Teamcenter 11.5 instance.
• Migration approach should allow different business units to go-live at various points of time.
• Manage changes to migration strategy and execution due to evolving TO-BE Tc data model.
• Approx. 1 million objects and datasets originating from various end-systems were to be migrated.
• All 3 divisions to be migrated within 1 year from the project kick off.

Benefits of DaaS platform:

• Code-less last-mile connectivity to systems using COTS eQube connectors.
• Data profiling and cleansing ensured that 100% accurate data was migrated to the new Teamcenter instance.
• Consolidated multi-CAD source systems into a single Teamcenter instance

Feature:

• Migration strategy: Bulk load + Delta
• Bulk-load of source systems data is followed by continuous synchronization of source systems data to new Teamcenter.
• eQube^® SAP Connector was used to fetch SAP data
• eQube^® SAP Connector leverages BAPIs, IDOCs, or OData services.
• Materials, Assemblies, Classification and DIR Info were replicated from SAP to Teamcenter.

eQ Process:

• eQ Products used: eQube^®-TM, eQube^®-MI and eQube^®-GMP.
• eQube^® Connectors used: Teamcenter, SAP, Relational DB, Files, SharePoint, and NX CAD.
• Model driven migration and synchronization approach.

The Business Challenge:

• Search product design data for all missions
• Track product data from plan, design, build, test, quality, and problem reporting
• Monitor throughput and performance of configuration management
• Data Integrity checks and usages

Benefits & Highlights of DaaS based solution:

• Business intelligence capabilities on the data, including usage, trending, workflow, production planning, etc.
• A scalable platform to mine their Data Warehouse and to mash-up data directly from other systems
• Provide global visibility to project data
• Transitioned Teamcenter Enterprise KPIs/reports to Teamcenter Unified

Features:

• Ad-hoc search reports w/embedded links for Actionable Insight
• One stop shop portal integrated into Active workspace
• Advanced Caching for fast responses of large datasets
• Reports for Engineering Design, Change Notices, Workflows, User Management, Bill of Material, etc.

eQ Process:

• Product used: eQube^®-BI
• Data sources JPL Data Warehouse, Teamcenter and other data systems