Daewoo pins its engineering future on PLM

Daewoo Heavy Industries & Machinery in Korea expects to improve the speed, efficiency and productivity of its product development teams by consolidating on collaborative engineering software from IBM and Dassault Systèmes. The firm has signed a deal for Catia V5 CAD and Enovia PLM (product lifecycle management) systems. Although terms have not been disclosed, DHIM says that 3,000 employees will be able to share design information in real time across its extended enterprise, including international partners and automotive manufacturing customers. Although still embryonic, the number of these kinds of developments does seem to be increasing as large, more general engineering companies recognise the value of biting the bullet and going for universal, collaborative engineering systems, with functionality that spreads way beyond new product development and ongoing support. This system will be used in the development of products such as forklifts and passenger car engines, and the company says it will gradually replace physical prototypes. Ultimately, it will integrate processes including concept design, manufacturing and production. “The biggest objective of the project is to improve product competitiveness and establish a digital collaborative environment,” says JaeGon Kim, director, Central R&D Division at DHIM. “We will be able not only to reduce the product lifecycle, but also cut costs drastically because of enhanced co-operation between departments and partners facilitated by the PLM solutions.” IBM Korea Global Services will provide best practice consultancy and implementation services.