Focus
First and foremost, we are focused on PDM / PLM data migrations. We leverage our background in engineering processes, CAD, PDM, PLM, and software development to deliver innovative data migration solutions. We consider our data migration to be a science requiring study, application, exploration, creativity, innovation, and invention. This approach has enabled us to develop our Legacy Data Management solution and our rules based transformation engine.
Methods
Continuous Improvement
We actively educate and learn from our customers through our Data Migration Program. From complex strategies to low-level tips, we consider every project a learning opportunity. We ask relevant questions and then listen. Our processes are designed to capture, re-use, and refine the lessons learned in every project. This information is passed back to our knowledgebase for accessing, and cross-referencing lessons learned for every project we have performed. This approach translates into better, smoother, more predictable projects for our customers
Customer Driven Development
We work with our customers to identify opportunities to improve data quality in each solution we provide. This requires knowledge of CAD, PDM, PLM API’s, databases, software development processes, but most importantly a forward looking knowledge of challenges that customers will encounter, such as broken referential integrity, duplicates, and inconsistent & broken attributes.
System Agnostic
We prioritize business practices and processes over the tools used to perform the business functions. This results in a higher value engagement for our customers seeking solutions to their processes and data challenges and provides our customers a source for unbiased advice and consulting
Research and Analysis
We constantly research and analyze state-of-the-art solutions. When our customers approach us with their needs, we are prepared and able to present the best solution available; in most cases our solution is the best, but sometimes it isn’t. Either way, we are dedicated to offering solutions that ensure the best possibility for the success of your project. This approach has resulted in some lost projects, but builds trust, demonstrates value, and in many cases future opportunities.
Results
Access experience and knowledge
We have extensively documented each data migration we have performed; since this is our primary solution, it is critical to us that we can repeat and improve every migration we perform. As a result, every migration we design is a refinement on a previous migration. This means that you will have access to dozens of predefined, preconfigured migration scripts, refined recommended best practices, and to an established team of migration experts.
Timeline & Success
Staying on schedule during a migration is very challenging. There is constant risk of delay caused by unforeseen challenges. Most migrators utilize vendor supplied utilities that can Map, and Load your data. In many cases you will have to create a custom utility to perform the extraction and work within the constraints of the loader. This leads to frustrating project delays that will put the project success at risk.
We help you keep your migration timeline intact by providing a migration platform designed to meet all the needs of complex migrations. To be successful, you may need to Extract, Analyze, Heal, Enrich, Transform, Clean, Standardize, Map, Load, Configure, Validate, and Manage your data. Our software does that. Our referential data integrity Apps streamlines the process of resolving broken / missing references. Our duplicate Apps provide multiple options to resolve duplicates.
Rapid configuration of data and software is criticial to reducing your testing rehearsal durations (and cost). Our migration project datafile enables us to store, transport, and re-use your project inputs, saving signifcant time configuring our software and your data. Our Rules Engine ensures rapid & repeatable data configuration. In many cases, we save data cleaning time by enriching your PDM metadata from external sources such as ERP.
PLM-Enabled Migrations
To ensure that we offer a complete migration solution we have developed our own migration platform designed to support PDM and PLM objects from any system. Every attribute and relationship can be transformed with our rules engine to ensure that a working product is migrated to the target system. This includes support for CAD Files, Non-CAD files, BOMs, Items, change history, version history, configurations / family tables, attributes, and relationships / product structure.
Manage Legacy Data
As we do more and more complex data migrations, we have realized the need to manage legacy data correctly, outside of the source and target systems, to perform “Where-used”, Contains”, search, and retrieval. To meet this need we created our Legacy Data Manager or LDM. The LDM enables our customers to store, search, and retrieve specific versions of their engineering data (CAD, non-CAD, BOMs, Items, ECOs) on the Windows File System. Additional features include the ability to perform “Where-used” and “Contains”. This is a great option when your target system has a poor integration with your source CAD system or when your legacy PDM / PLM / CAD system is near end-of-life. The LDM is a good cost-saving option for customers who only need intermittent access to their version history - we can import just the latest version into the target system. This intermediate solution also enables us to downselect your dataset during the migration and provides a much-needed staging solution for CAD migrations / translations / remastering.
Reduced impact to engineering team
During your migration you will rely on us to minimize the impact of the data migration on your engineering team. As your dataset size increases, the duration of the final cutover migration increases as well. If we need to do any complex transformations this can also add processing time. We have developed strategies that will limit the impact to your team throughout the migration and most importantly, limit your cutover migration window interruption to a single weekend