CIMdata Blog

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Optimizing Manufacturing with Industrial IoT

Key Takeaways

• Modern manufacturing solutions must evolve beyond traditional MES capabilities, integrating systems like PLM, ERP, and EAM to improve operational efficiency across the entire manufacturing asset lifecycle.
• CONTACT’s MES solution is based on CONTACT Elements for IoT—a framework constructed on a composable architecture that is extendable to other process areas related to the Smart Factory, including Manufacturing Operations Management.
• CONTACT Elements for IoT enables an incremental approach to implementing Smart Factory capabilities, allowing companies to balance risk and achieve quick wins by improving automation, connectivity, and process optimization.
• CONTACT for...

This presentation is part of CIMdata’s educational webinar series.

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, USA 11 March 2025—CIMdata, Inc., the leading global PLM strategic management consulting and research firm, announces an upcoming free educational webinar, “Embedding Sustainability within PLM.” The webinar will take place on Thursday, 10 April, at 11:00 a.m. (EDT) and will last for one hour.

Global warming and other sustainability challenges force organizations to rethink how they design, manufacture, operate, and recycle products. This webinar will explore embedding sustainability into an organization’s PLM processes to reduce its environmental impact. It...

CIMdata will attend this annual event in Bristol, UK on 18-19 March.

Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA 10 March 2025—CIMdata, Inc., the leading global research, consulting, and education firm specializing in Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and its Digital Transformation, announces that members of the CIMdata team will attend the upcoming Digital Engineering Conference 2025 (DE25). The event will take place on 18 and 19 March in Bristol, United Kingdom.

CIMdata will be represented at DE25 in several ways:

Conference Presentation: CIMdata’s President & CEO, Peter Bilello, will present on Day 1 at 14:30. His presentation will discuss digital transformation and digital engineering across the...

CIMdata’s flagship education program will be available in Amsterdam in May.

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, USA, 6 March 2025— CIMdata, Inc., the leading global strategic consulting and research firm focused on PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) and its digital transformation, announces the offering of its industry-standard PLM Certificate Program in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, from 19-23 May.

This unique program prepares PLM professionals to address the challenges commonly encountered in developing and implementing PLM strategies. It is assessment-based and includes a personalized classroom experience, individual and team exercises, and evaluations of achievement.

CIMdata experts, with years of hands-on experience, guide participants through the program in a...

Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA 4 March 2025—CIMdata, Inc., the leading global research, consulting, and education firm specializing in Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and its Digital Transformation, announces that Principal Consultant, Tom Gill, will participate in a panel discussion on, “Winning at Configure-to-Order: Drive Innovation to Meet Complex Customer Demands.” The panel discussion, sponsored by Aras, takes place on Tuesday, 18 March, at 10:00 AM EDT.

As customer expectations increase and market dynamics become more complex, Configure-to-Order (CTO) has become a crucial strategy for businesses looking to deliver customized products quickly and accurately. However, traditional CTO processes, often dependent on manual workflows...

Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA 26 February 2025—CIMdata, Inc., the leading global research, consulting, and education firm specializing in Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and its Digital Transformation, announces that its Principal Consultant, Tom Gill, will participate in a webinar, “Delivering Technical Content at Scale - Extending the Digital Thread.” The webinar, sponsored by Oberon, takes place on Wednesday, 19 March, at 1:00 PM EDT.

Developing a product is challenging, and it is even more difficult to launch and sustain it effectively. Join industry leaders from Oberon and CIMdata as they...

Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA 21 February 2025—CIMdata, Inc., the leading global research, consulting, and education firm specializing in Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and its Digital Transformation, announces that its President & CEO, Peter Bilello, will participate in a webinar, “The Integration Imperative: Enabling a Connected Digital Thread.” The webinar, sponsored by Razorleaf, takes place on Wednesday, 12 March, at 1:00 PM EDT.

In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, integration is not just a technical requirement—it's a critical factor for establishing a Digital Thread. Join industry leaders from Razorleaf and...

Professor Eigner’s presentation will reflect on the last 40 years of PDM/PLM.

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, USA & Bromma, Sweden, 20 February 2025—CIMdata and Eurostep are excited to announce that renowned Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) expert Professor Martin Eigner will deliver a keynote presentation at PLM Road Map NA 2025. This two-day event is scheduled at the Marriott Hotel in Tysons Corner, Virginia, USA, on May 7th and 8th. This year’s conference theme is PLM’s Integral Role in Digital Transformation From Strategy to Execution: Elevating PLM to an Enterprise Business Solution, the PLM Professional's Road Map to Success.

Professor Eigner pioneered the first...

This presentation is part of CIMdata’s educational webinar series.

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, USA 18 February 2025—CIMdata, Inc., the leading global PLM strategic management consulting and research firm, announces an upcoming free educational webinar, “The What and Why of Digital Threads and Twins – A Report from the Field.” This insightful webinar will take place on Thursday, 13 March 2024, at 11:00 a.m. (EDT) and will last for one hour.

Digital threads and digital twins do not create product data; instead, they serve as frameworks for interrelating and combining product lifecycle data to provide valuable insights about a product and how it is...

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Key Takeaways

• A digital thread provides greater end-to-end visibility and connectivity across the product lifecycle enabling seamless data flow across processes, systems, and stakeholders. This enhances visibility, traceability, and context of data, which in turn improves decision making and improves efficiency by ensuring real-time access to accurate, up-to-date information throughout design, manufacturing and operations.
• Organizations aiming for a digital thread should have a holistic vision but pursue an incremental approach focusing on areas that deliver the most value and then scaling over time, which reduces risk and improves their ability to continually transform.
• When...