The aluminum building system specialist chooses CIM Database to replace Oracle Agile e6. CONTACT’s platform helps the company accelerate product development and set the course to achieve its ambitious sustainability goals.
Almost 40% of global CO2 emissions are generated by the building and construction sector. To make building materials more eco-friendly, Hydro Building Systems embraces circular principles: its window, door, and facade elements are made from up to 100% recycled aluminum, reducing their carbon footprint by as much as 92%. The company is part of the Norwegian Norsk Hydro ASA and aims to switch completely to net-zero aluminum by 2050. Now, Hydro Building Systems makes CIM Database the central backbone for their product development and management. CONTACT Software’s PLM solution replaces Oracle Agile e6 and will support the company in its sustainability efforts.
In a benchmark, CIM Database stood out due to its modularity and connectivity. The platform integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Office and Power BI, SAP, AutoCAD, Inventor, and Salesforce, creating a central single source of truth. It serves as a reliable data foundation for sustainability initiatives like the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) and passes on data to web-services such as customer portals. The new PLM environment enables Hydro Building Systems to automate workflows and processes, accelerating product development and time to market.
CIM Database provides functions for requirements, variant, and change management and the xBOM Manager to easily synchronize bills of materials. 3D Connect makes 3D models accessible even to employees without CAD licenses, while the low-code/no-code approach enables them to create their own applications. Once the core PLM functionalities have been implemented, the solution will be expanded to include project and simulation data management. In the future, extensions towards IoT and Manufacturing Execution System (MES) are also possible.
Following the go-live at Hydro Building Systems, CIM Database is to be rolled out at further Norsk Hydro subsidiaries. The PLM environment will initially be used by 565 employees, with the number expected to rise to well over 1,000. “With CIM Database, we have found a modern and future-proof replacement for Oracle Agile e6 that can be easily expanded,” says Nicolas Massol, PLM Application Manager at Hydro Building Systems. The implementation will be carried out by CONTACT's partner ENBASO.
Hydro Building Systems develops and distributes advanced aluminum building systems for all types of buildings worldwide under the brands WICONA, TECHNAL, and SAPA. Their parent enterprise Norsk Hydro ASA is a leading aluminum and energy company with more than 33,000 employees in 40 countries. Norsk Hydro has integrated the entire aluminum value chain: from bauxite mining to aluminum production and product manufacturing. Two-thirds of its aluminum are produced with green electricity from its own hydropower plants.
