PTC today announced that ZF Friedrichshafen AG will implement PTC’s Windchill® PLM (product lifecycle management) and PTC IntegrityTM ALM (application lifecycle management) enterprise solutions across all divisions. ZF also has procured PTC’s ThingWorx® IoT technology platform starter kit. This selection of PTC technology will support the global player in continuing its digital transformation journey.
ZF is a leader in driveline and chassis technology as well as active and passive safety technology. The company acquired TRW Automotive in 2015, which was then integrated within the organization as the Active & Passive Safety Technology Division. The combined company has a global workforce of around 135,000 with approximately 230 locations in some 40 countries. ZF is one of the largest automotive suppliers worldwide.
ZF determined it would need to adopt PLM and ALM enterprise solutions across all divisions to enable the company to digitally transform its business, improve systems engineering, and support global production. ZF undertook a broad and extensive benchmarking process that began with defining and analyzing its business processes and use cases. After close scrutiny of competitive systems, ZF was convinced the PTC solutions were the best fit and the best technology to address its future business challenges.
One decisive factor for its selection was the new functionality provided by PTC Navigate™, a customizable user interface for PLM that provides flexible access to enterprise-wide product data, including ALM information. ZF also selected various PTC packages such as Requirements & Validation and Global Software Development to support its systems engineering work. PTC solutions enable ZF to take a multi-discipline approach to digital product traceability, enabling a consistent Bill of Materials (BoM) across the enterprise. The ThingWorx starter package will enable ZF to support its digitization strategy and standardize its IoT platform for a smart, connected future.
All PTC solutions are offered in a subscription license model, which offers companies the flexibility to adjust software volume based on need. ZF will leverage PTC Professional Services to deploy and adopt PTC’s enterprise solutions.
“ZF’s selection of PTC technology to drive its digital transformation demonstrates the strategic importance of adopting solutions that provide closed-loop lifecycle management,” said Kevin Wrenn, divisional general manager, PLM segment, PTC. “We look forward to accompanying ZF on its journey.”