Businesses in the retail footwear and apparel (RFA) industry face many challenges ranging from the need for more rapid design and development supported by efficient manufacturing and logistics, to ensuring maximum sell through and customer retention. This commentary looks at how new technology and technology-enabled solutions can improve and accelerate the design development phase of the RFA industry.

On Wednesday, October 30, 2024, Siemens AG, the German multinational technology conglomerate, announced its intention to acquire Altair, Inc., a global leader in physics-based simulation and analysis solutions, high-performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence ( AI) and data analytics.

CIMdata had the pleasure of attending IFS Unleashed 2024, held on 14-18 October 2024 in Orlando FL. According to IFS, about 3,000 attended live, and still more joined virtually, 50% more than attended the last IFS Unleashed event in 2022.

Manufacturers face increasing complexities in product, production, supply chain, and service areas. Siemens addresses these issues by incorporating Mendix into the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio. This enables companies to adapt, extend, and tailor their business processes using low-code technology and pre-defined application connectors, creating a more productive environment. CIMdata recommends that manufacturers consider Mendix for acquiring, adapting, extending, and personalizing their product lifecycle applications and systems.

Integrating simulation processes and data with PLM solutions is a critical step forward in enhancing the value of the enterprise digital thread. The use of ESTECO VOLTA, along with modeFRONTIER and its External Data Source connector, offers a promising solution for early adopters seeking to manage the complex data and workflows associated with simulation-driven product development. In CIMdata’s opinion, ESTECO’s VOLTA environment for SPDM with its modeFRONTIER technology for MDAO provides a powerful suite of solutions to enable simulation-driven product development and “connect the dots” with other enterprise-level PLM-driven processes for digital thread and digital twins.

CIMdata had the pleasure of attending the Siemens PLM Components Innovation Conference in Boston, Massachusetts, on September 24 and 25, 2024. According to our hosts, approximately 150 Siemens staff, customers, prospects, and analysts attended. This was Siemens's third time hosting the event, and the first since the pandemic. The sessions included over 20 presentations and demonstrations.

To support ever-changing, temporal product information and configurations, manual methods of requirements management to support digital threads must become at least semi-automatic allowing the revelation of knowledge to support insights and adjust requirements rapidly and accurately. The SBE SDK helps build and maintain digital threads, providing long term benefits, even in heterogeneous application environments. Industrial companies and government organizations are using SBE’s technology, and CIMdata expects that use to grow. If you are trying create a viable ontology and build a digital thread foundation, consider evaluating SBE’s solution.

Historically the construction phase of buildings and industrial facilities is plagued with disconnects between stakeholders pushing for changes in construction while suffering from skill scarcity. Dassault Systèmes’ Modular Construction virtualizes knowledge and know-how in a new approach, “productization,” using virtual modules aligned with the objectives of general contractors that can be managed independently of projects and can be reused across many projects, improving quality while saving time and cost.

The Sigmetrix solution suite enables companies to create accurate variation specifications and analyze the impact of that variation. The upcoming VariSight solution will improve digital thread connectivity to variation data, leading to better product and manufacturing decisions. Companies looking to improve their variation management or improve the ROI of their digital transformation program should contact Sigmetrix to learn how better variation management can improve their business performance.

Titania, the content delivery platform from Oberon Technologies, is designed to capture, manage, and deliver content at scale. This platform and related services provided by Oberon and their partners enable companies to assemble, manage, and deliver content effectively, improving customer satisfaction. Companies needing to improve content delivery or address the full end-to-end process should contact Oberon Technologies.