We really don’t search anymore, we just find what we are looking for. Before switching to PRO.FILE, we simply had one folder with 3D drawings, one with ‘drafts’ and another folder with ‘approved’ drawings. And then there was the project folder with more than 3,000 items. You would find whatever you needed eventually, but it just took up way too much of our time.
DEMACO
DEMACO instruments are, for example, used by the physicists and engineers at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, to help them probe the fundamental structure of the universe.
DEMACO is a company specializing in refrigeration engineering and implemented the PRO.FILE PLM system to integrate its CAD and ERP systems. It customized the system to meet the needs of its site in Noord-Scharwoude, the Netherlands.
The company is highly project-driven and project execution is strictly based on a configure-to-order process. Each project involves input from multiple teams working in mechanics, electronic engineering/ electronics, software design, and hydraulics. This makes end-to-end, project-oriented document management a top priority.
DEMACO was looking for a way to centralize the management of processes that rely on product data in a single application. They also needed this application to be capable of reliably managing versions and changes to documents, parts, and assemblies. A seamless integration between PLM, CAD and ERP system was yet another requirement.
With PRO.FILE, DEMACO found the perfect fit for their needs. The PLM solution is currently used for design tasks with Solid Edge and to manage documents across the enterprise, e.g. with Microsoft Office. The people at DEMACO are particularly happy with the flexibility the system gives them and the ability to configure the system to the company’s requirements themselves. And DEMACO did just that – without any programming work from the vendor.
There is another aspect of the system’s flexibility that is highly appreciated by DEMACO’s staff. It allows them to classify documents and gives them a form of ID card for every single document, which holds the document’s properties. The number and type of properties that are required for each document were also determined by DEMACO without having to involve PROCAD. What’s more, the company is now also able to attach one and the same document to multiple projects without having to copy it first. This brings the added advantage of not having to waste time searching for documents.