Tag: PTC

Social Media Aided CAD

Companies like Saleforce.com are changing the very nature of business communications by embedding social media technology within their products (Chatter). There are engineering software companies that also understand the value of this new media and how to use it within CAD and PDM applications.  Communication between collaborating engineers doesn’t have to be limited to face-to-face or phone conversations, as these methods are not always practical.

Though seemingly not as developed as solutions from Salesforce.com, PTC (maker of Pro Engineer and Windchill)  is offering a “repackage” of social-networking features as part of a product development system, termed Social Product Development.  This takes several forms under the ProductPoint label.  Included in their set of solutions is a wiki style design log and a chat application which may increase communication between engineering collaborators.

The model-wiki function offered by PTC in ProductPoint is a critical idea.  At first glance, there doesn’t seem like much of a difference between it and SolidWorks’ Design Journal. However, the ability to access the model-wiki from the PLM environment is a big bonus that takes design collaboration to new levels that are becoming increasing important in the engineering environment. There can still be drawbacks to this approach. Seriously, to have true wiki functionality would require a lot of crazy coding within the wiki.  The PTC model-wiki strikes a good next-step to improve design collaboration.

The instant message functionality seems a bit redundant.  There are hundreds of chat programs now available.  I’m left wondering if yet another one is necessary and if it is really all that useful to have it embedded inside of my CAD application.

Even still, there is something else compelling about bringing social product development into product design.  The file lock, unlock and out-of-date pop-up notifications (MS Office style) seem like they can be extremely useful.  Another impressive development is the collaboration workspace.  The PTC promotional video is worth a look to get a sense of how they’ve implemented these concepts within the design process:

Funny marketing

It a rather blatant attempt to promote CoCreate, PTC sends out something that appears to be a fake survey via email every once in awhile.  The email invites the reader to try out a “self-qualification” test on whether their team’s design style is parametric or explicit.  The test asks such questions as “within the selected concept design, a broad range of predictable and structured changes can be driven quickly and easily to derive new designs” (choose one in a range of Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree).

The funny thing with this test, of course, is that regardless to one’s responses, the result is always the same.  A screen will pop up declaring “Explicit Modeling is right for you.”  It has links to find out about and download CoCreate.  Even if I wasn’t my jaded self, this marketing approach would rub me the wrong way.  It’s just cheezy, so I’m briefly ranting about it.

Leveraging the Online Community (Pontiac?)

*Edits to this article are in this color* 

I’m noticing that many companies are starting to get-it when it comes to leveraging online communities.  SolidWorksCorp has been ahead of the game, which is working to their advantage.  This isn’t going unnoticed by others in the 3D CAD industry.   Of course, nor is the idea of leveraging online communities unique to 3D CAD companies. 

PTC recently sent out an email with a survey regarding their plans to improve their presence within the online communities.  Sure, they already have user and corporate blogs, forums and such.  What are they missing?  Well, not being involved with PTC, I’m not going to guess.  Nor am I going to fill out their survey.

What made me think about this is something that happened which is almost completely unrelated to 3D CAD.  My wife and I were recently profiled in G8 version Pontiac Performance.  This is a magazine that is sent out to owners of Pontiac vehicles.  I’m not sure why I, as an owner of an awesome new 2009 G8 GT, would need a magazine full of articles pointing out the greatness of Pontiac cars.  I already get-it.  That’s why I bought the car!  (Maybe they are hoping I will buy another model right away?)  Anyway, the magazine does have its use, and I’m getting to the point soon.  First, if you want to see my profile article, I believe the magazine is carried by Pontiac dealerships.  If you feel so inclined, go in to a dealership and ask to see if they have copies of the G8 version Pontiac Performance Spring 2009 edition.  (It has to be the G8 version of the magazine since it appears they publish different versions of the magazine based on what car you are interested in or already own.) The article is on pages 12 and 13 (pages vary based on the version of the magazine, but its somewhere between page 9 and 14 in most G8 versions).  Then, while you are there, check out the G8.  I’m actually not being sarcastic when I suggest this.

Anyway, back to the point.  In the magazine is another article called Car Camaraderie about how online forums are bringing Pontiac drivers together.  They did a whole article about online resources being utilized by Pontiac owners.  As far as I know, none of these resources are directly related to GM.  This move by Pontiac to promote the online community reminded me of the efforts that SolidWorks has already undertaken.   The writer of the Pontiac article understands the Pontiac’s online community well enough to mention the most popular sites for each of their models.  This is just one article in one magazine that doesn’t have public distribution.  It’s a start for them, though.  Sure, OnStar has been online based for awhile now, but that is a paid service.  The act of actually profiling users on several of the forums (even mentioning their user names) is something that is not that common yet.  Like many other old-school companies, they are starting to understand the Information Age, finally.  

SolidWork Corp isn’t a vanguard in how they leverage the online communities, but they are ahead of the curve…with other companies close on their heels.