ACADEMIA

WALLDORF, Germany -- SAP AG today announced the integration of mySAP(TM) Product Lifecycle Management (mySAP PLM) solution and the leading CATIA(R) V5 product development solution. The new integration enables companies in manufacturing industries to link design, production, and business processes throughout the entire value chain, enhancing collaboration between engineering, procurement, manufacturing, and customer relationship management. Design and production data can thus easily flow across all mySAP(TM) Business Suite solutions, providing thorough product information and process-oriented integration and functionality for all parties across the enterprise. The integration between mySAP PLM and CATIA V5 enables a seamless exchange of key engineering, product, and customer data, bringing a range of benefits throughout the extended enterprise. For example, it will streamline the work of engineers, making it easier to draw on information from various business areas of the enterprise. Engineers will be able to seamlessly import data from other applications and quickly work with them in the familiar context of CATIA V5 to quickly adjust blueprints according to product-related feedback from customers. In turn, information generated by CATIA V5 will be available in all business applications throughout the extended enterprise, allowing, for example, procurement and manufacturing departments to directly adapt purchase orders and production sequences according to engineers' specifications. First customers, such as ALCAN Mass Transportation Systems (ALCAN MTS), are already productive with the new integration capabilities. ALCAN MTS, a subsidiary of the Canadian ALCAN corporation, designs and develops all types of buses and rail vehicles such as the Transrapid train. When ALCAN MTS deployed CATIA, the company also needed an integrated product data management system and chose mySAP PLM to centralize all customer and project related information in one system. "Our business is delivering efficient assembly technologies for custom- tailored transport systems in the shortest possible time with the lowest possible life-cycle costs," said Reto Bachmann, IT Manager at ALCAN Mass Transportation Systems. "To achieve this we've got to seamlessly integrate all business processes, from development to support, including technical, logistic, and financial processes. mySAP PLM Integration for CATIA V5 directly links our project management with budgeting, cost monitoring, and POC (percentage of completion) accounting, enabling seamless engineering processes and ensuring that key data in the value chain remains available throughout our extended enterprise." Developed by CENIT AG Systemhaus, a leading PLM service and consulting company, the integration product is connected to mySAP PLM via the CAD Desktop user interface. mySAP PLM Integration for CATIA V5 will be sold and maintained by SAP. Available now for customers on a global basis, the integration software brings investment security for SAP customers migrating to CATIA V5. "mySAP PLM Integration for CATIA V5 offers the integration our customers have grown to expect from mySAP PLM's integration with CATIA V4 and further CAD solutions," said Archim Heimann, senior vice president of General Business Unit PLM at SAP. "Engineers and designers will be able to take advantage of the latest CATIA solution, while directly executing on customer requirements, even during development and production phases, via mySAP PLM and mySAP Business Suite."