Insight or Teamcenter 4

[ddaire]

We are looking to implement a new file management system. We have approximately 30 SE users, and we also have multiple foreign businesses that we would like to share files with easily. We are currently running V20, but hopefully we will upgrade to ST5 in the near future. Insight looks to be great for the file managment, and TeamCenter looks like it is a beefed up Insight, capable of managing the Design process, New Product, PPA's ECO, ECR's etc. Our current system for routing projects is also being looked at for replacemnt, so I think it would be possible to just implement Teamcenter and call it good for everyone. I am looking to get as much information as I can from people that are currently using 1 or both of these. Any recommendations would be great.

 

[Kenny_G]

Actually you have Insight and Insight XT as well as TeamCenter available. Really comes down to what you need and the complexity of administration you are willing to take on to get it with TeamCenter offering the most but costing the most in both $ and time and administration/configuration... Insight XT offers a good compromise of giving those essential features for Engineering without the headaches of tedious configuration/administration. For your case you just need to really look at what it can do with your external vendors and file sharing.

Insight
[ul]
[li]Solid Edge only (Office supported well by SharePoint)[/li]
[li]File manager[/li]
[li]Manual ECO Release Process[/li]
[/ul]

Insight XT
[ul]
[li]Solid Edge Only (Office supported well by SharePoint)[/li]
[li]Item Manager[/li]
[li]Automated ECO Process[/li]
[li]ECO Items[/li]
[li]Project Items[/li]
[li]Reference Browser[/li]
[li]Web Client[/li]
[/ul]

TeamCenter
[ul]
[li]Multi-CAD and Document[/li]
[li]Item Manager[/li]
[li]Automated ECO Process[/li]
[li]ECO Items[/li]
[li]Project Items[/li]
[li]Reference Browser[/li]
[li]Web Client[/li]
[li]Multi-site[/li]
[li]Full PLM Offering[/li]
[/ul]

Ken G.

http://grundey.blogspot.com

 

[ddaire]

Thanks for the response Ken. I am aware that Insight and Teamcenter are available to us already. my question was maybe alittle too generic in my initial post. My question is, if we so choose to go with Teamcenter to replace our current Project Management system, do we still look to use Insight as well, or will Teamcenter also control all of the Solid Edge files as well? Is it good to have both, or do you go with just one?

Thanks,
Daniel

 

[ddaire]

I think I have my answer now. It sounds like it will be awhile before we are able to Implement TeamCenter--at least 18+ months. Are there going to be any benefits of doing TeamCenter in the meantime. Currently we are just using windows folders on network drive to save all of our part files, assemblies, drafts, etc.

 

[Kenny_G]

You would use TeamCenter to manage your SE data if you have it available. The benefits of TC now would just be better document control and automation of manual tasks such as Item numbering and any engineering workflows (ECO), but there would be some planning and configuration to get it set up...

Ken G.

http://grundey.blogspot.com

 

[HDS]

Did you mean to say starting with Insight and moving to Teamcenter latter. This can be done. It will make the transition easier latter because the clean up work has been done all ready. Your guys will have to be trained twice. You will also have a better idea of the workflow that you want after working in a managed environment for a year.

Insight and Insight XT have more flexible licensing then Teamcenter which gets expensive quick.

 

[ddaire]

Yes, HDS, that is what I meant to say. Since TeamCenter will be awhile before we get set up, would Insight be beneficial to use in the meantime? I have heard conflicting information on this matter. Some say that running Insight for this time period will be a waste of money and resources, since we will be eventually moving into TeamCenter anyway. has anyone here gone from using Insight to TeamCenter? Does it help the transition?

 

[Kenny_G]

Insight might help your transition in that you can prevent duplicates and you can start forcing properties to be filled out. Aside from that, not much else it will do to help.

Ken G.

http://grundey.blogspot.com

 

[gjermundak]

1 - In the second post in this thread it is said that Insight has a "File manager" while Insight XT har an "Item manager". What is the difference?
2 - I am trying to find out whether Insight or Insight SP (former XT) can fill our needs, since I hear that Teamcenter is a lot more hassle to implement. Am I right?

 

[Kenny_G]

So when I talk about a File Manager versus a Item Manager, I mean this:

File Manager = Files are the focus, so a model file of item "Part A" is in no way related to the Word based spec sheet on item "Part A", and the individual revisions of these documents are not related to each other. Essentially there is no relationship between the possible many documents that may describe item "Part A".

Item Manager = "Items" are the focus meaning there is an item object called "Part A" which has descriptive attributes but is not a file. This "Item" can stand alone without any document to describe it, but often has one or more documents that are attached to it via a parent/child relationship (3D model, drawing, inspection report, RFQ, vendor spec sheet, etc...). The Item then is what is revised any time anything under it needs modified, so if I need to change the 3D model, I revise the Item which makes a copy of the model and ups the revision of the Item.

Ken G.

http://grundey.blogspot.com

Have you checked out the Solid Edge Community site?

http://community.plm.automation.siemens.com/t5/Solid-Edge/ct-p/solid-edge

 

[gjermundak]

I wonder how comprehensive it is to get Solid Edge Insight SP up and running?
Say, compared to Teamcenter. We already have Solid Edge, are looking for a PLM-system.

The supplier only wants to sell Teamcenter and has very little information about Solid Edge Insight SP.

 

[swertel]

I guess you need to find a better reseller, although Insight SP is new enough that not many people know much about it. I'd talk to David Breistien at Breitideas.

As far as Teamcenter or Insight, well that depends on your requirements and what you expect to accomplish with PLM.

--Scott
www.wertel.pro

 

[gjermundak]

A better reseller would be nice, but there is only one reseller of Siemens PLM here in Norway. It's a small country...

If we choose Insight SP we need to do the installation ourselves, since the reseller only focuses on Teamcenter. Does anyone have an idea of how difficult that would be?

 

[Kenny_G]

It is much simpler than Teamcenter, but it does require some good knowledge of SharePoint as well as how SESP works with it. I would push your reseller to log an IR with Siemens asking for information on deploying SESP. In the meantime, I sent an e-mail to somebody in Siemens PLM that may be able to push from the other direction.

Ken G.

http://grundey.blogspot.com

Have you checked out the Solid Edge Community site?

http://community.plm.automation.siemens.com/t5/Solid-Edge/ct-p/solid-edge

 

[gjermundak]

Some people tell me that Solid Edge and Teamcenter does not work that well with each other. It is not well integrated.
Are there others that share that impression?

 

[Kenny_G]

Compared to other PLM systems, the integration between Solid Edge and TeamCenter is awesome. Compared to how NX is integrated with TeamCenter, Solid Edge is not as integrated but is catching up fast.

Ken G.

http://grundey.blogspot.com

Have you checked out the Solid Edge Community site?

http://community.plm.automation.siemens.com/t5/Solid-Edge/ct-p/solid-edge

 

[gjermundak]

Thank you for answers, PellaKen.

"I would push your reseller to log an IR with Siemens asking for information on deploying SESP." - What is an IR? Is it not sufficient with the Solid Edge SharePoint
Implementation Guide or the GTAC step by step how to?

A short question:
Does Solid Edge Insight SP support organizing of items/parts which are not modeled in Solid Edge?
E.g. cables that we do not want to make a 3D drawing of, but we buy them and therefore want to have them in the BOM.

 

[Kenny_G]

These are all questions your VAR should be able to ask. The IR is an Incident Report where your VAR calls GTAC and receives answers/documentation/etc... on Siemens PLM related products. If they are incapable of answering your questions because of the deficiency they have in understanding SESP they need to ask Siemens PLM for help. A Siemens PLM rep responsible for SESP frequents the Siemens PLM Solid Edge Community and may have an answer for your second question. I have not implemented SESP and have only done some cursory testing of it so I don't have the answer.

Ken G.

http://grundey.blogspot.com

Have you checked out the Solid Edge Community site?

http://community.plm.automation.siemens.com/t5/Solid-Edge/ct-p/solid-edge