PDM...need help convincing management

[deek05]

I need some help convincing management why we need a PDM. We are a 3 person drafting department, so we very seldom work on the same project. We are currently updating our SW parts the same way we did using Autocad. Copy the file to a pending folder, then move the pending file back over the original. This sometimes creates problems in the assemblies. I'm trying to explain to management SW is different than Autocad and how parts/drawings/assemblies are linked and referenced. Can anyone pass some info our way?

Thanks,

DT

 

[Standing]

DT,
The cost of overwriting one assembly file will pay for PDM Works. When someone takes ownership of a file no one else can overwrite that file. Can you say this is true for the system you are using?


Bradley

 

[jethro511]

We are in the same boat, management looks at it like an additional cost, not as a savings. I used PDMWorks in 2000 and it works pretty slick.

We only have 2 draftspersons and 5 designers and a whole other group that takes the assemblies when we're finished. On occasion we work on each others subassemblies (and of course we've messed things up!). This could also save some sanity on the drafters as the designers change things and forget to tell them.

Just telling them that we spend $X and it is going to save us overwrites isn't going to cut it. We need some kind of case study to say, if we spend $X, we could save $Y. Has anyone actually put numbers to paper to show management that this is a savings?
Jeff

 

[kcarpenter]

Don't think of it as showing savings, it's an ROI (Return On Investment). If you can show them you're going to spend $XXXX, then over the next 12 months say, show them a total return on their money. It's sometimes difficult to quantify these things and your best guess is sometimes all you can muster. Back it up with facts from co-workers and other data sources. I'd check with your potential PDM provider or VAR to see if they have something to help you with regard to your "fight". Also, don't just think of the things you will do with the PDM as it suits your company, but show them all of the other benefits of a PDM as well, i.e. querying part numbers, external depts. potential usage like service parts and customer service, scalability, cutomization (although you should keep it as "out of the box" as possible to avoid future issues), etc.

Kevin Carpenter
CAD Systems Specialist
Invacare Corp.