CIMdata Partners with SMS_ThinkTank

CIMdata_logoANN ARBOR, MI, Dec 16, 2016 – CIMdata, Inc., the leading global product lifecycle management (PLM) strategic management consulting and research firm, and SMS_ThinkTank LLC, an industry leading resource providing system modeling and simulation expertise to develop and improve engineering business practices for innovative product development, today announced a strategic partnership to help manufacturers and PLM software providers address the challenges associated with the design, development, and lifecycle operations of innovative products, processes, and their systems.

Significant global product development trends are making multi-domain, multi-physics, multi-scale, systems-level virtual prototyping, and performance simulation capabilities an indispensable element in enabling the transformation to model-driven product development, especially for complex cyber-physical systems. These major business trends include:

  • Digitalization of engineering overall, across all industries, as well as their operating environments.
  • Design-for-sustainability and energy efficiency, green/conservation/re-use.
  • Smart systems being driven by the Internet of Things (IoT) and Industry 4.0 including “digital twins” with enhanced human and machine learning based on data analytics.
  • Mass customization with software features being a key differentiator.
  • Design-for-purpose materials from the molecular level up and new manufacturing methods (e.g., additive manufacturing/3D printing).
  • Products delivered as services; an on-going innovation and utility business model that require manufacturers to re-think their product obsolescence strategy.

The complexity of cyber-physical systems across all industries is increasing exponentially due to embedded software and electronics components that account for an ever-increasing amount of the product value and competitive differentiation for industry leading manufacturing companies. For many OEMs and suppliers to remain competitive, innovation is a key differentiator and simulation-driven systems development best practices in organization, process, and technology must be adopted to address the complex requirements and features requested by customers.

Combining the efforts of CIMdata and SMS_ThinkTank will strengthen each organization’s ability to deliver superior consulting expertise to help manufacturers, as well as software solution providers, address these market challenges by defining the appropriate business requirements and use cases for model-based enterprise (MBE). In addition, this partnership will help manufacturers and software providers in developing technology implementation roadmaps, and will provide organizational process change to implement state-of-the-art model-based systems engineering approaches in product development to achieve sustainable innovation. While CIMdata has several existing Knowledge Councils and consulting practices that support these areas, the SMS_ThinkTank partnership activity will primarily interact with and actively support the simulation-driven system development (SDSD) Consulting Practice and the associated SDSD Knowledge Council.

“System modeling and simulation is not just about product and process; it usually requires fundamental changes in methods as well as in culture and behavior. By embracing these changes, companies can react to existing and future market demands and address ever-increasing product complexity,” said Edward Ladzinski, CEO and co-founder of the SMS_ThinkTank.

“We are excited to team up with the SMS_ThinkTank principals who bring deep and broad industry expertise in the application of systems modeling and simulation technologies,” said Peter Bilello, president, CIMdata, Inc. “We are confident that our current and future customers will benefit from this consulting services partnership.”

“The complexity of engineered systems and society’s requirements to preserve scarce global resources and the environment requires new thinking and new business approaches to enable sustainable innovation. Through the creation of this strategic partnership we will be able to provide global customers with the leading expertise to achieve these challenging goals,” said Frank Popielas, managing partner and co-founder of the SMS_ThinkTank.

About SMS_ThinkTank

The SMS_ThinkTank is an industry leading resource providing system modeling and simulation expertise to help its clients develop and improve engineering business practices for innovative product development. It promotes a collaborative and vendor-neutral approach based on open digital platforms and industry data standards.

To learn more about SMS_ThinkTank, visit http://www.smsthinktank.com.

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