Taking Embedded Computing to the Next Level With Arena PLM
About the Company
Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Deggendorf, Germany, congatec is a rapidly growing technology company focusing on embedded computing products. congatec’s high-performance computer-on-modules (COMs) are used in a wide range of applications and devices for industrial automation, medical technology, transportation, telecommunications, and many other verticals. These small, yet powerful single board computing systems provide companies a convenient and flexible plug-and-play solution to optimize their embedded system designs while reducing product development costs and time to market.
AT A GLANCE
Mission
Simplify the use of embedded technology and help customers deliver solutions to market fast
Best Thing About Arena
Provides a single source of truth for internal teams and external partners to access product information and efficiently execute product work
Bottom-Line Impact
Helps congatec gain better control and visibility of product information
Key Benefits
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Mission
Simplify the use of embedded technology and help customers deliver solutions to market fast
Best Thing About Arena
Provides a single source of truth for internal teams and external partners to access product information and efficiently execute product work
Bottom-Line Impact
Helps congatec gain better control and visibility of product information
Key Benefits
- Drives process standardization by enabling global teams to access a single system and work off the same product information
- Provides suppliers and electronic manufacturing services (EMS) partners secure, real-time access to product bills of materials (BOMs)
- Speeds production processes with seamless enterprise resource planning (ERP) system integration
- Simplifies record management for ISO 9001 compliance
- Supports rapid new product development cycles
- Includes ongoing customer support from trusted team of success coaches and solution consultants
- Scales with business to support its rapid growth
BUSINESS CHALLENGES
What began as a small, R&D-driven startup with only 13 employees has evolved into a global market leader in computer-on-modules with operations in the United States, Taiwan, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and the Czech Republic. As with most businesses, this commercial success did not come without some hurdles for congatec.
In its early days, congatec managed product information via several ad hoc and file sharing systems. Because of the different system landscapes, it was difficult to get a fast and precise overview of the available data using this isolated approach.
The implementation of revision changes was time-consuming. In addition, congatec wanted to be better positioned for future ISO 9001 certifications and was looking for a system that sensibly maps a standardized form of the product record over the entire lifecycle.
The company soon realized that they needed a robust product lifecycle management (PLM) system to fill these product development gaps and support their global commercialization efforts. Hence, a dedicated team at congatec was assembled and set out to find a turnkey solution that would maximize their return on investment.
We like the fact that Arena provides our global teams 24/7 access and that it gives us better visibility into our core product BOM information. We’re also pleased that Arena’s cloud infrastructure does not require costly IT resources for deployment and maintenance.
—Joerg Grudzinski, Director of Global Operations, congatec
THE SOLUTION
After evaluating different PLM solutions, congatec determined that Arena was the best fit for their business.
By bringing all their product information, people, and related processes together in a centralized platform, Arena helps congatec gain greater control and traceability throughout the entire product development cycle. With automated changes and revision control applied to BOMs, documents, and parts, everyone always has access to accurate and up-to-date information. Ultimately, internal team members, external suppliers, and EMS partners can collaborate in real time to optimize designs and release products faster.
Records to support the design and development of the product, as well as work instructions around assembly and maintenance, are linked directly to the product BOM and any associated changes. This helps congatec apply best practices in documenting and maintaining processes that are essential to demonstrating compliance with ISO 9001 and other quality standards.
KEY BENEFITS
Since deploying Arena PLM in 2008, congatec has rolled out the system across all product lines. Because their products are comprised of many different components and subassemblies, the organization uses Arena to establish an effective part numbering scheme and streamline configuration management.
To accommodate their short development cycles, congatec’s R&D team feeds Arena the completed product designs. The operations team then accesses Arena to execute quality assurance, procurement, and other critical activities. Subsequently, the team leverages Arena’s secure supplier access to quickly release the final BOM to EMS partners for production.
The company is also able to seamlessly integrate Arena with their ERP system and electronically transmit necessary product information to further expedite production planning and manufacturing.
As congatec learns more about Arena PLM capabilities, and their needs evolve, they work closely with customer success coaches and solution architects to provide suggestions for future software enhancements. “Arena truly values the voice of the customer. The support team listens to our needs and takes our feedback into account as they continue to refine the PLM solution,” stated Grudzinski.
Arena PLM is now an integral part of congatec’s day to-day operations and is included in the onboarding process for all new hires. The system easily scales with the business as it continues to add new users and leverage additional functionality.
With congatec continuing to expand their product portfolio and enter new markets, Arena provides a strong foundation to help them stay on course and take their embedded computing technology to the next level.
Our supply chain partners are very impressed with the convenience offered by Arena. The ability to easily retrieve our product BOM from a secure PLM system and integrate it into their own system saves them considerable time and helps speed the production process.
—Joerg Grudzinski, Director of Global Operations, congatec
