Founded in Switzerland in 1874, Schindler Group is the largest manufacturer of escalators and the second largest maker of elevators in the world. Schindler operates in more than 100 countries with offices on all five continents and employs 44,000 worldwide. Nearly half its current annual revenue is generated in the US and Asia. As a result of its extensive global expansion, the company realized that it was developing an ever increasing variety of different customer-specific products to meet specific regional requirements. Schindler quickly recognized the need to standardize these product variations to reduce development effort, speed time-to-market and provide efficient aftermarket service. The challenge was to design global products with a geographically dispersed development team. Schindler created a central Corporate Development Organization (CDO) to lead the creation of global products and improve knowledge transfer between regional teams in Switzerland, the US, Brazil, and China. Schindler then sought one single collaboration platform to adequately support its new processes for global product development.
Schindler evaluated two alternative approaches: a direct integration of product development data into the existing ERP system versus the implementation of the PTC product development system. After an extensive technology benchmark, Schindler chose PTC to support its new business processes and enable global collaboration. As part of the implementation, Windchill, the integral information backbone within the Product Development System, manages previously distributed content in one single repository and allows role-based access to both internal and external partners. PTC's Global Service Organization (GSO) merged the existing databases into the new Windchill database, and implemented Schindler’s release and change management process as an integrated workflow. Notification functions ensure that the relevant departments and employees are immediately informed when the status of certain data changes. Automating this process streamlines Schindler’s new development processes and keeps development timelines on track.
"The PTC solution offered greater flexibility than a direct integration into the ERP system," said Christian Lehmann, project manager at Schindler. "In product development we want to be able to generate data freely, without having to constantly create material master files and consider how the product will be manufactured. In addition, the solution was easy to configure and operate."
Since Windchill has been “live,” Schindler relies on a faster, easier development with concurrent design and engineering. "Without process standardization and the PTC Product Development System, we would have needed to double or triple the human resources at our overseas sites. Accordingly, we have realized a 200 – 300 percent improvement of efficiency in our product development," concludes said Bernhard Gysi, head of research & development, services and testing at Schindler. "Today, eighty percent of the data for our global product platforms are housed in one location, Windchill. All other sites access the core development data and adapt it for their specific requirements.” Schindler's goal is to expand on the success of the PTC PDS by moving additional development tasks to its CDO in the future.
“The PTC product development system helps customers streamline and optimize key product development processes to manage data in distributed environments and create economies of scale that help companies create competitive advantages even in tough economic conditions,” said C. Richard Harrison, president and chief executive officer, PTC. “With PTC solutions, Schindler is able to ultimately drive greater efficiency into product development while still supporting key business initiatives to meet a multitude of customer requirements and produce the highest quality products available.”
About Schindler
The Schindler Group is the largest supplier of escalators and the second largest manufacturer of elevators worldwide. It has around 40,000 employees and its operations span all five continents. Schindler designs, installs, services and modernizes transport systems for almost every building type worldwide. Globally, Schindler equipment moves more than 900 million people per day. For more information, please visit www.schindler.com
About PTC
PTC (Nasdaq: PMTC) provides discrete manufacturers with software and services to meet the globalization, time-to-market and operational efficiency objectives of product development. Using the company’s CAD, and content and process management solutions, organizations in the Industrial, High-Tech, Aerospace and Defense, Automotive, Consumer and Medical industries are able to support key business objectives and create innovative products that meet both customer needs and comply with industry regulations. For more information on PTC, please visit http://www.ptc.com.
Except for the historical information contained herein, matters
discussed in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements
that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to
differ materially from those projected. These risks and uncertainties
include: the successful development and integration of the technology
necessary to offer an integrated and flexible product development system
solution that is able to adequately respond to the evolving requirements
of customers in multiple vertical industries; the continued success of
PTC’s customer satisfaction initiatives in providing the foundation for
long-term relationships and repeat business; the possibility that our
customers may not continue to spend at recent levels or may elect to
defer or forego investment in our solutions in the current economic
climate and the possibility that we will experience a shortfall in
revenue that causes us to decrease or eliminate planned strategic
investments in our business as well as other risks and uncertainties
detailed from time to time in reports filed by PTC with the Securities
and Exchange Commission, including the Company's most recent reports on
Form 10-K and 10-Q. The announcement of any particular selection of PTC
products is not necessarily indicative of the timing of recognition of
revenue there from or the level of revenue for any particular period.
