Canadian Luxury
Window Manufacturer Implements PLM Solutions from
IBM and Dassault Systèmes
CATIA and SMARTEAM to reduce development
cycles while improving configuration and
production of custom orders
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Steinbach, Manitoba and Paris, France, December
1st, 2003 - IBM and
Dassault Systèmes (Nasdaq: DASTY; Euronext Paris:
#13065, DSY.PA) today announced that Loewen Inc.,
a Manitoba-based leading manufacturer of luxury
Douglas fir windows and doors, will implement
their Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)
solutions. PLM will enable Loewen to reduce design
cycle times, increase productivity, and improve
departmental linkages by providing a consistent
information repository for product knowledge and
design constraints.
Loewen chose IBM PLM Solutions, with CATIA V5, the
world’s leading collaborative virtual product
design application and SMARTEAM, for product data
and lifecycle management, both developed by
Dassault Systèmes, to upgrade their existing 2D
system. As a manufacturer of highly configurable
products, Loewen must develop systems and
processes that give customers the greatest
opportunity for customization yet ensure product
manufacturability. The PLM solutions will not only
provide this flexibility, but will also enable
Loewen to meet an aggressive development schedule
and permit employees, suppliers and customers
collaborate on custom designs.
“As a midsize manufacturer with approximately 1200
employees, we were pleased to receive the type of
attention and support from IBM and RAND Worldwide,
an IBM and Dassault Systèmes business partner,
that is typically offered to a large scale
multi-national corporation,” said Stephen Segal,
Chief Information Officer, Loewen. “For Loewen,
PLM is a strategic initiative that will result in
incremental top line revenue growth while
streamlining and improving ongoing operational
practices. The strength of the business partners
combined with the scalability and robustness of
the CATIA and SMARTEAM solutions were all key
attributes in our selection decision.”
Loewen’s engineering team will use CATIA’s
knowledgeware functionality to increase design
reuse and to ensure adherence to company
standards. CATIA’s finite element analysis tools
will also be used to virtually simulate how
weather conditions, such as the high winds of a
hurricane, impact glass panes, thus saving
prototype costs.
SMARTEAM will be used to manage Loewen’s product
development process, which includes millions of
variations of custom-built doors and windows.
Loewen will also use SMARTEAM to submit bid
requests to suppliers and contractors, which will
enable them to bid on more projects and increase
their win ratio. In the next stage of the PLM
implementation, Loewen is considering linking its
PLM platform to the company’s ERP system.
“Dassault Systèmes works very closely with
manufacturers in the fabrication and assembly
sector such as Loewen to develop solutions that
fulfill their very specialized business
requirements,” said Joel Lemke, general manager
PLM Americas, Dassault Systèmes “Reuse of product
design data, end-to-end coverage of development
processes, and collaborative workspaces for
development teams and suppliers - these are just
some of the advantages of PLM that will enable
Loewen to marry tradition and quality with highly
competitive development processes.”
Running on IBM IntelliStations and using IBM
xSeries eServers, Loewen designers will now have a
system that is responsive, scalable and easy to
use. Rand, an IBM and Dassault Systèmes Business
Partner, will provide on-site support and
training.
”Loewen’s choice to implement CATIA V5 and
SMARTEAM is one more example that small-to-medium
sized businesses recognize that IBM PLM solutions
developed by Dassault Systèmes are not only
affordable, but also that they are key to
maintaining competitive advantage,” said Frank
Baldesarra, President and CEO of RAND Worldwide.
“Loewen has positioned itself to increase
productivity dramatically and to enhance its
entire business process.”
About Dassault Systèmes
As world leader in PLM (Product Lifecycle
Management) solutions, the Dassault Systèmes group
brings value to more than 65,000 customers in 80
countries. A pioneer in the 3D software market
since 1981, Dassault Systèmes develops and markets
PLM application software and services that support
industrial processes and provide a 3D vision of
the entire life cycle of products from conception
to retirement. Its offering includes integrated
PLM solutions for product development (CATIA,
ENOVIA, DELMIA, SMARTEAM), mainstream product
design tools (SolidWorks), and 3D components
(SPATIAL). Dassault Systèmes is listed on the
Nasdaq (DASTY) and Euronext Paris (#13065, DSY.PA)
stock exchanges.
For more information, visit
http://www.3ds.com.
About IBM
IBM is the world's largest information technology
company, with 80 years of leadership in helping
businesses innovate. IBM Sales & Distribution,
which supports more than a dozen key industries
worldwide, works with companies of all sizes
around the world to deploy the full range of IBM
technologies. The fastest way to get more
information about IBM is through the IBM home page
at
http://www.ibm.com.
About Loewen Inc.
Loewen is a leading manufacturer of Douglas Fir
windows and doors for the luxury market, featuring
elegant design and a unique combination of
old-world craftsmanship and state of the art
materials. A family-owned company founded in 1905
in Steinbach, Manitoba, Canada, Loewen has grown
to employ approximately 1200 people today. An
extensive range of customizable Loewen products is
available in North America and select
international markets through a network of Loewen
Window Centres and Authorized Loewen Dealers.
Discover the world’s most inspiring windows and
doors and the location of the dealer nearest you
at
http://www.loewen.com.
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