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IDC Missing Link Bridges CAD and ERP
Software creates greater visibility between development and manufacturing without the overhead of PLM
Beth Stackpole, Contributing Editor -- Design News, September 21, 2008
PLM SOFTWAREIDC MISSING LINK WITH CAD2xRP TECHNOLOGY,
Innovative Dynamics Corp.’s enterprise application integration (EAI) technology aims to be that missing link that allows multiple CAD systems to operate with any ERP system, essentially streamlining the product development process and creating greater visibility between development and manufacturing.
Unlike ERP integration toolkits provided by CAD or ERP vendors, IDC Missing Link is neither ERP or CAD centric, officials say. The software is a high-performance application built to operate inside a CAD application, so, unlike some PLM systems, it works at an individual’s speed and doesn’t require the overhead of traditional PLM. IDC Missing Link combines the activities of part data management and part model library management to reduce the number of steps in the design process.
Specifically, IDC Missing Link streamlines the product development process by eliminating many non value-added steps in the routine management of parts libraries, drawing management, part definition (master data) and Bill of Materials (product structures) management. The software does this by managing the object model in CAD along with information critical to the business object in ERP as a single object in the Design Warehouse.
For engineers, the benefits are numerous. They include a reduction in non-productive time by eliminating the need for the user to access and navigate the local and network file system, an increase in rework and duplication as locating existing parts becomes routine and achieving more reliable designs, according to Gary Kellstrom, president of IDC. “Engineers can stop thinking about managing data and files and start using parts and product structures as a tool to aid in the communication of their design intent,” he says.
