For all those users of CAD and PLM systems looking for a way to better manage project resources, schedules and processes, a collaborative effort between SolidWorks and Clarizen promises a solution.
Clarizen, which offers a hosted project management software platform, is working with SolidWorks to build integration between their respective products to address the process collaborative end of the design process, according to Clarizen CEO Avinoam Nowogrodski. While most PLM and CAD systems have collaborative capabilities for managing design content and the bill of materials, they lack tools for understanding the status of where you are in the course of a project vs. where you want to be. Many PLM and CAD users work with Microsoft Project, but that is a separate system with a separate interface, Nowogrodski contends, and it’s also limited to managing and tracking project plans, not executing projects.
In contrast, the integration between SolidWorks and Clarizen allows design engineers to easily attach a CAD drawing to their project tasks for collaboration with their team member, customer or supplier to create new project tasks or update the status of their tasks directly from within their SolidWorks system. As a result, engineers can facilitate the execution of their projects and can ensure that nothing gets overlooked as they work on multiple projects simultaneously.
Clarizen opted to align its product with SolidWorks because they both appeal to engineers in mid-size and smaller companies. Also, some of the other CAD companies, including PTC and Siemens PLM Software now offer project management modules as part of their broader PLM suites.
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