PLM, ENOVIAWORKS and 3DEXPERIENCE World 2020

I’ve been coming to Solidworks World for many years. I did it as a Dassault System employee, startup founder, and blogger. Solidworks World was one of those powerful events where you can get a great opportunity to talk to Solidworks customers and partners as well as get first hands communication with Solidworks and Dassault Systemes leadership team. Last year, was the last Solidworks World (2019).  If you missed my SWW 2019, articles, here is a good opportunity to come back and read. Articles are getting better after some time as we learn more about what is happening :).

SOLIDWORKS WORLD 2019 – An intro in SOLIDWORKS.WORKS

SWW 2019 – xShape and Desktop-Cloud workflows

Solidworks World 2019 was the last Solidworks World. The new event is coming to replace it – 3DEXPERIENCE World.  Gian Paolo Bassi, CEO of Solidworks shared information about it in his blog – Explaining the Evolution to 3DEXPERIENCE World.

Here is the passage I captured:

At SOLIDWORKS we have put a lot of effort into creating a unique user experience aimed at removing friction between the creative process of design and the actual realization of a product. We do this through a lot of research in human-computer interaction and observing our customers’ workflows while listening to their recommendations. This is certainly at the heart of what SOLIDWORKS is, and that is not going to change. We obsessively focus on improving that fluidity of response and reliability of outcome that our users have come to count on.

There is a lot more about the transformative force of “experience” thinking. Producing unforgettable experiences has been described by many economists as the next stage of value creation. We certainly believe it is at the foundation of the Industry Renaissance, as we even call our platform for business and industry innovation, the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.

Here is a new website, which can give you some idea of what to expect.

Partners and community are two important elements of the Solidworks business for many years. Here is the first change I noticed – 3DEXPERIENCE Playground. I’m curious to learn the evolution of Solidworks Partners Pavilion into 3DEXPERIENCE Playground.

My PLM and Bill of Materials twisted mind was first of all going to check 3DEXPERIENCE World sessions about these topics – PDM, PLM, and Bill of Materials. In addition to general sessions, here is what I found – 4 sessions about PLM and few more from the Bill of Materials.

My favorite here is about how SOLIDWORKS desktop is saving data in the 3DEXPERIENCE platform., which I expect to replace existing PDM systems. Check out my earlier blog – How to navigate between SOLIDWORKS PDM systems.

And these are two sessions I found about the Bill of Materials.

The attendee will have an introductory understanding of the applications available on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform which support an engineering design process.

Learn how BOM processes have evolved past the traditional role they have served in defining and communicating product information. Understand how companies are adopting virtual product modeling approaches to keep pace with customer demand in the age of experience.

Both sessions are tagged ENOVIAWORKS, which sounds like a new application or product for Solidworks. And it brings more questions. Like many of them, I read on Solidworks blog – What’s the heck is 3DEXPERIENCE? and why would I need it? Many questions like – is it a marketplace? Collaboration platform for everyone? Application portal for Dassault Systemes applications?

According to the infoweb industry website, it is a PDM system. Here is the passage:

“3DEXPERIENCE ENOVIAWORKS – SOLIDWORKS. Secure your SOLIDWORKS design files on the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform with an integrated data management solution”.

If you have Solidworks account, you can find more details on My.Solidworks portal – Getting Started with ENOVIAWORKS. The application and functions indeed look like cloud PDM systems – projects, 3D design, review, markup, release process.

What is my conclusion? I think we are standing in front of the most significant changes in the Solidworks community. A new event and new applications are coming to Solidworks customers. I’m curious to learn more about this transformation and share it with you. The market of PLM for mid-size manufacturing is growing and you can see new companies among leaders and high-performers. Check G2 Crowd Grid® report. SaaS PLM transformation will be one of the most significant events in PLM industry for the last decade and I’m interested to watch what solutions vendors like Dassault Systems have to present there. Other established vendors and startup companies will act in this market as well. So, there are many things to watch. Just my thoughts…

Best, Oleg

Disclaimer: I’m co-founder and CEO of OpenBOM developing cloud-based bill of materials and inventory management tool for manufacturing companies, hardware startups, and supply chain. My opinion can be unintentionally biased.