TDM Systems - Lösungen für Werkzeugdatenorganisation

Company-wide Definition of Production Standards with TDM
Interview with Axel Köhler, CAD/CAM Coordinator at TRUMPF
What are the most important conditions for project success? Köhler: There is of course a number of points that naturally have to be considered. The three most important ones, in my opinion, are 1) early involvement of the key users, 2) optimal give-and-take of information, and 3) "project liberty", as I like to call it. "Project liberty:" What does that mean? Köhler: The prerequisite is that a cross-plant project of this magnitude is at the front of the Board of Management's mind. That in turn ensures that project directors both within the company and at the support company have quick and easy access to the servers and periphery. Only then, "without barriers", as it were, is it possible to test and carry out the necessary adjustments. Based on your experience, how can key users best be integrated? Köhler: First of all the key users should be convinced about the new software. Only when they themselves recognize its benefits and fully accept it as a solution will they convey this "good feeling" in the end to the users. And how do you go about convincing them? Köhler: This is why it's a key factor at the start of the project to plan enough time for key users to become familiar with the software. At TDM this was not all that difficult, since the software is user-friendly and quite easy to use intuitively for anyone with a knowledge of Windows. And for those who know the weaknesses of the old solution, it is naturally easy to tactfully show the strong points of the new software at these points. For example? Köhler: Well, if I know that the previous solution does not contain any graphic images for simulation purposes, then I show the programmer how easy it is at the touch of a button to generate 3D graphic images in TDM and take them over into TopSolid'CAM via the interface. Or I demonstrate how quickly a tool assembly can be filed or a master data record can be transferred with a mouse click from one plant client to another.
10 Tips for Project Success from Axel Köhler

1	Don't try to do everything at once, e.g. to organize the crib and the planning and programming areas simultaneously. Rather, take advantage of TDM’s modular software structure to implement things step by step. This lightens the load of project teams, who must often introduce TDM alongside their daily work.

2	Find key users in the plants early on; convince them of the benefits of using the software, and schedule time for doing so.

3	Set up an automated mail workflow in order to keep all persons involved in the project informed in near real time worldwide.

4	Also coordinate adjustment interests via the mail workflow: that eliminates many an additional meeting and enormously accelerates coordination work.

5	Also keep the software provider's Project Director involved via email at all times, not just when the project stumbles. His experience is worth its weight in gold, because he may well have the appropriate answer or even a solution.

6	The essential thing for building up a tool data base that fits for every process: intensive project preparation for data transfer and subsequent data updates.

7	Give the project team members administrator privileges and let them use external data storage media (CD, USB sticks) on time, so that they need not constantly reapply for access at every test installation or when remote support is needed. This saves valuable project time.

8	Do not restrict communication among key users; this ensures that they can be reached in case questions arise. Prohibitions like "No mobile phones here!", for example, slows a cross-plant project unnecessarily.

9	Plan user training courses as a fixed part of the project, but also as far as possible close to real-time use, so that the new functions and application screen displays are still fresh in their minds.

10	Avoid planning training courses "for one and all": the project team should take the time to work out user-specific training courses. This will ensure that programmers, persons presetting the machines, and machine operators will be able to use the new software and accept it in the end.
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What are the most important conditions for project success?