Siemens PLM software recently reported another big win, this time in the Chinese automotive OEM market.

Desay SV Automotive, a leading Chinese producer of automotive electronics, has chosen to partner with Siemens to implement an end-to-end PLM solution for project management, 3D modeling, collaboration, quality and manufacturing.

By adopting the full suite of Siemens PLM solutions, including Teamcenter PDM/PLM and NX CAD, Desay expects to enhance its competitive edge by decreasing costs and reducing time to market, while also increasing product quality.

The implementation is a critical step in the company’s strategic plan for Industry 4.0, which was initiated by Desay SV and Siemens in mid-July last year with the decision to adopt Siemens’ Camstar MES system. Desay says it plans to invest heavily, and achieve full implementation of industry-leading integrated manufacturing information management systems in its factories in three phases over the next five years.

“Siemens is one of the pioneers of the Industry 4.0 vision and strategy,” said Tan Choon Lim, chairman of Desay SV. “They boast extensive experience and advanced technologies in digital and intelligent manufacturing that will enable us to implement a unified solution for project management, 3D modeling, collaboration, quality and manufacturing. Their team understands our business – where we are today and where we need to be – and they can meet our product development needs. With this partnership, we plan to gradually move ahead towards our goal of transforming into a digital enterprise.”

Desay SV is based in Huizhou City in China, and develops and manufactures in-vehicle infotainment systems, air-conditioning controllers and instrument clusters which it supplies to over 60 different automotive manufacturers on the global market.

This deal comes on the heels of the announcement that German electronics manufacturer Bosch has decided to standardize its CAD and PLM on Siemens technology, which means phasing out some legacy solutions from competitors such as Dassault Systèmes.

However, Dassault did land an important deal a couple of weeks ago, when Ericsson announced that it will implement Dassault’s Enovia V6 PLM solution and its 3D EXPERIENCE platform.

Whether this means a return of the “Big PLM contracts” is still unclear, but the big PLM vendors have certainly gained good business momentum this year. The exception to this trend is PTC, which has yet to report any big wins this year, but their long-term focus on the Internet of Things may give them an advantage going forward.

Aras is another PLM vendor that has gained quite a bit of momentum, tying up major deals with both Microsoft Phones and Airbus last year.

This week, the founder and CEO of the company Peter Schroer received the prestigious CAD Society’s Leadership Award 2016.  

Schroer received the award for demonstrating leadership by successfully introducing a unique and disruptive open source format into the enterprise PLM market, which is contrary to prevailing industry “wisdom.”

Presented annually at the Conference On the Future of Engineering Software (COFES), the CAD Society Awards acknowledge the contributions made by individuals who have significantly affected and developed the CAD, engineering, manufacturing and architecture software industries. 

The Leadership Award recognizes outstanding technical and business leadership in the industry, and focus and dedication to the needs of end users.

“When you innovate today, it’s no longer enough to have a step function breakthrough in technology like our PLM platform,” said Peter Schroer. “You have to combine your technology innovation with a disruptive business model to get your product into the hands of end users at companies around the world that can make a difference with it.

Past recipients of this award include PLM decision-makers and CEOs such as PTC’s Jim Heppelmann, Autodesk’s Carl Bass, as well as SolidWorks/Onshape founder Jon Hirschtick and Dassault Systèmes’ Bernard Charles.

Dassault Systèmes kicked off its “Age of Experience” event series, a new conference concept to explore megatrends and value creation strategies in key business domains experiencing disruptive change.

The first event, which was held in Milano, Italy, mainly focused on how this paradigm shift will affect the design of new products, or “experiences” in the parlance of Dassault Systèmes.

The basic concept of the “Age of Experience” is that consumers are no longer interested in buying a “product” with different features and functions; instead, they want an experience.

This concept requires more holistic thinking about design and product development, as well as the right set of tools.  This new type of design thinking was represented by John Maeda, former president of the Rhode Island School of Design, who has been using technology to create art for the last 30 years.

The technology part of the event was a showcase of Dassault Systèmes 3D Experience Platform, with hands-on sessions and presentations of all the brands including CATIA, SolidWorks and Enovia, to name a few. They also showed some interesting skunkworks projects, including the possibility of designing in a virtual reality environment, as well as some new and interesting features for automated “generative design.” 

A longer article about Dassault Systèmes’ Age of Experience event in Milano will be published next week.