As Dassault Systèmes Customer Forums continue around the globe, I can't help but wonder if the message of the 3DExperience is similar across language barriers.
Here in North America, the Customer Forum was held in Las Vegas, NV, USA a couple weeks ago. I had the pleasure of being invited to the event. My sole purpose for going, try to figure out what this 3DExperience was all about and clear up some of the FUD from a user perspective.
Inclusive or Exclusive?
The first thing I noticed about this event, besides the fact that it was filled with more suits and ties than I'm used to for a "CAD conference," was that it was tailored to Dassault's higher end users. By higher end, I mean users of CATIA, Enovia, and Simulia. I didn't hear anything about SolidWorks nor did I expect to considering that SolidWorks has a North American event all its own only two months away. However, I was surprised to see Netvibes featured in the plenary session, although it didn't take long for PowerPoint presentations to take over.
Industry Solutions
Throughout the entire conference, I could not grasp the concept behind the 3DExperience. Was it a platform? Was it an architecture? Short of one analyst even asking that exact question, I still couldn't make out a straight answer. If you look back at the twitter hashtag #3DXForum, you can see that I wasn't the only one still confused by this message. That is, until I attended the Aerospace and Defense Q&A session. The "experience" became more apparent when phrased by the industry solution expert.
Reaction Management
Jon Taffer, from Spike TV's Bar Rescue, wrote a book entitled Raise the Bar. Although this book is focused on Jon's experience in the hospitality industry (fitting for a forum held in Las Vegas), his strategy of Reaction Management can be applied to any industry. In summary, that's what the 3DExperience is in this user's opinion.
From the A&D Q&A session, the 3DExperience is about looking at Dassault's customers' processes from a systems engineering level and providing a solution set that fulfills the entire process -- the entire system. By looking at their customers' processes, Dassault realized that several areas within the process were blank. For example, test and validation. Dassault has software solutions for design and manufacturing, but nothing specifically for test and validation. There are A&D companies out there whose sole purpose is test and validation.
Design test equipment with CATIA. Run simulations to anticipate results before physical testing with Simulia. But what version of CATIA or Simulia? What about data acquisition, or a PLM system designed around the test and validation phase of the product lifecycle? These are obvious gaps and need to be filled. These gaps prevent a complete experience for the user. They provide terrible customer reactions.
Another Dimension
To me, the 3DExperience is a very clever marketing slogan, and not much more. The 3D obviously picks up on the 3DS abbreviation used by Dassault. It also implies adding a third dimension to the user experience, or going the extra level to meet user needs. What is that extra dimension? That depends on the user. Dassault is actually wise to keep the definition rather vague and let each user fill in their own fitting definition. Confusing for sure, but somewhat genius at the same time. What's more impressive is Dassault's new way of looking at improving the reactions they get from customers by providing a complete solution set for industries, whether it be by a new architecture, a new platform, a new distribution method, or a new product bundling suites.
This is my definition of the 3DExperience:
To improve the reactions of customers by adding an extra level to the experience they get from Dassault Systemes' products and services.
Trying to read into any deeper than that, and you'll just confuse yourself.
Disclaimer: Dassault Systemes paid for my trip and entry to the forum. They did not however, provide me with that 3DS logo lapel pin like the one Monsieur Charles was wearing.