EVAC

At the center of everything

Evac saw digitalization as a means for placing information at the center of everything. “It was a strategic step for the future, enabling Evac to offer new solutions and services for its customers”, explained Aki Karhu, former CIO of Evac Group. One of the focus areas is Product Lifecycle Management, PLM. All product information and metadata are managed in Windchill, enabling Evac to provide data for use downstream with integrations. Evac also uses the PDSVISION application QA Check in process steps to improve data quality, and PDSVISION Search Portal for easy access to documentation.

Evac and PDSVISION have been in a fruitful partnership over 20 years. PDSVISION has been a good partner to discuss with, and to be challenged by – to find what suits us and what doesn’t.

Former CIO of Evac Group

Aki Karhu

Prepared for the change

Implementation of Windchill and mastering product data in one system affects all activities from product development to sales, engineering to sourcing, and from manufacturing to service.

“In a way, all product data comes from Windchill, used directly or via integrations. PLM is the foundation for our digital architecture, together with our CRM and ERP systems. It is hard to say who it doesn’t affect. It is a question of culture,” says Maija Casey, Solution Manager, Product Data.

The organization was prepared for the change. Personnel involved with product data gradually understood the value and power of structured product information that can be shared between systems, and the individual responsibility that it entails. “Naturally, management support was crucial. The management understood the value of product data for the company. This investment helps us to meet our growth targets for the coming years,” says Maija Casey.

A solid foundation and enabler

At Evac Windchill is seen as an enabler and a solid foundation with centrali-zed data, coupled with solid processes. With the help of PDSVISION it took Evac around 8 months to first implement Windchill as the master of product data management, followed by work to further review the processes, clean legacy data, and enhance data content.

“Now the foundation is set, and cultural changes have started. The next step is to take it even further and go more into detail. We want to add more digital processes and bring more value to and improve our customers experience,” says Maija Casey.

Prioritize activities that bring value

PLM system brings adds value to Evac customers as well.

“Engineering and R&D can focus on customer requests. Sales, after-sales, and technical support can give customers correct information about their pro-ducts with less effort. This leads to a better customer experience. Improving data quality over the product life cycle also enables new digital services for our customers,” Maija Casey says.

Evac’s experience attests that it takes effort to build a digital world, adjust processes and change culture – but if you prioritize correctly, it brings tremen-dous value to everyone.

The Evac collaboration

PDSVISION has implemented the following at Evac:

• Reduced cost related to quality.
• Increased engineering productivity.
• Increased revenue supported by an aftermarket platform allowing increased sales of spare and wear parts.
• Reduced lead times in product development.