CADENAS PARTsolutions
Managing Big Data for Manufacturers

At times, Big Data gets so large and complex, that it becomes difficult to process using on-hand database management tools or traditional data processing applications. The challenges include capture, curation, storage, search, sharing, transfer, analysis and visualization. Manufacturers have invested heavily in their data infrastructure, pouring millions into their Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and other critical supply chain systems. For manufacturers, difficulty lies in managing all that data, which is continually being pumped into these environments.

“Your systems are only as good as the data in them,” says Tim Thomas, CEO of CADENAS PARTsolutions. “Data needs to be clean, accurate, up-to-date and easily accessible across your organization. That’s often easier said than done.” Thus, Big Data bottlenecks cost manufacturers billions each year. That’s where CADENAS PARTsolutions comes in. Founded in 1999 with U.S. headquarters in Cincinnati, OH, CADENAS PARTsolutions provides Strategic Parts Management (SPM) solutions for some of the world’s leading manufacturers in aerospace and defense, automotive, oil and gas, machinery and equipment manufacturing, as well as plant design.

CADENAS PARTsolutions has developed a Strategic Parts Management (SPM) platform to better manage standard parts and their usage as defined by business rules across various sectors, and not just in engineering. SPM serves as the missing link in Supply Chain Management (SCM) strategy by connecting manufacturer’s systems (ERP, PLM, CAD) to their supplier, industry and company standard parts. “Our mission is to help manufacturers save significant time and money by giving them more visibility and control over their standard parts data,” says Thomas. “Connecting the dots between engineering, procurement and suppliers is the key to uncovering huge cost savings.”

Up to 50 percent of a manufacturer’s products are comprised of standard parts. SPM makes it easy to find, reuse and control standard parts data critical to the design, planning and procurement stages of the supply chain. Gaining visibility and control of standard parts has big benefits for manufacturers with the overall value realized by several departments across the enterprise. As for Engineering, design time is reduced by up to 40 percent using advanced search capabilities. Hence, part reuse drastically reduces direct material spend and increases engineering efficiencies.

Planning and procurement also gains tighter control over the part selection process, driving engineers to select preferred parts and vendors as defined by the businesses, not just by the individuals. This prevents maverick buying, drives down per part costs, and increases leveraged buying power. Hence, order errors and shop floor fires are greatly reduced with more accurate Bills of Materials (BOMs).

Compliance departments ensure parts data meets industry regulatory and environmental requirements.

The various benefits of CADENAS PARTsolution’s packaged softwares can be pictured with a case study. KUKA Systems Corporation, a tier one system integrator of stamping, welding and final assembly systems was searching for ways to improve effective communication throughout their ongoing project lifecycle. KUKA implemented CADENAS PARTsolutions to improve speed and cost efficiencies. Thus, the company witnessed a 30 percent reduction of design work from hours to minutes and there was an overall improvement in accuracy for commercial items. “CADENAS PARTsolutions is a huge asset to any engineering department and everybody wants to be on it. It’s an excellent tool and saves a lot of time and trouble,” says Rod Bereznicki, Supervisor of Mechanical Design at KUKA. The company’s other clients include Airbus, Volkswagen, Daimler, Volvo, Eaton, Emerson, ABB, Parker Hannifin and Siemens.

Going forward, CADENAS PARTsolutions will continue to provide its clients centralized 3D standard part catalogs and SPM product suites, making it easy for global design teams to control and utilize standard and proprietary 3D parts.

Your systems are only as good as the data in them