Siemens PLM Company, Research Paper Example

The Company’s Name, Location, and a Brief History

Siemens PLM Company, also called Siemens PLM Software, had its name coined on 24^th January 2007 after Siemens AG acquired UGS PLM Corporation (Van Dijk, & Oosthuizen, 2017). The company’s headquarters are at Plano, TX. The history of Siemens PLM Company dates back to 1963 when the company was established in Tolerance, California. The business started operating as United Computing and expanded its operations through acquisitions; Unigraphics first acquired it in 1975, which was later taken over by EDS in 1997 (Fu et al., 2018). The firm changed its name in 2001 to UGS Corporation after acquiring Applicon. In early 2007, UGS was acquired by Siemens AG, forming Siemens PLM Company (Grabowik et al., 2015).

Type of Industry

Siemens PLM Company operates in the computer software industry, particularly the product lifecycle management segment by. In both local and global software sectors, the company offers software, systems and services for enterprises as well as transformational corporate strategies (Siemens, 2019a). Globally, Siemens PLM Software is a leading player in all PLM players such as computer-aided: Design, Engineering and Manufacturing (CAx), Collaborative Product Development Management (cPDM) and Digital Manufacturing (DM) (Siemens, 2019a).

The software helps companies make products of high quality and low-production cost by optimizing the products’ lifecycle processes, from the planning process to the development process through manufacturing and support processes. The digitization, analysis and management of data associated with products, helps companies make the smartest decisions regarding their products. Because of its versatility and robustness, many world’s leading companies in aerospace, medical devices, automotive machinery, apparel, consumer products and shipbuilding, rely on the integrated PLM offerings of Siemens to increase efficiency and productivity while reducing production costs.

The production/service strategies adopted

Siemens PLM in Plano, TX, is a modernization leader in digitalization and automation. An approach that has seen it becomes one of the best technology companies in Manufacturing and IT. The corporation actively collaborates with clients and partners to drive digital renovation in different industries. With its unique portfolio for digitization, Siemens, PLM delivers value to ventures of all sizes with IT solutions, services to digitalize and integrate the entire value chain, including an end-to-end set of merchandise. These products and services are used effectively for the particular requirements of every business; the strategy helps patrons accomplish greater flexibility and production (Siemens, 2019b).

Siemens PLM has provided software that has products, which have acted as a lifecycle management solution. From the ideation concept to retirement, it covers everything and enables one to build the right products. One of their top three strategic priorities is innovation. They believe that 86 percent of products that are newly introduced never make it to the market, and if they in case they make, then roughly 50 to 70 percent fail (Siemens, 2019c). Siemens transforms the innovation process and turns more ideas into successful products. Siemens delivers data management solutions and cross-domain engineering processes. They strategize to streamline the innovation of products with the best product retirement tools of management.

Company’s Organizational Structure

Siemens, has three Operating Companies, three Strategic Companies, four Corporate Development units and its Governance in its organizational structure. This structure that was launched recently allows the individual companies of Siemens to operate with high business freedom (Benito, 2019). The new realignment allows less headquarters administration and gives high freedom for their business and makes them more flexible and stronger.

The Operating Companies include Gas and Power, Smart Infrastructure and Digital Industries. The Gas and Power Company provides solutions for power generation and transmission. The Smart Infrastructure Company connects energy systems, and buildings to create an ecosystem that intelligently responds to people’s needs. In the digital industries, the company offers industrial software, factory automation, motion control, process automation and customer services for its clients (Siemens, 2019d).

Under the Strategic Companies, there is Siemens Mobility, Siemens Gasema Renewable Energy, and Siemens Healthnieers. These provide solutions to key players in the transport, energy and health sectors respectively. The Services companies include Financial Services, Globl Business Services and Real Estate services. The Corporate Development units are concerned with the internal processes of Siemens Company. It includes Next47, Portfolio Companies, Supply Chain Management and Internet of Things (IoT) (Siemens 2019d).

The governance structure of the company is also functional, as it follows a top-down hierarchical pattern with the CEO at the apex. The company is organized into seven principal branches, each with a chief officer or a general manager who reports to the CEO. Information, finance, business strategy, sales and customer services, technology, legal and secretary, product-driven services, and human resource departments define the second tier. All these departments further break down to small operational units (in the third tier), whereby a low-level manager is in charge of every group. In the technology department, for instance, are cloud and data services, manufacturing software, simulation and testing solutions, and more.

Siemens PLM Company Products and Services

Siemens PLM Company designs produce and markets various software products and services. Computer-aided design (CAD), i.e., NX, a PLM integrated set, that is, Teamcenter, a factory planning and manufacturing suite, i.e., Tecnomatrix, and a mid-market application bundle, like Solid Edge are the products that Siemens PLM Company make (Siemens, 2019e). Siemens PLM products are typically software-based and are categorized into technology-related types of merchandise. The following list shows the margin ranges (volume) for product categories sold by Siemens PLM by the end of the financial year 2018 (Siemens, 2018).

Transformation Processes

The transformation processes Siemens PLM Company engages in are mainly design and manufacturing. The firm, through its manufacturing operations management (MOM) software, facilitates the digitalization of numerous production-associated functions. Such includes scheduling and design, manufacturing intelligence, and actual production to produce its earlier mentioned consumer products and manufacturers’ services. Using product lifecycles management (PLM) software and MOM, Siemens enables automation of the manufacturing process for different industries.
Siemens has put in a lot of effort to achieve digital transformation (implementation of digital and data solutions for business processes and activities) in pursuit of a more efficient and agile business paradigm in the fast-changing technology industry. The rationale behind these transformations was to replace silted priorities, practices, and processes and single-point software interventions with integrated technological platforms like Internet of things IoT and cyber-physical systems, among others that exhibit end-to-end connections throughout operations and the whole enterprise (Buchacz et al., 2018).

The digital transformation has equally helped in harmonizing distinct sets of data and setting in digitized business analytics into workflows and user interfaces to guarantee that data-oriented understandings support tactical and strategic decisions (Siemens, 2019f).  The process changes leverage Siemens on turning work coherent via typical applications to advance accountability, impact operations constructively, accentuate processes, and augment the agility to react to or push market disruption in the technology and engineering niche. For Siemens PLC, the fundamental framework for leveraging novelty is imperative. A corporation should acquire the processes, technology, and workforce expertise to seed novelty in its transformation process.

Equipment that Siemens PLM Company Uses

Siemens PLM products are software suites that support product lifecycle management. The types of equipment used are those that support electronics and semiconducting devices, defense and aerospace, transportation and automotive and heavy equipment, and industrial machinery. Including, marine, energy and utilities, consumer products & retail along with insurance & financial, among many others (Shacklett, 2015). Equipment that this IT firm uses are primarily computer hardware and software. Siemens uses computers of high speed and large memory together with PLM and OMO software to make software like Teamcenter, NX, and more that manufacturers of heavy types of machinery used to ease their production of various machines in aerospace, energy, and many other sectors (Shacklett, 2015). Like any other cloud-computing provider, Siemens PLM uses networking and cloud computing materials, including hardware firewalls and routers.

Company’s Labor Requirements

Siemens PLM Company’s labor requirements constitute mostly skilled and semi-skilled. The company employs over 7,600 employees, mainly IT professionals and engineers. In the IT field, Siemens requires systems analysts and designers, software developers, software engineers, and information system consultants. Mechatronic engineers and electronic engineers characterize the engineering labor requirement. The organization also requires semi-skilled laborers, such as technical support workers and secretaries (Siemens, 2019g).

Because Siemens is a tech firm that deals with high-end technologies, its entire staff is mostly skilled developers and engineers backed by support technicians. Siemens PLM can adopt innovative technologies since its workforce is adept and highly trained (Siemens, 2019g). Education and technological proficiencies are vital prerequisites that Siemens PLM deem imperative for effective performance and specialization. A capable labor force is an asset and aids in ascertaining a company like Siemens PLM upholds superior production, adopt technological novelty, large-scale competitiveness, and better returns on investment.

Current Corporate Strategy in Siemens PLM Company

For over 160 years, Siemens has been innovative, responsible, and excellent in their service delivery. They strategize in excellence to achieve high performance and results that are excellent. They believe to be the pioneer of their time, and that’s the vision that motivates them all through. They aim to maintain and capture a leading technology and market positions in all their businesses for the achievement of sustainable, profitable growth, and thus increasing the value of the company (Siemens, 2019h). Their strategy is reflected in the directions; focusing on innovation-driven growth of markets, getting closer to their customers and using the Siemens power. They strategize in making real what matters, and they set their benchmark in their way of electrifying, automating, and digitalizing the world around them. Siemens acts according to the dynamics of the market and by what their customers require. Currently, Siemens Corporation uses a corporate-level approach characterized by diversification. The organization is embracing a unique management strategy that engages multiple ranks. Besides the culture of hiring and retaining a highly experienced and skilled workforce, the company is now considering situating the managers in different regions (Siemens, 2019h). The strategy allows numerous leaders to make decisions regarding innovations. Diversification and innovation give the business a competitive edge.

In the course of unmatched technological transformation, including the increased pace exhibited by novelty, digitization is barely a prospect. By transcending the precincts existing between domains in the industry across both digital and physical realms, Siemens PLM develops the modernizations of the future to its patrons in the present time while delivering scalable and flexible solutions for improved means of undertaking work. Using pertinent business figures and insights, Siemens can envisage and tailor applications to meet the needs of the future, granting the clients the capacity to counter fast-changing customer choices (Siemens, 2019h). Having a massive entry to a vibrant area of technology allies in an unrestricted environment will assist companies to exploit their venture exponentially. Siemens delivers RAD services together with native cloud-based solutions. The corporation’s products help outsourcing companies remain viable in the present market, while numerous manufacturing companies mention product sustainability and environmental compliance as being critical components for effective performance.

Siemens PLM Facility Layout

Siemens factories are designed and configured in assembly lines that make good ergonomic use of facility space and make the best use of the capital resource (Siemens, 2019i). The most significant merit of assembly lines factory layout is that they enable Siemens PLM employees and machines to dedicate themselves to undertaking specific jobs that can augment productivity. Siemens’ extensive assembly lines (as shown in a pictorial representation below) could take into consideration mass production of products that would barely be likely if they were produced from beginning to end by one member of its workforce. Assembly line approaches were at first pioneered in the industrial age to boost factory efficiency and productivity (Siemens, 2019j).

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