Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) creates companies’ document-based design and business processes. However the results are not yet consistent. Frequently, gaps arise in different places between systems, document formats and devices. This also applies to the use of Siemens’ PLM software, Teamcenter. Our Document Output Center for Teamcenter can help. Dr. Uwe Fetzer, manager for PLM Solutions, explains why. (Part 2 of 2).

The Document Output Center DOC4TC is also a convenient solution for publishing processes. How do you envision that, and what is the added value for the user?

When documents – yours or those of your suppliers— are to be compiled into a new documentation set, such as operating instructions or product information, DOC4TC can be expanded into a publishing solution. Here, documents are used which were deposited in Teamcenter. Downstream processes running asynchronously over a dedicated server prepare the collected documents into a fully-fledged, structured document set. This comprises, along with the processing steps mentioned above, the arranging of the individual documents into a document set, the adaptation of document set to the desired customer layout, the production of a directory of contents, and the creation of hotspots/bookmarks together with links.

Various output formats can be created after completion of the overall structure. Here a broad range of options are possible according to need: paper output to printer/plotter, creation of PDFs, creation of a web edition, distribution per FTP or email – all examples of the many ways they are supported.

The benefits to users are evident, for example in mechanical and plant engineering, if extensive documentations must be produced. Here our solutions save the customer a great deal of effort. That means days or even weeks of time saved, and moreover guarantees an automated, error-free process with high-quality output.

Siemens PLM Teamcenter Dispatcher has its own approaches for processing server-based documents. Which advantages does an output management system bring to companies currently dealing with these issues with the tools found in Siemens PLM Teamcenter?

We are sometimes asked, what are the advantages to our product against Siemens PLMTeamcenter Dispatcher. The answer isn’t in black and white. Every tool has its use in respect to the demands made on it.

The advantages of our teamcenter solution

We see some criteria where DOC4TC especially brings benefits. To name just a few examples:

• The flexibility and scaleability of our solutions, which allow you to simply add extra features according to the progress of the project
• When high data volume and performance preferences, such as mechanisms for failure safety and load balancing, are required on the servers
• When further downstream processes like complex stamps, publishing processes, or intelligent printing and plotting management are needed
• The availability of centralized and high-performance administrations and tools for monitoring the status and stability of the server
• The easy coupling of Teamcenter to a company’s current SEAL Systems solutions (for example from SAP or Windows).

And all this is available as product standard, which means that the customer doesn’t have to deal with these subjects on the level of programming of dispatcher frameworks. Individual cases should be analyzed as to which feature has to be first produced at which expense, or already exists on hand as software product.