SmartFlow

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SmartFlow
Efficiently managing the engineering processes
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SmartFlow

• A seamlessly integrated, cost-effective, rapidly
  implemented, Windows-based workflow automation
  application for users of SmarTeam.
• SmartFlow gives you the power to streamline
  business processes by linking people, information
  and applications together.

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What is a Workflow?

• Workflow
• The process in which information moves throughout
  an organization
• A workflow would typically consists of
• Action Items approval, rejection, tasks
• Documentation edits, references, support docs

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Traditional ECO Management
The old way
- Hand delivery of document packages - Delays in
process waiting for individuals/ groups -
Sign-off of documents without accountability
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Traditional ECO Management
- Hand delivery of document packages - Failed
timely execution (dropping the ball)
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Traditional ECO Management
Missed deadlines Failure of delivery in
time-to-market Lost revenue Lost market
share
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The SMART Way
SmartFlow

Enterprise
The Value chain
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Current ECO Management Methodology

• Method(s)
• Electronic Delivery of information
• Email
• Inter/intra-net
• Software Automation
• Tool-Kits
• SmartFlow
• Visual Basic Programming
• Notifications and Triggers

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Current ECO Management Methodology

• A typical workflow consists of
• People, Stops within the documentation trail
  for
• Approval
• Rejection
• Tasks
• Other Workflow(s)

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Why SmartFlow ?

• Product related changes are an inevitable part of
  the product life cycle, from concept to
  realization.
• Effective management of the process ensures that
• Requirements are well defined to all parties
• Related documentation and resources are available
  to make the proper decision
• The overall process is controlled, traceable and
  captured
• Upper management can monitor the progress of the
  processes, reroute it, get updated information on
  line, and identify the bottlenecks in the current
  processes

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Current Challenges

• Processes are mostly serial
• Changes to the data throughout the workflow are
  not readily available
• Identifying bottlenecks and tracking the status
  of the change is difficult
• Changes are done before all parties understand
  the affect of the change
• Information is not driven at the right time to
  field personnel, customers and sales reps
• Involving a remote user, supplier or customer is
  almost impossible
• More

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Target Market

• All manufacturers!
• Changes to new products occur at all stages
• Design, purchasing, tooling, and manufacturing
• Changes to existing products are common
• Customer feedback, field service requirements,
  new technologies, changing market needs, new
  regulations

ECR
ECO
ECN
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Business Processes

• Product Release
• Engineering Change Requests, Orders, Notices
• Procurement related processes (order admin,
  approved supplier information)
• Sales and marketing notifications to the market
• Special regulatory requirements
• More

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Flow Components (1)

• Flow representation
• Electronic Form
• Attached documents / Items
• Electronic Routing Slip the flowchart
• Flow Controls
• Electronic Signature
• To do list, tasks
• Possible actions and responses
• Alerts for past due processes

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Flow Components (2)

• Flow Flexibility
• Tailoring Flow chart designer, mandatory tasks,
  possible responses etc.
• Customization Triggers and hooks for visual
  basic type (basic scripting)
• Flow Administration
• Workflow manager
• Reporting
• Rerouting
• Resolving bottlenecks

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With SmartFlow you can

• Assign tasks to each user in the workflow
• Assign user/s or group to each node in the
  workflow (also in run time)
• Build rules based on event triggers into the
  flowchart
• Route documents and perform life cycle operations
  on them

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SmartFlow ISO9000

• 4.3 Contract review
• 4.4 Design control
• 4.6 Purchasing
• 4.14 Corrective action

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SmartFlow Components
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SmartBox

• Enables SmartFlow users to
• initiate a process
• View the processes awaiting for them
• Work on the tasks designated to them, and
• Send the process to the next step in the workflow

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Flowchart Designer (1)

• The Flowchart Designer is an intuitive interface
  for designing flowcharts.
• With the Flowchart Designer you can

• Design a new flowchart
• Modify an existing flowchart
• Assign a flowchart to a Process

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Flow Chart Designer (2)

• A Node defines what actions should be performed
  and by whom so that the Process can proceed to
  the next step
• Assigning Users
• policy (And or Or)
• Select Users at Runtime
• Set delegator
• A Connector directs the SmarTeam objects in a
  Process from Node to Node
• Reject to Start
• Reject to previous

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Flow Chart Designer (3)

• Flow chart properties
• Importance Supervisor Time Limit
• Linked objects
• flow object security object sharing
• Assigning a Task to a Node
• Add Manual Task Assigning an Event to a Node

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WorkFlow Manager

• Enables supervisor to track processes and make
  strategic decisions
• Managers can view which tasks are past due,
  review workflow status,and make routing changes
  on-the-fly to resolve bottlenecks
• Allows advanced searches using any process
  attributes

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SmartFlow Server

• Constantly monitors the database at pre-defined
  time intervals and checks whether any Process is
  ready to be moved to the next user (node)
• Frees up client resources by running the various
  processes that the user can select
• Enables multiple database connections
• Multiple servers can be activated to provide a
  fully scalable solution 

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Example 1 Drawing Release

• No

• Yes

• Yes

Approved
Check mold
Approvedby engineering
Internal
Mold
Product(re) design
for
End
Start
product
check
design
production
dimensions

• No

Minor
changes

• Documents

New /Beingmodified

• Status

Being
Check In
Check In
Approved
modified
Approved by

• Phase

Concept
Approved for
Engineering
Production
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Example 2 - ECO
Enables teams to collaborate throughout the
extended enterprise and the supply chain

• No

Manufacturing

• Yes

• Yes

Engineer
Shop
ProjectManager
New
Start
End
Sales
r
department
Floor
ECO
Purchasing

• MySmarTeam.com

• E-mail

• terminal

Supply
Chain
Department
Shop Floor
Engineering
Enterprise
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Example 3
Concept
Design
Release
Implement
Bug Fixes
Test
Prototype
Productize
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Benefits

• Faster Time-to-Market
• Share information on-line
• Run processes in parallel when needed
• Involve all related parties through an electronic
  process
• Reduce the time for Engineering Changes
• Respond faster to customer requirements
• Perform better analysis of the effect of a change
  (cost, engineering time etc)
• Eliminate errors and improve quality by
• Working in a paperless mode
• Connecting to the PDM repository (latest
  revision)
• Keeping all parties on the same page
• Optimize the resource utilization (monitoring and
  identifying bottlenecks)
• Meet standards requirements (ISO/FDA )

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Thank You!