Teams that manage the life cycle of their company’s products can benefit from a comprehensive platform such as Windchill. However, the point and internal solutions many companies use to engage their supply chains isn’t always as sophisticated. Because they aren’t managing this data as efficiently, many are finding that the substances and materials they’ve designed into their products aren’t viable in the long term due to an expanding regulatory landscape.
For companies that don’t benefit from a robust solution, the Assent/PTC partnership can spur a digital transformation of the way they design and manufacture their products, for the better.
From materials sourcing to assembly, a final product can be composed of parts and substances sourced from various countries and alternate suppliers. During the manufacturing process, subparts, substances and operations are rolled together to create a final assembly.
However, acquiring data from suppliers, who operate with varying levels of technological capabilities, on the composition of those parts, substances and processes is a complex, arduous task. Because of this, supply chain engagement is undergoing a challenging transition into the digital world.
Although product lifecycle management (PLM) systems such as Windchill can schedule the resources needed to manufacture, maintain and repair a product, they are usually unable to automate or even perform manual sendouts and surveys to suppliers. In order to acquire the full story on every material and substance that went into that product’s components, they need to implement new systems, processes and resources.
Legislation related to hazardous substances is more costly to avoid for a range of reasons, from contract loss as a result of market access issues, to fines from enforcement bodies. Because of this, many companies are changing the way they produce goods, and factoring compliance into product design, rather than after the fact in response to an enforcement action. In order to manage these proactive data acquisition practices cost-effectively, companies need an agile supply chain data management platform.
Assent &PTC: Complete Data Management & Process Automation
As the global leader in supply chain data management, Assent is proud to partner with PTC. While PTC’s Windchill solution provides product lifecycle and data management solutions to help companies design, manufacture, operate and service their products in a digital environment, the platform’s integration with the Assent Compliance Platform closes the loop on product data, helping companies acquire a complete view of their products, from ideation to end-of-life.
Not only does it allow users to access Assent’s market-leading platform, process automation and campaign manager with one touch within the Windchill interface, but it also enables companies to acquire data related to any market-relevant regulatory requirements for the purpose of purchasing compliant parts and substances. The integration also offers users a range of benefits that include:
● Declaration status visibility from the Windchill environment.
● Out-of-the-box integration for Windchill customers using the Supplier Management tool.
● Cross-platform data synchronization.
● Increased efficiency managing supplier data and relationships.
● Improved supplier response rates.
● Data verification and validation through the Assent platform, with approve/reject functionality.
● Access to Assent’s database of over 250 million pieces of supplier and part data.
● Reduced compliance costs over internal processes and point solutions.
● Automated supply chain send-outs.
● Integrated campaigns that trigger when new suppliers and parts are loaded into Windchill.
Together, Assent and PTC provide the most efficient user experience to companies managing any kind of product data, as they navigate the expanding regulatory landscape.
While Windchill users gain the full functionality of the Assent Compliance Platform with the touch of a button, they also get access to a database of over 250 million supplier contacts and shared declarations. Customers benefit from Assent’s real-time network of updated supplier information in their Assent Compliance Manager.
Connecting Efficiently: Two Potential Configurations
Users that leverage PTC’s supplier management solution from their Windchill dashboard can access the Assent platform through a standard integration. The workflow is as follows:
● A supplier part is identified in a bill of materials (BOM).
↳ A corresponding part record is automatically created in the Assent Compliance Manager, with fields for supplier name, contact information, and part information.
↳ Windchill becomes the system of record for products, suppliers and contacts.
↳ The Assent Compliance Manager is the system of record for compliance determinations.
If you aren’t using PTC’s supplier management solution, we integrate with existing enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems to send supplier data to the Assent Compliance Manager. In this configuration, Windchill is the system of record for products, while the ERP system provides supplier and contact information. Meanwhile, the Assent Compliance Manager remains the system of record for compliance statuses.
All users benefit from single sign-on (SSO) authentication, configured for seamless click-through from compliance statuses in the BOM to the source of compliance determinations and supporting evidence in the Assent Compliance Manager.
Windchill is one of many successful integrations Assent has made with prominent ERP, PLM and PDM systems. Together, these partnerships help companies accomplish the three fundamentals of a good digital transformation strategy.
For more information about how Assent can help your company integrate systems and share data to manage product compliance, contact our experts info@assentcompliance.com.
About Assent Compliance
Assent Compliance is the global leader in supply chain data management. Combining leading-edge technologies with extensive supply chain expertise, Assent provides SaaS solutions that manage third-party data to protect corporate brands, increase market accessibility, and reduce operational and financial risk.
