Siemens and thinkstep Launch New Material Management Software

STUTTGART, GERMANY and BOSTON, MA and PLANO, TX--(Marketwired - Mar 27, 2015) -

• Streamlines material driven product design
• Helps manufacturers enhance product performance and reliability

Siemens and thinkstep (formerly PE International) today announced a new integrated material management software solution to manage the material lifecycle and streamline material driven product design. The new solution, developed by thinkstep and Siemens' product lifecycle management (PLM) software business, will help manufacturers worldwide improve product performance and reliability by connecting design, engineering, analysis, compliance and manufacturing to a single source of material information. The new offering, which is part of Siemens' Teamcenter® portfolio, will help reduce errors, rework and recalls that result from the use of inaccurate material data. It will also assist in the re-use of market tested materials for new products, which is critical in a wide variety of industries. Siemens and thinkstep expanded their existing partnership agreement to develop this new solution.

"Selecting the right materials is critical in order to achieve maximum safety, performance and reliability in our business," said John Probst, Technical Director, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. "The Teamcenter integrated material management solution opens up new horizons for us in agile materials management that spans design, engineering, simulation and manufacturing processes. In the racing world, where every second counts, we need solutions like this that enable us to create more innovative designs to give our team a competitive advantage."

"Through our expanded relationship with thinkstep, we're delivering a competitive advantage to all of our customers through true material management intelligence," said Eric Sterling, senior vice president, Lifecycle Collaboration Software, Siemens PLM Software. "Products from virtually every industry can fail, and often times the failure results from the inconsistent use of material information. The new Teamcenter integrated material management solution provides a more holistic view of material data for use in all phases of the product lifecycle to help improve quality and reduce development cost. The new solution gives manufacturers the right information at the right time so they can react quickly and realize innovation."

Material property management systems have evolved significantly to keep pace with the growing demand to capture, store and interrogate material test data. However, these massive volumes of data cannot be considered material intelligence unless the lifecycle of the material data is intrinsically linked with the lifecycle of the product. Teamcenter integrated material management provides this missing link between material data and true product intelligence. Establishing and maintaining integration between the materials considered for use in a product and the product's bill-of-materials (BOM) is crucial to delivering successful, innovative products. The Teamcenter integrated material management solution enables the active management of materials throughout the product lifecycle, from design to production to retirement.

"We are thrilled to work with Siemens to help our customers create innovative new products," said Christoph Wilfert, CEO, thinkstep. "Integrated material management significantly improves the product development cycle. The solution tracks, measures and manages key materials and substances, reducing rework and mitigating the risk of recalls and non-compliance."

Siemens PLM Software, a business unit of the Siemens Digital Factory Division, is a leading global provider of product lifecycle management (PLM) and manufacturing operations management (MOM) software, systems and services with over nine million licensed seats and more than 77,000 customers worldwide. Headquartered in Plano, Texas, Siemens PLM Software works collaboratively with its customers to provide industry software solutions that help companies everywhere achieve a sustainable competitive advantage by making real the innovations that matter. For more information on Siemens PLM Software products and services, visit www.siemens.com/plm.

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thinkstep is the global leader in sustainability performance management, helping businesses around the globe to improve their operational excellence, sustainable product innovation and compliance. thinkstep.one, its next generation enterprise grade platform, provides unique monitoring and modeling capabilities that enable key business functions, better decision making processes, and drive performance breakthroughs. thinkstep.one is complemented by the thinkstep professional services team that draw on 20 years of experience in every major sector. Clients comprise more than 2,000 companies, including 40 percent of the Fortune 500, academic institutions, governments and associations. Sustainability leaders who rely on thinkstep include: BASF, Hewlett-Packard, Interface, Kraft Foods, Siemens, Unilever, Volkswagen, Worldsteel, the Bank of England and the European Commission. For more information visit www.thinkstep.com

Note: Siemens and the Siemens logo are registered trademarks of Siemens AG. Teamcenter is a trademark or registered trademark of Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and in other countries. All other trademarks, registered trademarks or service marks belong to their respective holders.