Siemens Healthineers transforms its PLM system end-to-end

The challenge

Project history

Process Topics in which valantic was involved:

1. 1

   Requirements Engineering – solution design and implementation

   Around 2015, the need to replace outdated requirements management tools became evident. After several analyses, the decision was made to adopt Teamcenter’s requirements management model. Later, for reasons of improved user experience and acceptance, the decision was made to use Polarion ALM instead of Teamcenter RE.

2. 2

   BOM Management – solution design and implementation

   In 2017, the need for smoother handling of SAP material masters in connection with existing CAD data was identified. To address this, Siemens Healthineers and valantic launched another project focusing on parts and BOM management.

3. 3

   Engineering Change Management – solution implementation

   The goal of change management using Teamcenter is to manage changes efficiently, effectively, and sustainably while supporting both the organization and its employees. This is intended to secure and improve the company’s competitiveness in the long term.

Administrative topics in which valantic was involved:

1. 1

   System operations and maintenance

   The development of a comprehensive PLM system includes the operation and maintenance of multiple systems.
   In addition to the productive environment, additional systems are required. These include a test system, multiple environments for training, demonstrations, and proof-of-concepts, as well as maintenance of virtual clients for the implementation teams. To optimize operations, automated integration builds and deployments as well as client distribution were established over time.

2. 2

   Rollout - Rollout management

   Siemens Healthineers follows the approach of gradually making functionalities available to additional business units and departments. New “customers” are shown the current functionality, followed by a fit-gap analysis to identify and add any missing functionalities or process steps if necessary.
   For each new business unit or department wishing to join the system, a rollout project is set up to manage introductions in a structured and well-defined manner. Coordination between the ITL and stakeholders is handled by rollout managers, who primarily act as intermediaries.

3. 3

   Testing – functional tests, verification and acceptance tests

   Over the years, the functionality of the Teamcenter system grew immensely. Since healthcare is a highly regulated environment, validation and verification (also known as testing) must be precise and comprehensive before new versions can go live. For a long time, testing was the responsibility of the implementation teams. To increase test quality and better support implementation colleagues, the test concept was adjusted and dedicated testing was introduced into the program.

   On average, seven employees were involved in the overall project, with peaks of up to 18 employees.
   Including additional partners, a total of 50 to 70 consultants and experts were driving the project forward during peak periods.

   Greater agility, increased transparency, and a “single source of truth” for all involved business units are among the core benefits achieved through the project.