UX in industrial settings: Intuitive design for enhanced efficiency

The city of Würzburg, situated charmingly on the River Main, is renowned not only for its historic old town and first-class wines but also for hosting the “Future of Industrial Usability“. The event gathered experts from all over Germany from October 23 to 24 to discuss the latest developments in user experience (UX) within the industrial environment. My colleague Vivien and I were also present and want to share some insights.

User-friendliness as a success factor

A central topic of the conference was the user experience of products in industrial applications. And for good reason: in an era in which technology and digital solutions are shaping everyday working life, designing products and applications that focus on the needs and expectations of users becomes increasingly crucial. Outstanding UX can not only enhance customer satisfaction but also boost employee productivity and efficiency.

The presentations and discussions emphasized the importance of a user-centric approach to product development. From the simplicity of user interfaces to the seamless integration of functions, companies must comprehend their users’ needs to create products and applications that can perform effectively in today’s complex working environment.

Focus on user needs: personas in the enterprise software context

Developing enterprise software is particularly challenging due to its complexity and diverse user groups. As described in our article “Personas for business software – a gimmick or sustainable added value?“, utilizing personas offers an effective approach to tackle this challenge. Personas are fictional characters representing typical users of a product or service. Working with them is an integral part of CONTACT’s software development process and plays a key role in getting a better understanding of users’ tasks and needs in their professional lives. With this understanding, companies can develop more user-centered products and software solutions. In Würzburg, we presented how to create personas, market them within the company, and utilize them across departments.

Card set as a playful tool to visualize personas within the company (©Vogel Communications Group)

Integrating AI into interaction concepts: The path to the future

Another intensely debated topic was the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into interaction concepts. AI is increasingly being used in industry as a means of improving processes and supporting decision-making. It holds the potential to fundamentally change the way we interact with machines and technology. Attendees were presented with impressive examples and best practices illustrating how AI can increase efficiency and performance in the industry. For instance, a concept showed how AI integration into a Human Machine Interface (HMI) assists machine users in adjusting facilities to be more energy efficient.

Future of Industrial Usability: a resounding success

Overall, the “Future of Industrial Usability” was an inspiring event. Alongside current trends, it showed that user-centered product development in the industry is not merely a passing trend but has taken a pivotal role in the future of product development and corporate success. Companies investing in usability enhancements will distinguish themselves in an increasingly competitive market and better meet their customers’ needs.

We look forward to further exciting developments and innovations in this field and thank the organizers of the conference in Würzburg for this excellent event. See you next time.

Data security in Cloud PLM systems

How Cloud PLM systems ensure data security on the highest level

As technology advances at a rapid pace, product life cycles become shorter, and the amount of digital information grows exponentially, companies face the challenge of managing their product life cycle data in a more effective manner. Consequently, more and more companies are turning to Cloud PLM systems that enable them to access data from anywhere and at any time. While the benefits of a cloud solution outweigh the drawbacks, there are still concerns. Specifically, about whether the data in the cloud is secure. In this article, we delve into the advantages of cloud-based PLM systems and demonstrate that solutions adhering to current security standards and requirements offer the highest level of data security and can be significantly more reliable than locally operated systems.

Security benefits of Cloud PLM compared to locally installed PLM systems

In a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model, cloud service providers are responsible for maintaining security features in the application and ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data. They also ensure compliance with current cybersecurity standards, regularly update the software to address new security risks and vulnerabilities, and continuously monitor the system for potential threats. When it comes to security, most companies do not have sufficient resources to make investments in hardware, infrastructure, and personnel comparable to the major cloud providers.

Thanks to economies of scale, cloud administrator teams operate more efficiently and with greater specialization compared to administrators of an on-premises installation. As a result, routine tasks such as updates and maintenance are reduced for internal IT teams, allowing them to focus more on their day-to-day operations, such as user satisfaction, implementing new IT features, and company-specific IT security matters.

Security measures of Cloud PLM providers

To ensure that data is fully protected, cloud applications should adhere to current best practices and comply with all relevant regulations regarding cybersecurity in the cloud. Five measures have become widely established in this regard:

1. High-security data centers and encryption

Cloud PLM providers rely on highly secure data centers equipped with state-of-the-art security technology. These data centers provide physical protection, access control, and active monitoring around the clock. Additionally, all data stored in the cloud is protected by cutting-edge encryption technologies. In the highly unlikely event of a security incident, the data remains unreadable to unauthorized parties.

2. Access control and permissions

Cloud PLM systems offer precise control over who can access the data. Assigning individual permissions at the user level ensures that only authorized users have access to specific data and functions. Administrators have the option to define user roles themselves and assign individual permissions. This ensures that employees can only access information relevant to their work.

3. Regular security updates and maintenance

Cloud providers perform regular security updates and maintenance to promptly address potential vulnerabilities and keep the systems up to date. This ensures that Cloud PLM systems are constantly protected against current threats.

4. Redundancy and disaster recovery

Another crucial aspect of data security in the cloud is redundancy and disaster recovery. Cloud providers store their data in distributed data centers at multiple locations and conduct systematic and professional backups. This provides protection against data loss due to hardware failures or in the event of a disaster.

5. Compliance and certifications

To meet the highest security standards and ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data, cloud providers should adhere to compliance guidelines and certifications. One notable standard in this field is ISO 27001. It provides a framework for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving security management systems, procedures, and policies. Depending on the region and industry, other certifications may also be relevant.

Humans – a factor of (in)security

Once a company has chosen a suitable cloud-based PLM system and selected a cloud service provider that adheres to all best practices for data security in Cloud applications, the first major step towards data security is taken. However, to ensure maximum security, another important element is needed: the training of the company’s employees.

The security of data in PLM systems largely depends on the conduct and expertise of the employees. Therefore, it is crucial that they undergo regular IT security training. These trainings should teach employees how to recognize phishing attacks, suspicious emails, malware, and questionable links in order to prevent unauthorized access. Employees must also be sensitized to report suspicious incidents to protect themselves and their colleagues.

Cloud PLM systems with document management and an integrated communication tool significantly reduce the risk of encountering insecure emails or links, as communication takes place in a protected environment. Encouraging users to utilize such features directly contributes to enhanced security.

Furthermore, it is of great importance that employees are trained on how to securely handle confidential data and strictly adhere to the company’s privacy policies in order to prevent data breaches.

Conclusion

Cloud-based PLM systems offer you the highest level of data security through the use of encryption, access control, regular updates, redundant data storage, and the compliance standards of cloud service providers. Still, the security of your PLM system data also depends on the behavior of your employees to a large extent. Regular IT security training is essential to ensure that users are aware of current threats.


Take advantage of the many benefits of cloud-based PLM software now: With CIM Database Cloud, you get a secure solution to protect your sensitive product development data.

How intuitive CAE apps accelerate product development

Today, companies face multiple challenges in launching increasingly complex products to the market faster. In particular, the lack of specialized knowledge available from simulation experts in the field of computer-aided engineering (CAE) often slows down product development. Easy-to-use CAE applications can remedy this situation and significantly improve the way products are developed and optimized.

Isolated expertise as a bottleneck in product development

However, daily practice reveals that answering supposedly simple questions, such as the effects of a material change on the deformation behavior of a component or the functional consequences of minor, production-related changes to the component geometry, via simulation, still demands significant organizational effort.

Complex issues require the exchange of numerous pieces of information between the involved process partners. Examples of this include providing current CAD statuses on the part of the design department or feeding back existing test results into the simulation. In addition, relevant decision deadlines and available simulation capacities must be considered. The execution and evaluation of the simulation usually demands specialized expertise, often isolated in expert groups and only available to a limited extent.

Providing access to expert knowledge throughout the organization

Therefore, the goal should be to break down barriers to using simulation technologies, making them accessible to a broad user group – regardless of their technical expertise. The way to achieve this can be termed as “technical democratization of simulation”. It involves integrating existing technical know-how into intuitive CAE applications and making them available to all users company-wide through a CAE business layer.

Three steps to the CAE business layer:

  1. Analysis
    The initial step involves a thorough inventory of the existing CAE processes within the company. This helps to identify the most important processes based on their relevance to the application and to decide which ones are suitable for the development of a CAE application according to the cost-benefit principle.
  2. Standardization
    The next step is the standardization of the identified CAE processes which needs the expertise of the calculation engineers. The requirements for the input factors of the CAE process, such as necessary parameters and data, as well as the desired output from the CAE process, are clearly defined. Since simulation processes are typically a complex interplay of different software tools, particular attention is paid to error handling in case potential issues arise during the ongoing process.
  3. Automation
    Subsequently, the CAE application is developed and implemented in the company. Deployment on a software platform available throughout the company, which also hosts the data required and generated for the process, ensures comprehensive traceability

Successively, a CAE business layer is created which unites the CAE applications.

CAE apps dashboard in CONTACT Elements (© CONTACT Software)

Concerns and opportunities

Broad access to simulation technologies does not mean everyone becomes an expert but users are guided through complex processes. An integrated error-handling system reacts to incorrect inputs or deviations in the expected data. Experience shows that expert skills and simulation expertise are not devalued. On the contrary, experienced engineers with a wealth of practical experience and methodological know-how remain indispensable. Through general usage, they can focus on more challenging tasks, accompany decision-making processes, or concentrate on the advancement of simulation methods.

Conclusion: User-friendly CAE applications combine efficiency and innovation

The company-wide provision of user-friendly CAE applications marks an opportunity to establish simulation methods even earlier and more consistently in product development. More users are involved in the process, utilization of resources improves, innovations can be advanced more efficiently and enhanced products will be brought to market in less time. At the same time, it allows simulation experts to focus on more demanding tasks.