SAP PLM Consulting
Product Lifecycle Management has been the core of CaRD since the 1990s: we advise and implement in every area of PLM — from master data, documents and classification to engineering change and variant configuration.
At a glance
- PLM strategy, process & methodology consulting
- Master data, BOMs & classification
- Document management (DVS/DMS)
- Engineering change service & change management
- Variant configuration
- Project management of PLM projects
End-to-end processes along the product lifecycle
CaRD's PLM practice was built in the mid-1990s by senior consultants and developers. Since then we have been optimising product processes for customers worldwide: from idea through engineering, master data and configuration to after-sales — with strategy, architecture, process and methodology consulting as well as the project management of PLM initiatives.
In change management we look at the process end-to-end: from change request through approval and change order to where-used lists and impact assessments linked to the affected objects. In variant configuration our services range from dependency knowledge and the elegant maintenance of variant tables to extending the BOM explosion logic.
For SAP DVS/DMS we advise neutrally and objectively — from setting up your content server (KPro and other solutions) to the filing strategy for your PLM objects, on request integrated with our scanning and filing solutions. We support both the classic, high-performance SAP GUI world and the web-based PLM user interfaces — we never force existing customers into a technology change.
SAP PLM Web UI (PLM 7)
The web-based PLM interface — in productive use at many customers for years and still available under S/4HANA.
- Materials, BOMs, documents, change numbers & classification on the web
- Role- and context-based authorisations incl. DMZ concept for partners
- Object navigator with preview, BOM redlining
- Ad-hoc workflows & standardised release processes
- Complemented, not replaced, by Fiori apps and the Engineering Control Center
Engineering folder & engineering record
The bracket around everything that belongs to a development initiative — documents, objects, participants and the approval path.
- Engineering folder (Konstruktionsmappe) collecting development states
- Engineering record for guided change and release processes
- Links between documents, materials & BOMs
- Status and action management across the whole case
- Transition into the engineering change service and MOC
Change management
Steer changes in a controlled way instead of repairing expensively.
- Change request, approval & change order
- Where-used lists & assessments
- Validity control & traceability
- Fit, form & function considerations
Documents & DVS
The digital product file, filed properly.
- Document info records, classification & object links
- Content server set-up (KPro et al.)
- Integration with scan and Office solutions
- CAD integration in the engineering environment
Engineering & structures
Product data as the backbone of development.
- Product structures: iPPE & Product Structure Management
- Release management across development phases
- Serialisation & traceability
Specialist sites on this topic
We run dedicated topic sites for individual PLM areas (partly German-language).
- change-impact.de — impact of product changes
- cad-integration.de — CAD integration (ECTR) with SAP
- materialvarianten.de — create material variants automatically
Frequently asked questions
What does CaRD's SAP PLM consulting cover?
The holistic optimisation of your product processes: strategy and architecture consulting, master data and BOMs, classification system, document management (DVS/DMS), engineering change, variant configuration and the project management of PLM initiatives.
Do you support SAP GUI and web interfaces?
Both. Power-user solutions like our Rule Designer are deliberately offered with an SAP GUI front end, because data maintenance is faster there — while new scenarios usually build on the web-based PLM interfaces. Nobody is forced to switch.
Is the PLM Web UI (PLM 7) still relevant?
Yes. Many customers have been working productively with it for years, and it remains available under SAP S/4HANA. Fiori apps and the Engineering Control Center come alongside it rather than necessarily replacing it. We keep supporting the existing interface and advise which processes are best moved where.
What do I need the engineering folder and engineering record for?
Both bundle what belongs to a development or change initiative: the engineering folder (Konstruktionsmappe) collects the documents and objects of a development state, the engineering record drives the associated review and release process with status and action management. Instead of scattered individual objects you get one traceable case — with a clean transition into the engineering change service.
How do PLM and change management relate?
Inseparably: every product change affects BOMs, documents, production and procurement. That is why we look at the change process end-to-end — from request to where-used list. See our page on MOC & change management for more depth.
Does this match your project?
Talk directly to our consultants — no detours.