In Late 2010, Daimler Mercedes, a large automotive OEM, announced that it would be switching CAD software from  Dassault Systèmes CATIA to Siemens PLM’s NX. Daimler chose to switch systems to NX mainly because of the compatibility issues between CAD and PDM software as well as the incompatibility of SMARGARD, Daimler’s proprietary data base, and CATIA V6.  

 

For Daimler, the migration to NX, initiated in 2011, was quite natural as it was no longer profitable for the company to continuously update CATIA. So far, the migration to NX has been moving forward smoothly and efficiently, reaching its critical phase dubbed “PLM 2015”. By then, Daimler hopes to finish updating its cars and vans, and by 2016 its trucks and buses.  As it stands now, 2,000 of the 6,000 Daimler employees affected by this change have undergone new training, and the rest are to finish in 2014.

While the switch may have benefited the efficiency of Daimler, it caused extreme damage to the reputation and revenue of Dassult, which lost the opportunity to install 6,000 new licenses for CATIA. One of the most important markets for PLM software is the German automotive industry, which is headed by companies such as Daimler. By switching to NX, Daimler Mercedes may have created a ripple effect in the automotive industry, causing many other companies to follow its lead. Dassult and other PLM supply chain manufacturers will need to change quickly or lose millions.

Daimler has signed a ten year agreement with Siemens, and plans to stay with them in the long term. It seems that Siemens is growing even stronger in the world of German automation with its PLM software as well as NX currently employed at Daimler. The future is looking bright as ever!

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