What is Unified Product Structure (UPS)?
The Unified Product Structure (UPS), also known as the Power’By data model, is a revised approach introduced by Dassault Systemes in 2018 to manage Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and Bill of Materials (BOM) data within the context of their ENOVIA and 3DEXPERIENCE Platform. Before 2018, CAD and BOM data were managed using the Designer Central (DEC) and Engineering Central data models.
With the introduction of the UPS data model, Dassault Systems aimed to provide a unified framework for managing CAD and BOM data that works seamlessly alongside CATIA 3DEXPERIENCE, their CAD software. This new model was developed to address integration challenges and streamline the management of design and engineering data within the platform. It signifies a shift from the previous data management approach and is intended to provide a more cohesive and integrated way to handle product design and associated information within the 3DEXPERIENCE ecosystem
Why are customers migrating to 3DEXPERIENCE UPS?
- Work more efficiently in a multi-CAD environment.
- Leverage other platform capabilities of the 3DEXPERIENCE platform like DELMIA and CATIA.
- Native management of CATIA V5, SolidWorks, and other X-CAD data.
- Make to utilize the functionalities of the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform without converting the legacy CAD data.
What are the benefits of a Unified Production Structure (UPS)?
1. Integration of CAD and BOM Data: The UPS data model aims to bridge the gap between CAD data and Bill of Materials (BOM) data by providing a unified framework to manage both aspects within the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. This integration eliminates the need for separate systems and processes for managing CAD and BOM data, resulting in increased efficiency and consistency.
2.Integrated Multi-CAD environment: MCAD and ECAD data can be associated easily in UPS. That makes easy collaboration between Physical Parts and Hi-Tech parts of the Product.
3. Simplified Change Management: The UPS data model streamlines change management processes by providing a single change management process that covers all types of objects, regardless of their origin.
4. End-to-End Associability: With UPS, CAD and BOM data from various sources can coexist within the same product structure. This allows downstream processes handled by applications like SIMULIA and DELMIA to consume and reference this data seamlessly.
5. Improved Top-Down Design: The UPS data model enables a more holistic approach to product design, allowing users to perform top-down design by connecting the engineering BOM (EBOM) and manufacturing BOM (MBOM). This integration enhances collaboration between engineering and manufacturing teams and reduces the gap between design and production
6. Digital Continuity: By enabling various CAD software and applications to work together seamlessly, the UPS data model ensures digital continuity throughout the product lifecycle. This means that data remains consistent and accessible across different stages of the product’s journey, from design to manufacturing to service.
Moving to 3DEXPERIENCE?
Migrating to 3DEXPERIENCE can offer several benefits for organizations involved in product development and collaborative innovation. It requires step by step approach to plan your adoption of 3DEXPERIENCE as a PLM platform.
Step By Step Guide – To Move to 3DEXPERIENCE
Migration to 3DEXPERIENCE to On-Premises or Cloud
Your organization’s unique needs and priorities determine whether you should choose an on-premise or cloud-based Dassault Systemes 3DEXPERIENCE Platform. Cloud Platforms provide flexibility, scalability, and easy collaboration, while On-Premises solutions provide greater control over your environment and data. When deciding which option is most suitable for your organization, you should consider factors such as infrastructure, security, cost, and accessibility. You will be able to select the most appropriate deployment option for your organization’s growth and achievement of your business goals if you understand the technical specifics of each deployment option.
Moving To 3DEXPERIENCE – Migration Elements
Transitioning to 3DEXPERIENCE hinges upon distinct scenarios, each requiring tailored considerations.
Scenario 1-3DEXPERIENCE PLM Implementation
If your organization is venturing into the implementation of a 3DEXPERIENCE PLM solution for the first time, meticulous planning is essential. This involves the comprehensive scope of the platform’s capabilities, aligning them with the below elements.
1.     Business Process
During the PLM implementation journey, your business processes are to be mapped to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. This is typically driven in the PLM implementation project through solution design, solution mapping, fit-gap analysis, and implementing different business rules and checks.
2.     Enterprise Application Integration
Enterprise Application Integration within a PLM implementation project involves seamlessly connecting various software systems used across an organization. It enables real-time data sharing, synchronization, and streamlined workflows between Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and other key applications. This integration optimizes information exchange, reduces data redundancies, and enhances cross-functional collaboration
3.      Infrastructure
Infrastructure in a PLM implementation project refers to the technological foundation required for successful deployment. This includes hardware, software, network configurations, and databases necessary to support the PLM system. Robust servers, sufficient storage capacity, and scalable cloud solutions are crucial. Software setup involves configuring operating systems, databases, and necessary tools.
4.     License & contracts
This involves procuring appropriate licenses from the software vendor, specifying usage terms, user access, and any associated costs. Contract negotiations define service levels, support, and potential customizations. Ensuring compliance with licensing terms guarantees smooth operation and updates.
5.     Security Rules
These rules encompass authentication mechanisms, role-based permissions, and data encryption. They ensure that only authorized personnel can access specific information, protecting intellectual property and maintaining compliance with industry regulations. Security rules also define user privileges, limiting actions to those relevant to their roles.
Scenario 2- Data MigrationÂ
For those already utilizing a different PLM system, the process entails data migration into the 3DEXPERIENCE environment. This transition demands a meticulous approach to ensure seamless and accurate data transfer. Let’s understand the vital components of this journey.
1.     Security Rules
These guidelines include authentication methods, permissions based on roles, and data encryption. They guarantee that solely authorized personnel can access particular information, safeguarding intellectual property and upholding industry regulations.
2.     Users
It involves transferring existing user accounts, profiles, and authentication details from the old system to the new platform. This process requires careful management of user data, including usernames, passwords, roles, and permissions. It involves mapping user profiles to corresponding roles and groups within 3DEXPERIENCE.
3.     Data
It involves transferring diverse data formats, including documents, 2D/3D CAD files, simulation data, bills of materials (BOMs), and metadata. This process requires understanding the specific data types, mapping them to the corresponding 3DEXPERIENCE data models, and converting formats if needed.
Data Migration Types
Typically, Data Migration can be classified into two categories
- Normal Data Migration –If you are migrating only non-CAD data like Documents, Requirements specifications, Metadata, Workflow Process Data, Customer-Supplier Information, Configuration Data, etc.
- UPS Data Migration – If you are migrating to Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and Bill of Materials (BOM). It provides a unified framework for managing CAD and BOM data that works seamlessly alongside CATIA 3DEXPERIENCE, their CAD software.
Keys to Successful Migration
UPS Data Migration – Key Steps
Data migration is a critical process that involves transferring data from one system to another, to ensure a successful UPS (Unified Product Structure) data migration, it’s essential to follow key process. Below are the key process to consider during UPS data migration:
Step-1: Migration Roadmap & Planning
Efficiently navigate your data migration journey with a well-structured roadmap and meticulous planning.
Step-2: Define Migration Boundaries
Clearly outline the objectives and reasons for data migration. Identify what data needs to be migrated and what should be excluded.
Step-3: Understand OOTB UPS
UPS’s behavior is considerably different than Designer Central behavior. It’s important to clearly understand the OOTB UPS capabilities and behavior to validate impact and changes to current way of working after UPS implementation.
Step-4: Define UPS Data Migration Strategy
It is important to select a Data Migration & Data Loading Approach that is appropriate for your company or data size with the help of key stakeholders. It might be-
Data Migration Approaches
The Big Bang data migration approach is a strategy where an organization migrates all its data from the existing system to the new system in a single, massive operation, typically performed over a short period. In this approach, the new system is implemented and fully replaced with the old system at a specific cutover date, without any coexistence or phased migration.
- Extract: Extract Data From the source systems to a staging database
- Transform: Map data to the target system format and fix data issues
- Load: import the complete staging database to the production system
- Define initial load and delta update for extraction to the staging database.
- Define initial load and delta update for import to new PLM.
Advantages of the Big Bang Data Migration Approach
- Simplicity: The Big Bang approach is straightforward and less complex to plan and execute compared to phased migration.
- Speed: As the migration is swift, it minimizes the time spent in transition, reducing costs associated with prolonged parallel operations.
- Lower Cost: With a shorter timeline, the costs of running both systems simultaneously are minimized.
Disadvantages Big Bang Data Migration Approach
- Risk and Impact: The high-risk factor involved in the Big Bang approach can lead to severe disruptions if any issues occur during or after the migration.
- Data Validation: Rigorous testing and validation of data must be done before migration to ensure data integrity and accuracy.
- Limited Rollback Options: Once the migration is complete, it is challenging to revert to the old system, making proper planning and testing crucial.
- User Training: Adequate training for end-users is vital to avoid confusion and resistance during the cutover.
- Data Volume: Large volumes of data can pose challenges during the migration process, leading to extended downtime.
The Big Bang data migration approach can be suitable for organizations with relatively simple and well-defined data structures, where the impact of downtime can be managed effectively. However, due to its high-risk nature, careful planning, thorough testing, and stakeholder buy-in are critical to its success.
The Incremental/Selective Migration Approach is a data migration strategy that involves migrating data in small increments or selectively based on specific criteria. Unlike the Big Bang approach, where all data is migrated at once, the incremental/selective approach allows organizations to migrate data gradually, focusing on specific data subsets or functionalities at a time.
- Define packages from dependencies to migrate.
- Export, map and import a small data package within the transaction.
- Define insert /update import strategy for new PLM.
Advantages of the Incremental/Selective Migration Approach:
- Reduced Disruption: Gradual migration minimizes disruptions to business operations, as only specific data subsets or functionalities are affected at a time.
- Risk Mitigation: Incremental migration allows for early detection and resolution of potential issues, reducing overall migration risks.
- Flexibility: The approach offers flexibility in choosing the order of data migration based on business priorities and requirements.
- User Adoption: Users can gradually adapt to the new system, leading to smoother user adoption and reduced resistance to change.
Disadvantages Incremental/Selective Migration Approach
- Complex Planning: The approach requires meticulous planning and coordination to ensure a seamless migration across multiple phases.
- Data Consistency: Ensuring data consistency and integrity between the old and new systems during the migration can be challenging.
- Extended Migration Timeline: The incremental approach may take longer to complete the migration compared to a Big Bang approach.
- Increased Complexity: Coordinating data subsets and functionalities between two systems may add complexity to the migration process.
The Incremental/Selective Migration Approach is particularly suitable for large-scale data migrations or when organizations have complex data structures and prefer a more cautious migration strategy. It allows organizations to manage risks effectively, maintain business continuity, and ensure a smooth transition to the new system.
The Coexistence data migration approach involves running both the old and new systems in parallel for a certain period. During this coexistence period, data is migrated gradually, allowing the organization to test the new system while still using the old system. It is a less disruptive approach compared to the Big Bang method, as it offers more time to validate data and resolve any issues that may arise during migration.
Advantages of the Coexistence Data Migration Approach
- Reduced Risk: Gradual migration and parallel operations allow for risk reduction, as any issues can be identified and addressed before complete migration.
- Business Continuity: As the old system remains operational during migration, business continuity is ensured, minimizing disruptions to daily operations.
- User Familiarity: Users can gradually adapt to the new system, reducing resistance to change and easing the learning curve.
- Fallback Option: In case of unexpected problems with the new system, the organization can fall back to the old system without major disruption.
Disadvantages Coexistence Data Migration Approach
- Complexity: Coordinating and synchronizing data between the old and new systems can be complex and require careful planning.
- Cost: Operating two systems in parallel during the coexistence period may incur higher costs.
- Data Integrity: Ensuring data consistency and integrity between the two systems throughout the coexistence period can be challenging.
- Extended Transition: The migration process may take longer due to the phased approach.
The Coexistence Approach is often preferred when organizations have complex data structures, and the risks associated with a Big Bang migration are considered too high. It allows for a more controlled migration process, with reduced downtime and potential business disruptions. However, proper planning, testing, and data synchronization are essential to ensure a successful coexistence migration.
Data Loading Strategy
Data loading to your target system is a complex and lengthy process. Many times large structures fail to load after 4 hours of processing. It is eventually extending Dry Run cycle time exponentially. There are multiple approaches to loading the data at different stages of the Data Migration Project. It’s explained below in more detail.
Top-Down Approach :
In this approach, complete assemblies and related data will be migrated together, usually, customers identify key projects to migrate first and define the sequence of assemblies to load.
So, in Go-Live weekend all live projects migrated and later other non-live project assemblies migrated step by step.
This approach is suitable when you have not big assembly structures and your data under assemblies are not so common or shared.
Bottom-Up Approach:Â
In this approach, first, all leaf nodes (Usually CAD Parts) will be migrated first, and then assemblies based on the level of structure underneath will be migrated. For example, Assemblies with 4-level structure loads first and then 8-level structure assemblies, and so on.
The benefit of this approach is that already loaded data can be used as a reference and it will reduce loading time. In case of any CAD data error, it’s easy to identify.
Step-5:Identify License & Hardware Needs
It is important to Budget Hardware and Software requirement
1. Infrastructure
• Development, Testing, and production of migration servers
• Multiple CAD Clients
2. Licenses
• Migration tools, including PLM connector.
• PLM License (For Export and Import Processes)
• CAD Licenses
• CAD toolkits for access to file-based attributes if any
Step-6: Select RIGHT Tools
Choosing the appropriate ETL tool for data migration is crucial to ensure a smooth and efficient migration process. Oftentimes, customers begin with point solution scripts, which is not the correct approach for data migration, whether it involves developing a data migration script or a framework. Development must be planned with the bigger picture in mind. This encompasses finding an efficient way to extract and store data accurately. The solution should also be scalable to accommodate future mapping changes. It should possess the capability to scale the migration process through multi-threaded applications or multiple servers.
Furthermore, it should be capable of data validation, pinpoint corrections, controlling the start and stop of migration processes, rectifying failed cases, analyzing field data, identifying unique problems, and more. Therefore, initiating the migration journey with the right ETL tool stands as one of the most pivotal aspects.
Step-7: Select the RIGHT Team
To manage complex & typical data migration projects, you need to handle a large amount of data, a complex infrastructure, and multiple systems, identify unique failed scenarios, and identify the impact of wrong steps. In order to manage these tasks, you need to have the right team of people who are familiar with the data migration process & tools. The team include
- Infrastructure Experts
- Database Administrator (DBA)
- Migration Script or Tool Development Team
- Data Migration Process Expert
- PLM Architecture
- Data Migration Manager
Data Migration Checklist( EXTRACT)
Prior to commencing the migration process, organizations ought to establish precise objectives, evaluate the quality and interdependencies of the source data, and undertake essential data cleansing. The following represents an EXTRACT from the data migration readiness checklist. Should you desire more comprehensive information, please don’t hesitate to Get In Touch with us for a more detailed discussion.
For Legacy PLM
✅What are the required data that needs to be extracted?
✅What are Version/Iteration Requirements?
✅Just the Latest Released Revisions to migrate or all Revisions and versions?
✅Do we need History to migrate?
✅What other data is to be migrated? like Tasks, Project, Folder, Workflow, Users, Roles, etc.?
✅What data we don’t want in the new System?
For New PLM
✅Define what is needed to be Implemented in your new PLM System.
✅Is All CAD Data Required or maybe just the most active products/programs CAD Data? E.g. 20 product structures.
✅Do you have an alternative archiving strategy for non-migrated legacy data?
Stakeholder Alignment
✅Are All stakeholders aligned that they agree with the stated requirements and implantation plan?
Conclusion
Migrating to UPS or a Unified Product Structure is essential for all Dassault customers & That’s the future. This will make it possible for you to use all the different Dassault Systemes brands and products from a single platform. In order to migrate UPS data correctly, you must understand the right strategy for UPS implementation and the right tools for UPS migration. AÂ 2- 3 weeks UPS migration assessment or consultation could be your starting point before embarking on your journey.
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