Today’s business environment rewards innovation, price, and responsiveness. As a result, manufacturers need to efficiently bring more new products to market, and improve existing production processes to reduce throughput time and cost. Digital Manufacturing tools provide virtual models to help speed and optimize the production system’s mechanical design, layout, throughput, physical behaviors, and interaction with humans. However, few tools have been available for integrated virtual modeling of the production system’s automation and controls, causing engineering of these systems and commissioning production systems to remain a bottleneck.

Information is a quintessential part of every Asset Lifecycle Management (ALM) process. Asset portfolio managers need information about future customer needs and the status of existing assets to evaluate and refine capital project proposals. Project teams need analysis and design information at progressively refined levels to select the right solutions and to coordinate many different project activities. They also need timely feedback on all activities to keep expenditures and schedules on track. Operating and maintenance personnel need information about the equipment to optimize its use and availability and information about quality and resource consumption to maximize the return on assets.