License Optimization for CAD / CAE / Simulation / EDA / Math / PLM software.
Throughout my career in digital development technologies, I have often been asked: “How can we get a KPI on the success of our PLM delivery program?” I have also been involved in conversations with VP’s or C-Suite asking exactly the same question, but for CAD, Simulation software or EDA upgrades and transitions.
Delivery managers will use the data that is at hand for KPI reports:
- The progress of users being trained for the new engineering software, with weekly totals.
- How many new workstations or virtual workstations have been rolled-out.
- Tracking the number of concurrent users on a system.
- Measuring the number (or speed) of new parts being ‘released’ in a new CAD or PLM system
- Reports from department managers claiming success.
All of these measures can be a great way of building up a picture of adoption and success, I have used them myself for reporting up the management chain and I am sure many readers of this article have too.
But there is one important method I did not list above, a method that I have found to be the most accurate and successful, and that is:
Tracking adoption by license usage.
By reporting on the license usage per user, department or division can provide a very granular and accurate indicator of success.
Imagine you were running a project to move from one simulation software to another, let’s say MSC to Ansys. You could provide two charts to your management team, one showing the reduction in MSC license use and the other showing the increase in Ansys license usage. Reduction in legacy licenses is an important KPI, as I have known many new users adopting new tools, who after a few weeks fall back to doing their work on the legacy toolset as they are familiar and quicker with it.
Using a license management and analysis platform like LAMUM from TeamEDA, also allows you to track users down to the license feature.
Imagine you have rolled out Teamcenter or 3Dxperience, you could use LAMUM to investigate whether all of the configuration management team are using the tool and how long for per day, by looking at the Change Management license increment use. If the usage was not as expected, there may be some additional training issues required, a scenario that traditionally may not surface through requests until several weeks later.
Reporting by department can also identify successful groups, prompting a conversation to see how they have managed their communication and key users for their area. If they have found a formula that works, it could be something to replicate across other teams for faster success?
In summary, one of the most effective methods for showing a KPI for project success is via the tracking and analysis of license usage. It is a method that is not open to interpretation and shows a clear story of success.
See original post by Paul Empringham, European Sales Director here.