It’s Easy to Migrate to the Cloud

Cloud solutions simplify virtually every aspect of how businesses and consumers access information and collaborate today.

Leverage the Cloud to Speed Product Launches

Companies that design, produce, and deliver sophisticated products must ensure that their dispersed teams are always on the same page. To speed new product development and introduction (NPDI), they need a single source of product truth for internal teams and external supply chain partners to connect anytime and anywhere.

Cloud-native product lifecycle management (PLM) and quality management system (QMS) solutions aggregate the entire product record in a centralized platform, so teams can collaborate efficiently on requirements, bills of materials (BOMs), quality issues, regulatory compliance, and other product development activities.

Unlike traditional on-premises PLM and QMS solutions, cloud-native platforms are easy to set up and maintain since they don’t require IT overhead or custom coding. Robust security measures protect sensitive information while ensuring adherence to various export controls and cybersecurity regulations. Additionally, cloud-native systems grow along with your business needs.

All things considered, cloud migration improves security, scalability, and operational efficiency, making it a wise strategic choice for companies looking to speed product launches.

Migrating Legacy Data Has Never Been Easier

When product companies consider transitioning PLM functions from on-premises, document-centric, or siloed systems, they are concerned about the time and cost of implementing a new platform. Data migration can prolong the implementation process and incur additional expenses depending on the state of your legacy product information.

However, thanks to advances in cloud technology and integration approaches, migrating product and quality information is more straightforward than ever.

Follow these three steps to successfully migrate your existing information to Cloud PLM or QMS.

1. Determine Information Types

Identify what types of information you will need to migrate to your new PLM or QMS software solution. This typically includes the following:

• Item Master (Part Records):
  • Electrical components
  • Mechanical parts
  • Software, firmware, and sensors
  • Documentation
• Bills of Materials (BOMs):
  • Top-level finished goods (FG) assemblies
  • All subassemblies (both purchased or manufactured)
• Approved Manufacturers and Vendors (i.e., AML, AVL):
  • Manufacturer and part number (who makes the item or assembly)
  • Vendor and part number (who supplies the purchased item or assembly)
• Supporting Files:
  • Specifications
  • Engineering drawings
  • Mechanical CAD files (e.g., 2D, 3D models)
  • Electrical CAD files (e.g., printed circuit board assemblies, circuit diagrams)

Once you’ve identified the types of information you want to migrate, consider which product information sets should be passed to the new PLM or QMS solution. Typically, the answer depends on your company’s size, the number of products, and the rollout strategy (big bang or phased). Also, decide whether you need to migrate obsolete product information.

If you plan to migrate only a subset of products to begin, determine a filtering method to select only the desired products and related information.

2. Identify Information Sources

Assess where your current product information (item master, BOMs, AVLs/AMLs, etc.) resides. Sources may include:

• On-premises PLM
• Enterprise resource planning (ERP) system
• Custom/homegrown databases
• Spreadsheets
• Supporting file locations, including locally hosted servers or cloud storage solutions
• Supply chain partners

3. Extract Information

After identifying all your data sources, extract the relevant information. If you rely on design partners, suppliers, or contract manufacturers to manage your detailed product information, request data exports from them. This is an excellent time to review your records for accuracy and relevancy, focusing on the data necessary to build and support your products.

You have options when importing product information into your new PLM or QMS system. For a limited data set, use import tools that check your data as it is imported. For more complex data sets, work with the vendor’s implementation team (e.g., Arena solution architects), who have data migration and business process expertise to ensure you follow a successful migration and go-live strategy.

Looking Beyond Data Migration: Choosing the Right PLM/QMS Vendor

Aside from seamless data migration, partnering with the right vendor is key to a successful PLM/QMS implementation. When evaluating different PLM/QMS vendors, carefully assess the upfront cost of purchasing or subscribing to their solution and the cost of configuring and maintaining the system to meet your business needs. Cloud-native Arena includes extensive data migration, system configuration, and PLM/QMS implementation services—all available at a fixed price without any unexpected expenses down the line. The Arena team has decades of experience transitioning customers from on-premises and legacy systems like Oracle Agile, Siemens Teamcenter, Dassault Enovia, Propel, and Duro. Furthermore, they guide you at every stage of your PLM/QMS journey—from data migration to implementation and beyond.

Check out our customer experience page and customer success stories to learn why more than 1,400 global companies rely on Arena.