CoCreate Backgrounder

On Nov. 1, 1996, HP converted its Mechanical Design Division to a wholly owned software subsidiary company named CoCreate, a company dedicated to providing the high-quality software solutions for mechanical design and product-data- management that enable what the new subsidiary calls "co-creation." CoCreate Software will supply customers, including HP, with products developed and marketed globally under its own brand and identity.

The Concept of Co-creation

Quality, cost and time to market have long been critical factors for virtually all companies competing in the market. Today, however, these factors are taking on a new dimension as companies are forced to change not what they do, but how they do it. Why? Because, today, virtually every customer need imaginable can be served by many different products, which means that only those products with superior product value will succeed.

Companies must not only innovate, but innovate more regularly -- taking the luck out of product generation and building in reliable, reproducible processes. Companies must shift from creating products competitively to creating competitive products competitively. Product-generation tools must foster an inclusive product-generation and services environment. This environment must be able to incorporate expertise and knowledge from various sources in a direct form and encourage exploration and evolution of a myriad of ideas -- all without sacrificing time to market, cost and product quality.

This is the process of co-creation. It's more than data sharing: It's shared minds and space, a common platform that's understood by all, utilizing a common language that leaves little room for misinterpretation.

It is CoCreate's goal to create a product-generation environment that leverages talent and know-how across time and distance by letting engineers -- and even suppliers and customers -- easily and dynamically modify designs, share information and explore new ideas while managing all of the interactions.

Fundamental Technologies

CoCreate has taken the lead in the creation of this new product-generation environment. It already has developed a number of its key components, including the following:

• technologies such as dynamic modeling for creating and modifying designs irrespective of the design history, thereby making modifying and contributing to product design substantially easier;
• dynamic conferencing for continuous communication, allowing contributors to work simultaneously in the same virtual world;
• tools that allow team members to browse and simultaneously access all relevant product-model information, regardless of its location or stage of the product-development process;
• workflow and product-data-management solutions that work across the entire life cycle of a product, to coordinate and manage the formal and informal phases in the co-creation process;
• prepackaged know-how in the form of advisors, allowing all design members access to specialized knowledge and expertise; and
• open interfaces for integrating leading solutions from CoCreate's business partners.

Focused on Co-creation Solutions

HP is known as a leading global manufacturer of computing, communications and measurement products and services. CoCreate will benefit from adopting a separate identity and brand since it intends to become known as a leading global developer of software products exclusively and known for its excellence in quality software solutions for the mechanical-design and product-data-management requirements of a co-creative product-generation environment.

With its structure finely tuned to the needs of a software provider, CoCreate will be able to adapt quickly to the demands of the application software market. The focus of R&D processes will be solely to deliver software products. Multiplatform support will be achieved more quickly, and profits will be directed more effectively to what matters most for a leading-edge software company -- research and development for new products.

CoCreate -- Best of Both Worlds

CoCreate sees its transition from an HP division as a way to create "the best of both worlds." Customers' rapidly changing needs now will be met by a dedicated software provider structured to focus on their business requirements and aligned with the strength, global reach and high-quality support of one of the world's leading computer companies, HP. In this way, CoCreate will be able to meet marketplace needs with the agility of a dedicated operation.

CoCreate and HP executive management see CoCreate as a long-term investment; HP's own product-development teams will now depend on the ability of CoCreate, just as they have depended on the Mechanical Design Division in the past.

Headquarters and Sales Teams

CoCreate will have its European Headquarters in Sindelfingen, Germany and its North American Headquarters in Fort Collins, Colo. Sales-force activities will continue in more than 20 countries worldwide through existing relationships with more than 300 resellers, complemented by CoCreate's own direct sales force.

CoCreate's Structure Prior to the Conversion

Before Nov. 1, HP's 2-D and 3-D design, drafting and documentation systems and product-data-management solutions were developed and marketed through HP's Mechanical Design Division, which was established in 1985.

These design systems guide the entire product-development process, from design through manufacturing. They help customers develop better products faster and help them gain the competitive edge needed to succeed in a highly competitive economy. These systems integrate software and services across multiple platforms and, like all HP products, adhere to the highest industry standards and quality levels.

HP -- One of CoCreate's Key Customers

HP has more than 3,500 users of CoCreate's MCAD products, 3,000 users of its product-data-management products in all HP product divisions and thousands more accessing the product-data-management software via the Web. HP has combined CoCreate's products with re-engineering activities to build one of the leading MCAD development environments in the world. Almost 75 percent of HP's new designs are being done in solid modeling, removing 2-D documentation from the critical development path, sharing design data in teams over electronic media and integrating a variety of complementary design applications and paperless prototyping. Results have included a significant reduction in product-development time and significant improvements in product quality. MDD, as a division of HP, and HP's Corporate Engineering Department partnered to develop innovative product implementations -- for example, SheetAdvisor -- and spearheaded co-creation in product-generation processes and product development.

Development Centers

CoCreate has development centers in Europe and in the United States. MCAD product development is based in Sindelfingen, Germany and product-data-management development is centered in Fort Collins.

Installed Base

CoCreate's existing installed customer base includes more than 90,000 seats -- excluding HP -- many of which are equipped with more than one of the CoCreate software solutions.

Channel Success

CoCreate has been successful in selling through a combination of indirect and direct channels. The CoCreate resellers are experienced partners that deliver quality solutions and support to their customers.

Market Position

According to a 1996 International Data Corporation ranking of mechanical CAD software vendors, HP [CoCreate] holds the No. 6 market position worldwide. For the same period, an International Data Corporation ranking of product-data-management software vendors that are also MCAD/CAE/CAM vendors, HP [CoCreate] holds the No. 3 market position worldwide. In a 1996 CIMdata ranking of product-data-management and enterprise-data-management vendors, HP [CoCreate] holds the No. 6 market position worldwide.

Target Market

The core technology focus of CoCreate is 2-D design, 3-D solid modeling and product-data-management. The strategy is to understand and address the needs of mechanical designers in the electronic, electrical equipment- and industrial-machinery industries. It is in these industries that breakthroughs in product value can be generated by integrating the mechanical and electronic portions of the design process. These highly competitive markets require constant innovation. They represent a broad range of product types: photographic equipment, medical instruments, navigation equipment, electronic components, computers and office equipment, industrial controls, electronic-wiring equipment, relays, electric distribution, fabricated metals, and industrial and commercial machinery. The goal is to deliver solutions that address all of the key design requirements of these target customers.

Product Overview

To meet this goal, CoCreate provides a complete product-modeling environment. The decentralized approach of CoCreate systems enables all product-development groups -- including sketching, design, simulation, prototyping, technical documentation, testing and manufacturing -- to work co-creatively as an efficient and effective heterogeneous team. Unlike more traditional product-modeling environments that rigidly divide specific tasks into separate departments, CoCreate's products unify tasks and intelligently guide the user, enabling a designer to make modifications -- including changes required by manufacturing or ideas from other sources of knowledge -- early on in the design process. With these data-management and workflow capabilities, information can be accessed throughout the organization as needed.

SolidDesigner

The solid-modeling system features the following:

• the ease of use previously experienced only on 2-D systems
  • key features: efficient user interface, engineering-specific commands.
    
  • key benefit: lower training cost, increased productivity.
• dynamic modeling technology
  • key features: non-history-based design technology (dynamic modeling), standards-based (ACIS and STEP).
    
  • key benefit: offers the designer the freedom to modify easily, share and reuse data at any time in the design process without being forced into a rigid process by underlying system rules and data-creation history.
• open solutions, integrating into existing environments
  • key features: standards-based (IGES, ACIS (SAT), STEP) and dynamic-modeling technology.
  • key benefit: integration with existing environments or customized environment possible; coexistence with other design systems.
• specific link to a solution for sheet-metal design
  • key features: knowledge-based system offering manufacturing, cost and material information at the design stage.
  • key benefit: enables designing for manufacturability, reducing cost and time for design modifications by avoiding design errors at the earliest stage.
• ME-EE link for integrated design
  • key features: integrated PCB data link to Mentor graphics provides direct data transfer between Mentor Graphics Board Station software and SolidDesigner. PCB layout data and components, as well as supporting information, such as the board outline, keep-out and height-restriction areas, component shapes and locations, can be defined in SolidDesigner and exchanged between the systems in both. Imported PCB layout data and the components are used to generate solid models and can be automatically assembled to a solid PCB within SolidDesigner. This allows visualization of the electrical and mechanical components, and enables designers to perform collision checks with fit analysis. A full library of standard Mentor Graphics components is provided with the link, eliminating time-consuming creation of these components.
  • key benefit: PCB data link enables integration of mechanical and electrical product development. Products with both mechanical and electrical components can be designed and developed concurrently, and the task of interpreting and re-entering information for product development is eliminated. Time-consuming iteration loops are eliminated.

3-D Viewing, Annotation and Conferencing

• New modules that work with the enhanced Solid Designer software
  • key features: lets engineers work simultaneously in the same virtual world across time and distance through video conferencing.
  • key benefit: next-generation product-development environment that will enable engineers to work co-creatively across time and distance. Engineers can easily and dynamically modify designs, share information and explore new ideas while staying focused on the critical business issues of quality, cost and time-to-market.

ME10 Designer

• a 2-D design, drafting and documentation tool
  • key features: advisory components such as context-sensitive cursor, dimension-driven modifications, associative data structure, automated drawing-revision control, dimension-advisor capabilities.
  • key benefits: optimized design processes for process, reduction in design time and better-quality design.
  • key feature: mature products in the market for almost 10 years.
  • key benefit: proven technology.
  • key features: efficient user interface, engineering terminology.
  • key benefits: lower training cost, faster ramp to full productivity.
  • key feature: specific mechanical-design focus, for example, parts concept to model assemblies.
  • key benefit: fast and efficient mechanical product design.

WorkManager

A proven state-of-the-art product-data (PDM) and integrated workflow-management system, providing the following:

• Data management
  • key features: supports the entire product lifecycle by providing a single, logical repository for all data. For example, it maintains a complete product-data description, including revisions of and relationships between data of different origin, format and purpose. Powerful search, query and retrieval capabilities speed access to information.
  • key benefit: can improve productivity, quality and reduce costs by ensuring that everyone can access the most up-to-date product information, at the right time, in the right place and in the right format, regardless of location.
• Graphical workflow management
  • key features: workflow system automates and manages small to enterprisewide processes with diverse environments. Its flexibility enables it to handle both unstructured or highly formal processes, as well as combinations of the two. It provides the following:
    • graphical process creation;
    • graphical process status monitoring and intervention;
    • powerful process flow control; and
    • control over process data as well as process flow.
  • key benefits: flexibility makes it possible for WorkManager's workflow to provide process-management benefits for the full product lifecycle, from design through production. Workflow users obtain benefits in these areas:
    • improved process visibility and repeatability;
    • improved coordination among all process participants; and
    • access to process statistics to make better management decisions.
• Unsurpassed flexible and customizable environment
  • key features: highly tailorable, enabling organizations to personalize the system for their needs. WorkManager's multiplatform support provides interoperability across heterogeneous systems and networks. WorkManager's powerful macro language provides an easy method for customers and systems integrators to build custom solutions, integrate new applications and augment the standard system with special capabilities, such as corporate business rules.
  • key benefit: increases productivity of endusers. It ensures that WorkManager will fit into any pre-existing environment.
• Integrated solution environment
  • key features: full power of WorkManager is focused to provide a common environment for all design-oriented applications. WorkManager for Workgroups takes the power of WorkManager and expands it to produce a workgroup-oriented system. This system tightly integrates the 2-D drafting and documentation software ME10, and SolidDesigner by supplying strong document management and bill-of-materials and classification capabilities.
  • key benefits: delivers a ready-to-use solution that significantly shortens implementation time and provides a consistent user environment for all application integrations.

SheetAdvisor

• Dedicated solid-modeling design solution for sheet-metal parts
  • key features: dedicated sheet-metal commands, such as hems, lips and offsets, for rapid creation of sheet metal. Automatic creation of bend and corner reliefs.
  • key benefits: great time savings and helps avoid errors.
• Design-for-manufacturability checks at design stage
  • key features: design guidance and checks at the initial design stage, warning designers of manufacturing rule violations in the design (for example, punch holes that will be deformed during the bending process).
  • key benefits: significant increase in ready-to-manufacture products with reduced design-correction cycles and reduced cost.
• On-line cost estimation
  • key features: considers material type; surface finish; setup and run times; and the number of tool changes, bends and punch/stamp operations.
  • key benefit: provides engineers with instant comparative costing. This enables them to make cost-conscious decisions on design variations at the design stage.
• Complete manufacturing information
  • key features: accurate 3-D solid model of the sheet-metal part, complete with all information necessary to calculate a flat bank to exact dimensions, is available in seconds. All relevant manufacturing information, such as bending information and tools used, is attached and considered in the flat.
  • key benefit: production can work directly from the flat and can start programming the numerical-control tool path immediately. This speeds the design cycle significantly.

DDS-C

A complete and open CAD solution for electromechanical design and engineering in machinery and plant design.

• Circuit-diagram design with on-line advisors to avoid short circuits
  • provides complete design documentation, on-line cross-referencing, is customizable and supports standards and interfaces. Product solution is supported on all major hardware platforms and comes with a predefined component and symbol library.
• Cabinet layout that leverages design data from circuit diagram to eliminate errors within the engineering process
  • provides automatic placement of components and routing of cables according to DfM rules, on-line checks for placement and routing and wiring, leverages design information between ME10 and DDS-C (for example, front-panel design), calculation of cable length and interfaces to cable-processing machines.
• Add-on modules for PLC programming, design configuration
  • key benefits: fast and complete generation of designs with improved quality. The common database and sharing of design information enable a multiuser (concurrent engineering) environment for electromechanical-design tasks. DfM reduces the number of prototypes and ensures high quality even within the first design cycle. Openness gives the customer the ability to integrate DDS-C into existing environments (for example, MRP), while all design information can be used across all subsidiaries for product development, manufacturing and maintenance.

Openess and Standards

CoCreate's product strategy is to provide an open and flexible environment that permits integration into and coexistence with existing design environments -- as well as with complementary applications -- and enables re-use of design data. All of the product implementations demonstrate a strong commitment to industry standards such as STEP, IGES, DXF and SAT.

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