Today’s engineering workflows have undergone tremendous changes, and the new digital engineering processes have transformed the dimensions of time and space within which products expected to be developed. Current market conditions do not allow companies to do business as usual—if they want to prosper, there is a gripping need to embrace digital engineering and cloud-based engineering processes. The recent pandemic seemed to jumpstart the transition to cloud-based platforms for one’s engineering needs, driving companies to seek collaborative solutions available anytime and anywhere to employees working remotely. But making the transition from on-premises systems to cloud-based platforms is not as simple as flipping a switch. A successful transition requires careful planning and collaboration with the right vendor.

But what are the key considerations when selecting a cloud vendor and engaging with a systems integrator for a smooth and efficient implementation process?

1. Implementation and Customer Support: Look for a vendor with a seasoned implementation team and a strong customer support system to ensure that you have expert assistance during the migration and reliable support throughout your cloud journey. Noesis Solutions prides itself for their impeccable support to our customer partners – we customize our products and solutions based on their needs and work closely together to solve their engineering problems.
2. Vendor's Software Commitment: Assess the vendor's track record in standing behind their software solutions. A reliable vendor will continuously improve their cloud offerings, ensuring compatibility with evolving business needs and technological advancements. At Noesis Solutions, we consistently update our products and solutions based on the industry trends and customer needs, apart from working closely with our clients to customize our products for them.
3. Clear Cloud Direction: Noesis Solutions’ products have a clear roadmap for our cloud services. This ensures alignment with our users’ long-term goals and our commitment to cloud technology.

Therefore, to build a successful cloud strategy for your engineering processes, it requires a partnership between the customer and the partner. The customer should bring a solid understanding of their business requirements and a clear internal alignment with the cloud strategy, while the partner comes with cloud expertise so that companies can leverage the their knowledge and successfully walk towards their engineering and business goals.

The next step to successfully transition to cloud is to develop a strategy for roadmap development and risk assessment – The chosen partner will be able to assist in developing a roadmap, assessing your company's readiness, and identifying potential risks and challenges. Having an open cloud platform will enable seamless integration with other critical processes of engineering designs such as process engines, modelling tools and, analytics & data-visualization tools, ensuring smooth data flow and streamlined workflows.

Migrating data from legacy on-premises systems to the new cloud-based platform is a crucial process and the companies along with their partners must ensure data integrity and system validation. Once the migration is complete, the companies then must evaluate the changes and prepare your teams accordingly. Conduct a comprehensive audit of processes and tools affected by the migration, and provide necessary training to minimize confusion and ensure a smooth transition.

Conclusion:

A successful transition to a cloud-based platform requires careful consideration of vendors, engagement with the right systems integrator, and a strategic partnership between the customer and the PLM vendor. By following best practices and leveraging external expertise, companies can navigate the cloud transition effectively, optimize their processes, and unlock the full potential.