In their search for competitive advantage, European automotive manufacturers are turning increasingly to their key suppliers to take responsibility for the design, development and supply of components and subsystems. Improving the performance of the supply chain relies on effective and efficient communication and collaboration between all organisations, right down to tool and jig makers.
The project TEAM conducted a series of trials to demonstrate the benefits of on-screen collaborative working, using high speed networks, across the European automotive supply chain. Users came from major automotive manufacturers, component suppliers and SMEs such as design houses, jigs & fixtures suppliers and casting suppliers.
The experiments tested out an integrated suite of applications including audio/video, shared whiteboard, application sharing especially CAD, product library and decision support over high speed telecommunication networks. The trials involved real users in real production environments. They were based on the day-to-day transactions between manufacturers, suppliers and SMEs. User feedback, quality of service, cost-benefit analysis, and impact on organisations were key features of the trials.
The experimental platform integrated a variety of UNIX workstations and PCs, reflecting the equipment used by the various different types of players. The ATM backbone of the broadband network was connected to SMDS , ISDN, Ethernet and dial-up service providers to enable links to SME's as well as to main manufacturers. As managed ATM services were not available to all companies in all locations, ISDN was used in the UK to bring the technologies to SMEs working with 1st and 2nd tier suppliers. Also in the UK, Rover's Advanced Technology Centre at the University of Warwick was connected to the ATM Network of JAMES via Superjanet 34 Mbit/s SMDS services. The JAMES network in turn was linked to the CANET (Esprit) ATM network to reach Siemens Automotive in Toulouse France, a partner of the CANET project. In Italy Fiat CRF and Magneti Marelli were connected via the experimental ATM SIRIUS with an point to point 2Mbit/s link.
The TEAM applications were carefully chosen and integrated with a view to promoting concurrent engineering and information exchange over high speed telecommunication networks, in real time in the automotive sector. These include audio/video, shared whiteboard, application sharing especially large 3D surfaced & solid CAD models, product library and decision support. The product library is the 'electronic briefcase' which creates the right environment for collaborative sessions at geographically remote sites and helps to manage data in an efficient way. the decision support tool is aimed at capturing 'best practice' for future use and for getting the design right first time.
Following cost-benefit analysis, the TEAM multimedia applications and high speed networks were deployed in a business environment as regular production technologies. The user groups included jigs & fixtures suppliers, castings suppliers, standard components suppliers and design houses. The non-engineering areas of the automotive sector such as purchasing, and sales & marketing departments are also potential target groups.
The projects results were presented at two major workshops, one at Rovereto in 1996 one at Warwick in 1997. These were attended by a wide spectrum of players from the automotive industry. These workshops were supplemented by an extensive programme of demonstrations, 84 in all, to individual companies and at major trade events.
Following the end of the project, individual user companies have plans to implement part of the TEAM system into selected areas of their business in order to support remote working across the supply chain. In addition the telecoms and IT partners have plans to refine and market the library of applications developed during the project.