Diversification is a popular word these days. It contrasts with standard, which does not inspire the memorable experience we seek from our products. “To buy or not to buy”, that is definitely the question. We consumers want to buy products that provide us with the most delightful experiences. This is one of the reasons brands constantly seek ways to satisfy our quest for uniqueness. Why have what everyone else has when we can choose something unique? Unique feature, unique design, favorite color. The reality is that demand for diversity is on the upswing.

But wait a minute. How many product variants do Industrial Equipment (IE) companies have to manage without sacrificing margin and ultimately their longevity? Just how many types of products do they have to produce to satisfy different customer preferences? These are complicated questions for companies still struggling with an Engineered To Order (ETO) approach that has them spending too many hours developing individual products. It is simply not sustainable.

There are, however, companies that have recognized the need to switch gears, from an Engineered To Order approach to a Configured To Order (CTO) philosophy. And they are doing this by embracing modularity. You will want to read the interview of Alex von Yxkull, president and CEO of Modular Management, and Johan Källgren, partner, from our first issue of Compass magazine, to understand the challenges and rewards of modularization.  If you prefer a live explanation, check out the video below in which Colin de Kwant, a consultant from Modular Management explains that in a world in which we want it all, customization forces manufacturers to address two conflicting objectives – simplify complexity and amplify variety. The companies with an ETO approach risk failing to deliver.

How to switch from ETO to CTO? Watch this:

Modularity is the answer for IE companies that are looking for ways to ensure that product assortment meets customer requirements without inflating the number of managed parts. By reorganizing and rethinking the way products are developed and using common and interchangeable modules with predefined variants, modularity can pave the way to more innovation and timely delivery. 3DEXPERIENCE’s Simple Solution Selection helps IE companies diversify their product offering while minimizing the cost of complexity.

Keep your ears open; you haven’t heard the last of modularity…

Wow. If you saw our news earlier today, we had two major announcements:

1. The first one is about our acquisition of Gemcom Software, the world leader in geological modeling and simulation for the mining industry.
2. The second is the launch of our latest Brand dubbed GEOVIA. GEOVIA will be dedicated to the virtualization and simulation of nature. In other words, while you know CATIA as the Brand for “Virtual Product”, GEOVIA will be the Brand for “Virtual Planet”. Gemcom Software is, in fact, the first step towards this new endeavor.

We will have plenty of opportunities to further discuss about GEOVIA on this blog, but first things first, we’d like to wish a warm welcome to the 360 employees of Gemcom Software! 

If you’re curious about Gemcom, you will want to listen to CEO Rick Moignard, talking about the company, its products, and how he sees fit with Dassault Systèmes’ 3D Experience platform. As I had the chance to talk with Rick recently, I really can tell how he is thrilled by the expanding capabilities in workforce safety and sustainability brought by the combination of our respective pieces of software.

To learn more about Gemcom and its products, you will also want to check this out:

Last but not least, if you’d like to follow Gemcom Software on social networks, here are direct links:

• Gemcom Software Mining Blog
• Gemcom Software Facebook Page
• @GemcomEMENA (Europe, Middle East and North Africa) on twitter
• Gemcom Software on LinkedIn

What do you think about this new milestone towards virtualization of Nature? What would you like to discuss more about? Please feel free to leave a comment.

Remember Big Frog, the French Challenge at the Reno National Air Races?

The Reno National Air Races are the fastest races in the world. Aircrafts compete in breathtaking races 50 ft above the ground, driven by the famous motto: “Go fast, fly low, turn left!”

An american specialty, the only foreign victory ever was French: Michel Detroyat way back in 1936 on a Caudron with a Renault engine.

Big Frog wanted to follow Detroyat’s track, with an extra-challenge: use a diesel-cycle engine!

A candidate of choice for the Passion for Innovation Program, which welcomed the Team, providing them with CATIA, SIMULIA and Dassault Systèmes experts’ support. Read the full story here.

For their first participation in Reno this year, the Team established on wednesday a whole set of World Premières :

- first diesel-powered racer designed and simulated on computer (with our CATIA and SIMULIA solutions)

- first diesel-powered aircraft to succed in qualifying at the Reno National Air Races

- and above all, first diesel-powered aircraft victory and in his first race!

This first victory rewards the skills, involvement and passion of the whole Team and the excellence of French technologies, including our 3D design and simulation solutions, the SMA innovative diesel-cycle aero-engine and the perfect intergration of all those elements in the NXT airframe thanks to the Passion for Innovation Program.

Last but not least, congratulations to the pilot, French Air Force Captain Christophe Delbos. Usually a Mirage 2000 fighter pilot, “Bobos” (his official pilot nickname) made a perfect race. Diving on the first pylon like an eagle, he grabbed the race first position right from the start and kept it during the race six laps! According to him, the aircraft went quite well, allowing him to fully concentrate on clean trajectories until he heard the “Race finished” announcement in his helmet.

Once a curiosity after his qualification, Big Frog is now one of the stars of those 2011 Reno Air Races. No doubt Michel Detroyat would be proud of his successors.

Gentlemen, you have a victory! May it be the first one of a long collection!

Keep 3D-ing,
Rich