Nissan Chooses SDRC for PDM Solutions
Nissan Motor Company has selected Structural Dynamics Research Corporation (Milford, OH) to provide design automation and enterprise product data management (PDM) solutions. The agreement, a multi-year, worldwide collaboration worth an estimated $100 million, expands upon a previous agreement signed in March 1995. SDRC will provide its I-DEAS Master Series design automation software for digital vehicle creation, and Metaphase Enterprise PDM software to distribute product data across Nissan's global virtual company. The two companies will also establish a program center at Nissan's Technical Center in Atsugi-city, Japan, that will provide training, best methods development, integration of proprietary Nissan applications, and support of the virtual Nissan enterprise. Joji Masuda, General Manager of Nissan's Engineering Systems Department, says that the system will allow Nissan to take advantage of its know-how, process knowledge, and global resources. "The business process innovation in the global Nissan operation will improve product quality, reduce cost and shorten time to market, and this is a driving force to improve overall productivity dramatically," she said. SDRC's PDM and design automation systems are in place at several of the world's largest automobile manufacturers, including Ford, Mazda, Toyota, Mack Trucks and Mercedes Benz.