Success Story: William Demant Holding
A ”time out” became a success When the global producer of diagnostic instruments, DGS Diagnostics, part of William Demant Holding Group, was to choose a PLM system, they didn’t have to look far for a solution. “It was either ENOVIA in combination with Technia, or it was nothing”, explains Claus Fromm, Production & Logistic Director in the company.
T
he reason is that his
this combination for their PLM
On the other hand, the need for an
company belongs to a
investment back in 2007 with
effective system in his diagnostics
Danish holding group,
great success. After making the
company was also unusually large.
William Demant Holding, and the
investment decision for a PLM
He calls it “perfect timing”.
much larger sister company that
system as late as in December 2011,
DGS Diagnostics had grown
produces hearing aid equipment,
Claus Fromm has been in charge of
fast for many years, partly due to
Oticon, had already chosen
an extremely fast implementation.
many acquisitions. The strategy
© Copyright Technia AB 2014
Success Story: William Demant Holding
has always been to keep all the
percent on the engineering side of
acquired brands separated to
the business and made sure that
keep the speed and flexibility of a
all sites had access to the same
small company. Another result of
documentation and the same
all the acquisitions was a complex
ideas regarding development,
product portfolio with over 180
manufacturing, market data
different products and on top of
etcetera. Then we wanted to
that; different IT-systems. Add the
push this information over to a
fact that the diagnostics industry is
centralized ERP system which we
known for its extensive regulations,
used more in our daily work. In that
and it became clear that merging
way, an important side effect was
innovation and compliance in a
to kill all the other IT-systems, like
global network was extremely
local ERP-systems.”
complex. “The compliance and regulation
It can be hard to adjust
issues, that differs from country
When Claus Fromm goes through
to country, were a nightmare for
the obstacles they ran into when
us. The trick from our side was to
speaking at the Technia PLM
adopt the ‘Intel inside strategy’
Innovation Forum in front of a
with common development but
concentrated crowd, one couldn´t
multiple manufacturing sites,
miss people nodding their heads
different interfaces and different
in recognition. This becomes
looks for our products in different
really obvious when the Dane
markets. Our biggest fear was that
speaks about how easy it is to
it would turn our company into
underestimate the time it takes for
a slow player resulting in losing
employees to mentally adjust to a
market shares. It was very obvious
new PLM system.
that we needed a PLM system in order to be effective“.
Kill all other IT-systems
“We needed to realize that a successful implementation is really about selling in the mindset of PLM to the employees, to reach their soul! And this cannot be counted in terms of man hours, it takes calendar time.” Claus Fromm, Production & logistics Director, DGS Diagnostics A/S, part of William Demant Holding Group
“We needed to realize that a successful implementation is really
But still and in spite of these
about selling in the mindset of PLM
obstacles, they have implemented
to the employees, to reach their
the ENOVIA system in a strikingly
“So how did we do it? As most
soul! And this cannot be counted
short time. How is that possible?
companies we started our PLM
in terms of man hours, it takes
implementation one hundred
calendar time.” Another lesson, according
About William Demant Holding The William Demant Holding Group develops, manufactures and sells products and equipment designed to aid the hearing and communication of individuals. The Group focuses on two business activities: Hearing Devices and Diagnostic Instruments. Group companies collaborate in many areas and to a wide extent also share resources and technologies. Read more at www.demant.com
“I think that one secret is that we decided early that too much democracy would ruin this project.
to Claus Fromm is that it is a
If you discuss too much and lean
“long way between Denmark
on consensus decisions, the result
and Tampa”, meaning that all
will always only be average. We
the rules that is dictated around
made a simple choice not to over-
the PLM-system is interpreted
analyze and discuss it too much.
differently in the head office than
But of course, this strategy
in a production plant, for example.
instead needed a lot of
And the problem is that there is a
discussions with
tendency to invent own rules.
daughter
“Not necessarily in a bad way, it’s just that local management tends to want a little bit of control…” he explains.
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Success Story: William Demant Holding
companies that wanted to be a
perfectly! Now we are back on
part of the process.”
track and are driving this project at
Asking Claus Fromm if he is happy with the choice of Technia
full speed since one year!”
regret, even though they’ve been
ENOVIA support for handling Complaints, NCRs, CAPAs and Audits
through some tough times during
“We are very proud and happy
the implementation.
about this project and the fact
as the system integrator, he is clear that this choice is nothing they
“In the start, we had some
that we managed to implement
difficulties understanding each
PLM with complete support for
other, perhaps that we from
the whole product development
our side underestimated the
process – not only including
difficulties for an external person
the Engineering and Project
to follow the rollout in the different
to comprehend the complexity of
Management processes but also
daughter companies and see
our business.”
replacing a traditional Quality
the actual business benefits that
Management System in less than
Diagnostic Instruments will get
In order to not get stuck but instead getting the cooperation back on track, Claus Fromm took an unusual decision. “We actually took a time out in the process for a while.
“We actually took a timeout in the process for a while. Just to think for ourselves how we ought to reorganize ourselves to become more efficient. And it worked perfectly!”
Just to think
“Now it will be very interesting
2 years”, says
from a PLM system where all
Annelie Uvhagen,
product information is handled in
Key Account
one place with common processes
Manager for
and full traceability, says Annelie
William Demant
Uvhagen.
Holding in Technia. “This is the first standard implementation of ENOVIA in Europe with support for
for ourselves how we ought to
handling Complaints, NCRs, CAPAs
reorganize ourselves to become
and Audits”, Annelie Uvhagen
more efficient. And it worked
continues.
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