Just ahead of Mardi Gras, we let the good times roll in New Orleans for Dassault Systèmes Community of Experts COExperience Annual PLM Conference & TechniFair, known as COE 2019.
As always, we gain so much from networking with friends, colleagues, partners, customers and Dassault Systèmes employees. We were lucky enough to taste some amazing food and listen to some of the best jazz in the world while in New Orleans. 
We celebrated the 35th anniversary of the COE Annual PLM Conference, which started out as a small CATIA user conference. Today it is Dassault Systèmes’ full multiband, multinational conference.
What’s New with Dassault Systèmes
A part of the anniversary celebration included the various awards and recognitions Dassault Systèmes received last year, from being named to Forbes Top 100 Digital Companies to being recognized by Corporate Knights in the 2018 list of the Top 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World.
Dassault Systèmes is growing both organically and inorganically. It acquired or made major investments in the following companies:
- No Magic, Inc. – Systems engineering
- Argosim – Requirements management and simulation
- COSMOlogic – Simulating fluid and chemical processes
- Centric Software – Digital transformation of fashion, retail and consumer goods companies
- IQMS – ERP and real-time manufacturing execution systems
- RIZE – 3D Printers
Dassault Systèmes also announced that in addition to their billion dollar partnership with Boeing, they signed a very large partnership with Airbus.
Dassault Systèmes Supporting Students
Dassault Systèmes is supporting students in several ways. The company sponsored more than 30 students from various universities to attend COE. Dassault Systèmes also supports Base11, a non-profit workforce development accelerator, which empowers high school and college students with STEM-based education to prepare them for the workforce of the future. The Base 11 Space Challenge offers a $1 million prize for the first student team able to get a rocket to the edge of space. Dassault Systèmes is a major sponsor of the challenge.
COE 2019 Customer Success Stories
We always gain important insights from customer success stories about how they are using tools and methods to improve their processes.
We were eager to hear from our SmarTeam customer, Centerline, a manufacturer with a focus on advanced automation processes and joining technologies that satisfy resistance welding, metal forming, and cold spray applications. The company described how it is using the DELMIA tool in its manufacturing processes.
Boeing illustrated how they are starting to roll out the platform and to use technologies like EXALEAD, data management for data archiving, analytics and machine learning.
Representatives from Wichita State University discussed their research park, called the “Innovation Campus,” which promotes collaboration, applied learning and research. Companies can come to the Innovation Campus to do engineering project “sprints” and prototype a project in a matter of months, involving design, simulation and manufacturing.
Procter & Gamble discussed how to promote change and innovation. They stated what is perhaps the most obvious point – people do not like change unless they see what is in it for them. They identified the five things that impact change. It must be:
- Better than the current process
- Compatible with existing values and needs
- Evident and not complex
- Easy to try
- Observable and able to get people on board
One topic that got a lot of buzz at COE 2019 is additive manufacturing and general tool design (GTD). We heard discussions on topics of IP management for additive manufacturing and the concept of cognitive augmented design and the future of GTD. This involved AI combined with design and simulation to design the best possible part.
We also heard presentations and watched videos from other Dassault Systèmes customers:
- Audi using CATIA for systems engineering
- Zaha Hadid Architects using the Architecture models in the Cloud
- Joby (camera tripods) using 3DEXEPERIENCE in the Cloud
- Karcher (cleaning systems, water treatment) who will be implementing the 3DEXPERIENCE in the Cloud
Messages from Dassault Systèmes at COE 2019
Dassault Systèmes reinforced its message that it can handle the end-to-end processes for any engineering and manufacturing company, including engineering CAD, simulation CAE, process management (data management, project management, quality management) and manufacturing. And this all can be done with the advantages of the Cloud.
xLM Solutions is a Dassault Systèmes Value Solutions Partner able to assist engineering and manufacturing enterprises with their requirements analysis and technology review, selection, and acquisition. Our expertise covers ENOVIA PLM, CATIA for design and SIMULIA for simulation – all on the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform. Our in-depth implementation and support services make xLM Solutions a complete solution provider for industrial companies.
Philippe Laufer, CEO of CATIA, discussed the benefits of using the 3DEXEPRIENCE Platform because it:
- Provides a user experience both in how to engineer and manufacture a product but also for how end users will experience using the products.
- Breaks the silos and connects the dots. Manufacturers no longer need to import and export data from one system to another – e.g., from CAD to CAE – all engineering and manufacturing processes are done from the platform.
- Connects the full supply chain within the platform, from sourcing designers to outsourcing manufacturing.
- Provides an open and protected environment.
Finally, Dassault Systemes announced their 3DEXEPERIENCE Forum 2019 “Catalyze and Enable Industry Renaissance,” May 13-15, 2019 in Las Vegas, NV.
COExperience 2020 will be held in Miami, April 26-29, 2020.
What was your favorite part of COExperience Annual PLM Conference & TechniFair?
