PALM: Combining PLM and ALM
Complexity is growing because networking is turning products into "systems of systems". They contain increasing numbers of software-controlled functions as CONTACT's head of development, Frank Patz-Brockmann, explained. “We need an interdisciplinary systems engineering and a development platform that accepts the fact that software follows different rules.” CONTACT integrates Git, the leading open-source software for application lifecycle management (ALM), in its Elements technology platform. To do this, CONTACT works together with GitLab so that enterprises can now combine PLM and ALM much better than before.
Systems engineering for smart products
To ensure functional reliability, smart products demand end-to-end traceability at requirements level, explained Dr. Patrick Müller, Product Manager PLM. That is why CONTACT has extended its Requirements Management to include the possibility of using :em engineering methods' ReqMan software to automate the extraction of requirements from document-based specifications and their import into CIM Database. There they can be linked with other objects, updated more easily if changes occur and be exchanged via ReqIF.