Enhancing Cross-Functional & Geographical Collaboration For Product Development in the Manufacturing Industry   

“Bühler Motor chose Cerri Project as their PPM system for its extensive project management capabilities and for its core collaborative platform.”

OVERVIEW

Client
Bühler Motor

Industry
Manufacturing

Type of Projects
NPD

Challenge
Bühler Motor faced the complex task of coordinating over 1600 engineers across the globe. They required a system capable of consolidating project planning, document management, and project tracking, all within a collaborative framework designed to span multiple sites.

Solution
Cerri Project offered a collaboration platform on which engineers could efficiently collaborate and monitor project progress regardless of their location.

The CUSTOMER:

Founded over 150 years ago in Southern Germany’s Schwarzwald region, Bühler Motor began its journey specializing in mechatronic drive solutions—a fusion of mechanical, electronic, and software engineering. Today, the company employs more than 1,600 engineers spread across Europe, the United States, and Asia. Bühler Motor concentrates on the manufacture of small motors and transmission system components to meet the evolving demands of the automotive industry.

The CHALLENGE:

A Bühler development project lasts on average between 2-3 years and involves about 150 workers located in 4 different parts of the world. Until 2005, the company relied on MS Project and Windows file-sharing systems to manage and track these complex initiatives. But this method had limitations and Bühler Motor recognised that with the evolving global nature of their manufacturing methodology, they needed a system that embraced project planning, document management and project tracking in a collaborative environment that could accommodate their multiple locations.

The SOLUTION:

Bühler Motor chose Cerri Project as their PPM system for its extensive project management capabilities and integral collaborative platform. This solution enabled workers from multiple locations to effectively collaborate as unified teams. With Cerri Project, the entire workflow—from initial scoping of motors and transmission parts to the development and sharing of designs and production plans—became more streamlined. This facilitated seamless communication and cooperation among different regions, empowering them to assemble and launch products in a coordinated manner. 

The RESULTS:

Bühler Motor successfully implemented Cerri Project across their operations in Germany, England, Mexico and the USA. The platform was being utilized by 330 users across these different locations. Following the rollout, Bühler experienced significant improvement in both project documentation and tracking and made future plans to expand the use of the solution for related overall production projects.