COE Announces Introduction of PLM Enterprise of the Year Award COE, IBM and Dassault Systèmes to Honor Leading Edge PLM Implementers and Visionaries

The PLM Enterprise of the Year Award will recognize successful PLM implementations and serve as a model for fellow COE members and IBM and Dassault Systèmes customers seeking to increase profitability by expanding to markets centered on new, innovative products, while reducing development, manufacturing, and warranty costs. The award will be presented to the COE member that demonstrates the best use of PLM technologies.

New Orleans, LA, March 31, 2003...To acknowledge COE members that have achieved significant business results through their organizations adoption of product lifecycle management (PLM) solutions, COE, the international organization uniting the users of Dassault Systems software solutions, in association with International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) and Dassault Systèmes, today announced the introduction of the PLM Enterprise of the Year Award. The Award, determined by a committee comprised of PLM vendors, industry analysts and trade media, will be announced at the COE Fall 2003 Conference & TechniFair to be held in Seattle, Washington September 28-October 1.

The PLM Enterprise of the Year Award will recognize successful PLM implementations and serve as a model for fellow COE members and IBM and Dassault Systèmes customers seeking to increase profitability by expanding to markets centered on new, innovative products, while reducing development, manufacturing, and warranty costs. The award will be presented to the COE member that demonstrates the best use of PLM technologies to:
 Synchronize and manage multiple business processes, including data and process integration with other enterprise applications such as ERP, SCM, or CRM.
 Collaborate with suppliers and customers.
 Show tangible and intangible benefits, such as increased innovation, reduced development and manufacturing costs, improved product quality, and increased sales.

The winner of the Award will have the opportunity to make a presentation outlining the details of its PLM implementation at the COE Fall 2003 Conference. In addition, START Magazine and Desktop Engineering will offer free subscriptions to the winner. The COE organization will also provide the winner with a trophy and a free pass to the Fall COE Conference in Seattle. Finally, IBMs PLM Integrated Industry Solutions team will perform a complimentary two-day virtual product innovation assessment of the winners PLM environment and then offer feedback on how this company can address new corporate challenges.

PLM implementations require a strong corporate commitment, however numerous examples demonstrate that results are obtainable and significant," comments Thomas Kilkenny, vice president, sales, IBM Product Lifecycle Management. Many manufacturers have CAD or PDM solutions already in place, the next steps are linking those systems to the rest of their IT environments and supply chains for maximum results. That is where IBM can help out with software, hardware and services."

The PLM Enterprise of the Year Award is about far more than a companys simple purchase and deployment of IBM and Dassault Systèmes PLM solutions," said Marcelo Lemos, president of Dassault Systèmes of America. The winner of this prestigious honor will be recognized for embracing the business methodology and resulting benefits that lie at the core of an effective PLM strategy, and then leveraging appropriate PLM solutions to enhance operating efficiency, design and manufacturing productivity, and ultimately, enterprise-wide profitability."

The committee that will review the nominees includes:

Dave Burdick, president, Collaborative Visions
Tony Lockwood, editor in chief, Desktop Engineering
Marc Halpern, research director, PLM, Gartner Inc.
Phil Harrison, president, COE
Michael Jarosik, managing editor, START Magazine
Thomas Kilkenny, vice president, sales, IBM Product Lifecycle Management
Marcelo Lemos, president, Dassault Systèmes of America

Nomination forms will be available at the COE Spring 2003 Conference & TechniFair, March 30-April 2, and online at www.coe.org after April 7.

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About COE:
COE provides a collaborative forum that drives innovation and maximizes productivity through the exploitation of CAx/PDM/PLM technology and services provided by Dassault Systemes, IBM and partners. COE is an independent, self-financing, non-profit organization. Membership is open to all licensed users of the software in both commercial and academic environments.