Common systems and common processes bring the global team together.

The timing of CONMED’s move to Windchill was serendipitous. Having completed in 2019 before the pandemic shutdowns, Windchill’s ability to promote remote access, online collaboration, and automation was critical during the pandemic and into the future. Before Windchill, global teams worked in silos and change management processes were paper based. And Quality System process required printing of NCR’s out of Oracle or Trackwise for manual completion.  With Windchill, team members no longer wait overnight to talk with a CAPA representative in another time zone. Now they can see the information real-time in the CMS.  If old processes had been in place during COVID lockdowns, it would have created significant delays and/or halted the release of products making a dramatic impact on revenue. Thankfully, Windchill enabled the team to share visibility and best practices globally and remotely throughout the last two years.  With the adoption of a common system and similar processes, they now regularly meet, preventing work in silos.  Team members are forming new relationships and partnerships, resulting in support and increased efficiencies globally.

Crawl, Walk, Run – Don’t do it all at once!

While there are many benefits to adopting a scalable system, it is critical to set realistic expectations for each stage. Begin by bringing together all stakeholders (IT, Quality, R&D) before starting a project. Discuss the plan, then move to execute. Level set the initial deployment and how you will scale for each additional stage. Consider the data, process changes, staffing, deployment, and communications needed. Rely on stakeholders from all groups to help make the most informed decision and serve as change agents. Use them to gather feedback across the organization – do not wait to be in pilot before gaining input. This will ensure you move to implementation faster with greater confidence in the adoption and success of your project.

Build Your Team with Talent and Trust

Critical to CONMED’s project success was its partnerships with PTC and Oberon, which according to Linda Cohen and Noah Cumby, Corporate Program Manager, were ideal.  “They not only have proven track records, they are dedicated to us for the long term, more like a marriage,” says Linda. These partners recommended tools with all the capabilities we needed and allowed us the time to assess and make a final decision.  Noah added “We feel like Oberon gets us; they truly understand what we need. They provide honest feedback, and don’t just always agree with us if they see an issue.”  The complexities of adopting global systems requires a trusted and guiding partner. Through their insight you can prioritize tasks, ensure a holistic approach, and establish expectations along the way. A good partner will also help you build the right team, with skills and knowledge needed to ensure ongoing success.