Questions & answers

valexcon is a PLM specialist headquartered in Mainburg, Bavaria. In 2021 the company took over the PLM business activities of IBM Germany – with its employees, customers and projects –, has doubled its workforce since and operates in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and France. The team combines over 200 years of PLM experience.

valexcon has been a Certified Systems Integrator (CSI) of Dassault Systèmes since 2021 and is TISAX-certified (assessed by TÜV Süd against the VDA ISA catalogue) – meeting the requirements of security-sensitive industries such as automotive.

For customers in automotive, aerospace, defence, mechanical engineering and medical technology – references include ZF, Preh, Diehl Defence, BMW and Liebherr Aerospace, among others.

In a big-bang migration the entire data set is transferred on a single cut-over date and the legacy system is switched off – one error then affects all data, there is hardly a way back, and product development stands still during the switch. The valexcon On Demand Migration Suite avoids this risk: a "Legacy View" in 3DEXPERIENCE mirrors the legacy inventory, the data you need is migrated selectively and kept continuously in sync with the legacy system. Migration runs in parallel with ongoing operations – no downtime, no cut-over risk, and deltas can be re-migrated as often as needed.

No. The Legacy View keeps the current legacy inventory visible and in sync inside 3DEXPERIENCE. The legacy system keeps running until all relevant data has been migrated – it is only switched off when you decide to.

Among others from ENOVIA SmarTeam, ENOVIA VPM V4 and LCA, and from PLM systems such as Teamcenter, Windchill, keytech, Aras or Agile PLM – as well as from file-based data on network drives (filebased import). On the database side we bring experience with Oracle and MS SQL, on the ERP side with SAP.

No – all CAD data is taken over without loss of information, and existing CATIA links are preserved. Data migration is one of valexcon’s specialities; we have already migrated several million objects.

Through upfront analysis and preparation of the existing data, a test migration of a subset, a migration database for job control and status tracking, and a validated full run including cleansing of links, history and documents.

That depends on the source system, data volume and data quality. The advantage of the on-demand approach: 3DEXPERIENCE is productive from day one while the migration continues in the background. For a reliable estimate we run a short assessment upfront.

Because 3DEXPERIENCE and CATIA involve recurring data processing tasks every day that cost time and introduce errors when done manually. The platform’s standard building blocks are often only generic – the Dynamic Data Suite maps company-specific processes and automates them as batch jobs. That saves time and cost and increases process reliability.

For example the generation of neutral formats, checkout, update and check-in of drawing title blocks, sending automated e-mails, analysing large data sets, and transferring data to and from third-party systems such as SAP.

All batch jobs are tracked and monitored in a web interface and can be restarted if needed. Results are reported back to 3DEXPERIENCE – every operation remains traceable.

Manual exports are error-prone and hard to trace. The Data Exchange module works bi-directionally straight from the 3DEXPERIENCE interface – with format conversion, job tracking and full history. Thanks to the familiar look & feel it is intuitive to use with minimal training.

Re-imports are mapped onto the existing data and integrated correctly into the data set – returning versions never overwrite anything uncontrolled, they end up exactly where they belong.

FastDMU is built for very large product structures and complements CATIA exactly where standard functions reach their limits: lightning-fast loading of even huge models, automatic clash computation with its own clash database, and true "design in context" – working with visualisation and native data combined, with modifications flowing back into the source system automatically.

FastDMU loads and visualises assemblies from several thousand up to millions of parts – for example a complete vehicle, a passenger aircraft, an entire production hall or even a cruise ship, including all meta and geometry data, and on request in multiple configurations (e.g. left- and right-hand drive at the same time).

Data processing, transfer and management are secured to current standards – including HTTPS, data encryption and SmartCard authentication.

For workflows, 3DEXPERIENCE only provides individual building blocks that have to be wired together laboriously during implementation. Our release and change workflow templates bundle best practices from many years of experience with different customers, can be combined modularly, and are developed and maintained in close coordination with Dassault Systèmes.

The release workflow automates approval: it automatically assembles all data below a root node for release and locks it against further editing. The change workflow optimises the change process around change requests, change orders and change actions – with adapted interfaces for more intuitive use and higher user acceptance.

Drawing frames and title blocks are created automatically and populated with information from 3DEXPERIENCE and CATIA via attribute mapping; Titleblock Update refreshes the blocks without user action, e.g. on release. That eliminates recurring manual steps and increases standardisation, quality and process reliability.

The Titleblock Macro is a function call integrated in CATIA for the basics: select a frame, change the frame size, populate the title block automatically. The Titleblock Application creates drawing frames via its own input mask with a configurable rule set – for complex layouts, optional fields and multiple, even different sheets per CATDrawing.

Because 3DEXPERIENCE does not come with an end-to-end function for managing all user accounts, rights, roles and licenses – Dassault Systèmes recommends creating users via server-side import batch jobs, which requires deep administrator knowledge. Our User Management Tool manages everything centrally as a single source of truth: administrative effort drops and process reliability rises through fewer errors.

The integrated casual/full license handling ensures efficient license usage and reveals additional license demand early. Large volumes of user accounts and license information can be imported via Excel; an individual CATEnv definition is possible per user.

With our extended project permissions, a predefined project structure including permissions is created automatically; rights are inherited directly by existing and new objects. Manual approvals disappear and the risk of unauthorised data access drops – also when collaborating with external partners.

Only adaptation to company-specific processes and methods unlocks the full potential of a PLM system. valexcon develops customizing, bespoke widgets, change-action templates and interfaces for this – from extending existing functions to building entirely new modules.

Via the open 3DEXPERIENCE API: the most frequent use case of our interface development is the tight integration of 3DEXPERIENCE and SAP, so that product data flows between PLM and ERP without media breaks.

No, Dassault Systèmes has not announced an official shutdown date – but hardly any investment goes into further development, and the compatibility risk grows with every new CATIA and Windows version. Those who plan early migrate without time pressure in parallel with operations, instead of being forced into a big bang later.

Yes. valexcon keeps your SmarTeam/CATIA installation productive with its own extension modules – from data exchange with logging through automated drawing creation and numbering systems to selection tables with ERP reconciliation – and offers consulting, operations, training and helpdesk from a single source.

In four steps: analysis of the source data model, mapping to the 3DEXPERIENCE model, test migration of a subset via the On Demand Migration Suite, and a validated full run with cleansing of links, history and documents. Deltas are re-migrated during ongoing operations as often as needed.

Usually with an assessment: we analyse processes, data inventory and requirements and make effort and roadmap reliable – from initial planning through process design to the migration strategy.

Yes – we not only lead our own customer projects but also take over project and product management on behalf of our customers, from PLM introduction to the integration of business processes.

Yes – we carry out release upgrades in a structured four-phase approach, from preparation to follow-up support, without unnecessary downtime for users.

Yes – installation, configuration and customizing are aligned with your IT infrastructure; API-based interfaces integrate 3DEXPERIENCE into your system landscape flexibly and scalably.

Yes – with three operating models: ticket-based helpdesk for 3DEXPERIENCE and SmarTeam within an individually agreed service window, Application Management Services based on ITIL V4, and DevOps for valexcon’s own products.

Within our Application Management Services we take over all activities required for the smooth operation of your system – based on the ITIL V4 service framework, depending on the agreed service scope.

Yes – we train your employees with your company’s own interfaces and functions; presentations, manuals and training data are tailored to your business processes.

Four levels: Basic (newcomers and switchers from CATIA V5/SmarTeam), Special (deep dives into topics such as kinematics or electric), Extended (valexcon solutions such as the Migration Suite or the Dynamic Data Suite) and Admin (operations, configuration, user and license management).

No. Our solutions and services are modular, can be booked individually and combined freely. Many collaborations deliberately start small – for example with an assessment, a training or a single module – and grow as needed. Consulting, implementation, operations and training all come from a single source.

Just get in touch without obligation via the contact form, phone or e-mail – we respond promptly. For a reliable statement on effort and approach we run a short assessment if needed, in which we analyse processes, data inventory and requirements.

Yes. We also advise and support existing 3DEXPERIENCE or SmarTeam installations – from analysis through extensions and release upgrades to operations, support and training. A rebuild is not required for that.

valexcon is headquartered in Mainburg, Bavaria, and works with customers in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and France. Whether analysis, workshop, training or support takes place remotely or on site is agreed depending on the task and your preferences.

The project language is usually German or English. In total our team speaks six languages – projects in France are supported multilingually accordingly.