Andrew M. Wertkin, CTO of PTC's Integrity Business Unit to join Keynote Speaker Line-up at PLM Road Map 2011

ANN ARBOR, MI, August 06, 2011 (Press-News.org) CPDA, a CIMdata company, announces that Andrew Wertkin, CTO of PTC's Integrity Business Unit, will make a keynote presentation on "Driving Innovation and Quality through a Systems Engineering Approach to PLM" at PLM Road Map 2011. The keynote line-up also includes presentations by IBM Rational's Brett Hillhouse, Comet Solution's Malcolm Panthaki, Siemens PLM Software's Steve Bashada, Pendaran's Dr. Hossein Nivi, Geometric America's Joseph Sahiouni, Georgia Tech's Dr. Chris Paredis, and HP's Christian Verstraete. PLM Road Map 2011 will take place at The Inn at St. John's, outside of Detroit, Michigan, on October 4th and 5th.

Developing compelling products today is more complex than ever. Twenty-five years ago, innovation was based primarily on the mechanical design — not anymore. Today, product development teams, following a systems engineering approach, optimize mechanical, electrical, and software components of a product to deliver the best possible solution. Increasingly the software component has become the way discrete manufacturing companies deliver innovative functionality to their customers. Managing the entire product (including mechanical, electrical, and software components), is critical to make sure all appropriate market requirements are managed, traced, and fulfilled. A goal that is often difficult for organizations to achieve.

To win in today's highly competitive market, companies need a comprehensive PLM solution that accelerates the design cycle while ensuring high quality results. Because of software's often-critical role in today's products, PLM solutions require more than just linking software deliverables into an organization's PLM environment. Companies need to manage the software artifacts to allow for complete traceability all the way back to the source code. This allows companies to have greater confidence in their product quality by enabling testing and optimization of hardware and software early in the design process, and by making it easier to fix late-stage problems. Without a comprehensive PLM solution, companies may struggle to identify where defects come from or how to fix them. And if quality problems are found after a product is released to market, it helps companies to contain and fix the issues quickly and efficiently. This presentation will show how an integral approach to PLM can help discrete manufacturers drive product innovation and quality.

About Andrew M. Wertkin, CTO of PTC's Integrity Business Unit

Andrew Wertkin is the Chief Technology Officer of the PTC Integrity Business Unit. In this position he is responsible for the strategy, product management, and development of Integrity, PTC's Software System Lifecycle Management solution.

Andrew is a veteran technologist with deep expertise in the areas of Software and Systems Lifecycle Management, Product Lifecycle Management, Engineering Configuration Management, Embedded Software, and Product Environmental Compliance. Most recently Andrew served as the Chief Technology Officer of MKS, where he was responsible for shaping the vision and delivery of their product roadmap.

Andrew has a rich track record spanning more than 15 years of successful leadership in product development, consistently delivering enterprise software to the world's leading product manufacturers. He was also the co-founder and CTO at Synapsis Technology, maker of EMARS, the leading software solution for environmental compliance and performance (RoHS, WEEE, ELV, and REACH) for discrete manufacturers in multiple industries. Synapsis was sold to PTC and the technology formed the basis for the Windchill Compliance solutions.

Widely respected as a visionary, software architect, and product development subject matter expert, Andrew is a favorite resource for customers, journalists, and industry analysts seeking a deeper understanding of the issues and challenges facing product manufacturers.

Andrew completed a graduate program in neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania from where he also holds a B.A. in bioengineering.

About PLM Road Map 2011

PLM Road Map 2011 is a strategic conference focused on the next generation of PLM integration. Explore first-hand the progress, opportunities, and roadblocks currently confronting end-users.

Contact:
Cheryl Peck
CIMdata, Inc.
c.peck@cimdata.com
800-573-4756

About CIMdata, Inc.

CIMdata, an independent worldwide firm, provides strategic management consulting to maximize an enterprise's ability to design and deliver innovative products and services through the application of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM). CIMdata provides world-class knowledge, expertise, and best-practice methods on PLM. CIMdata also offers research, subscription services, publications, and education through international conferences. CIMdata recently completed the acquisition of CPDA, a well-known provider of critical analyses of PLM activities. Visit http://www.CIMdata.com for more information.