The contacts in PLM Office form the basis for communication. A solution for the problems of the technical office and secure industry 4.0 communication, which on the one hand is based on Microsoft Office and on the other hand is sufficiently flexible to support the industry with its new business models.
All information concerning project-related administration and communication relations, correspondence, telephone calls, documents for release as well as resources and time management converge here.

The companies and contact persons are divided into suppliers, customers and interested parties. It is possible to provide the companies and contact persons with initials; these are used in the correspondence, transmittal, document and claim numbers.
The contact persons are assigned to the departments and specialist areas.

The signature and PIN for the digital signature are stored here. Certificates and permissions are stored as documents for deadline monitoring.
Several delivery and e-mail addresses can be stored. The task force controls access rights and information in PLM on a project and role basis.

The companies are allocated to technology and services in their portfolio of delivery options.
This classification makes it easier to find suitable suppliers.

Documentation of project-related correspondence from notes, letters, faxes, e-mails to transmittals, Tracking of open work orders, ToDo, LoP and outstanding signatures and approvals. A progress journal is generated automatically.
The attachments can be transferred directly into the DMS system without losing the reference to the origin. The office objects are automatically linked to the project, lot, sender, recipient with a correspondence number, topic, file number, claim, ToDo or a user structure. It is prevented that the same e-mail is recorded several times (Outlook ID Check). Fax, mail and notes are handled according to the same method.

Even telephone and conversation notes are embedded in the project process, integration of MS-Word, MS-Excel and MS-Outlook. You create your documents, Office ensures that their content is correct, project-related archiving of Outlook msg files.

The Transmittal function integrated in PLM Office generates and monitors the document transfer. Which document, in which status and file type has been sent, when, for what purpose and to whom has receipt been confirmed? All these questions are answered by PLM Transmittal.

The transmittal with all file attachments is logged.

To round off the PLM Office concept, a protocol system has been integrated in order to access the database when creating the minutes and to bring the responsibilities and tasks resulting from the meeting directly into the project process.

The agenda with the results of the meeting is recorded in a report and distributed to the participants. The meeting report can also be transferred directly to MS-Word.

Office objects can be loaded with tasks, appointments and deadlines. Through this process an Office, document, TAG object gets a tracking to create a status of processing. Both TAG and DMS documents can be used in a ToDo.
A workflow supports the processing sequence.

Redlining enables commenting, evaluation of the task. Several employees can be assigned to a task and be charged with deadlines. The open tasks are kept in a LoP list. Digital stamps and signatures complete the to-do.

PLM provides the platform for representing the WBS (Project Structure Plan) objects stored in the system with a substructure. Flexible variables are created as metadata for technical and cost calculation. In the RFQ (Request For Quote) the technical structures of the WBS elements are stored as a set of rules. Thus, the technical data, the quantity and the price of the bidders are comparable.

The request for proposal is sent to the suppliers according to these knowledge-based rules with precise specifications for the product. In the price comparison, the best bid is selected and prepared for signing the contract. The bidders thus have a form as a basis for entering their technical specifications, quantities and prices on this basis.

As an individual catalogue solution, ICS-Planet is a variable organisation tool for product catalogues, pipe classes, standards and the associated documentation. ICS-Planet uses XML for data processing throughout, allowing data and information exchange independent of media. Using a system of construction manuals, all components are displayed as variants and logically linked with data and documents, so that they can be called up at any time during the planning process.