GNATUS revolutionizes Dental Equipment with PLM Solutions from IBM and Dassault Systemes

Ribeirão Preto, Brazil and Paris, France. November 15, 2001. Gnatus, a leading supplier of complex engineered dental equipment and components, announced today that is has selected CATIA Version 5 (V5) and TeamPDM from IBM and Dassault Systèmes (Nasdaq: DASTY; Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA) to build its new product lifecycle management (PLM) environment for increased quality and value of dental equipment for its customers.

Gnatus had grown to the point where its current computer-aided-design (CAD) solution lacked the scalability to be integrated across the various departments of their company. To enable further advancement and look for new ways to revolutionize the dental equipment industry, they sought after a solution that could help streamline their systems and processes and increase productivity, as well as support market expansion for their products, both immediately and into the future.

After a five-month evaluation, Gnatus selected CATIA and TeamPDM for its fitting and simulation capabilities and its advanced knowledgeware capabilities. Gnatus now expects to see major advancements in product design management, as well as in the quality and performance of its products.

Moreover, Gnatus’ PLM environment will provide a large reduction in their invisible costs, including a decrease in the technical operational interaction between digital and real mockup, less design errors, a reduction in the costs related to technical assistance, and better utilization and evaluation of raw materials used in the product.

“CATIA and TeamPDM’s ease-of-use, data compatibility and seamless flow of data throughout the organization made these solutions very attractive to us,” emphasized Carlos Rodrigues, IT Manager, Gnatus. “In addition, our product lifecycle management environment gives us the capability to see major cost reductions, increased product development and the opportunity to use the Internet to integrate with our worldwide partners.”

Gnatus will use its PLM environment and the Internet to interface with suppliers, as well as their technicians in the field, from assembly to maintenance. Gnatus will link their enterprise resource planning system, from Datasul Inc., an Atlanta-based software company, to CATIA in an effort to create a more collaborative environment.

“A product lifecycle management environment allows a company to unleash its creativity,” stated Geoffrey Rogers, marketing manager, Americas, IBM Product Lifecycle Management. “E-collaboration fosters a reduction in development times and a reduction in costs, leading to an increase in productivity, an increase in quality, an increase in innovation, and a keener sense of how to better serve the customer.”

In six months, the CATIA V5 and TeamPDM system was up and running on IBM IntelliStation's Windows 2000 and NT. Training was conducted on-site for three month by Tecmes, an IBM PLM Business Partner.

“CATIA, TeamPDM and the product lifecycle environment will give Gnatus the power to revolutionize their industry and to grow into the future,”