Smoby Groupe Selects CATIA V5 for Product Development and e-business

Leading toy manufacturer anticipates 20 percent savings in product development time

 

Lavans-les-Saint-Claude and Paris (France) 6 March 2001 -Smoby Groupe, a leader in innovative children’s playthings and Europe’s third largest toy manufacturer, IBM and Dassault Systemes announced today that Smoby has selected CATIA Version 5 (V5) for the design, analysis and manufacture of the Smoby line of toys and for the company’s future e-business applications. The contract includes the purchase of CATIA V5 licenses for Windows NT for Smoby’s Research and Development group at it headquarters in France’s “Plastic Valley” between Lyon and Geneva. The company estimates that it will achieve a 20 percent reduction in product development time by implementing CATIA V5.<br/>

 

 

Smoby creates toys for children ages birth to 8. The company is the leading European manufacturer of activity toys, including kitchens, stores and workshops. Smoby Groupe is the leader in outdoor activity toys, slides, playgrounds and toys for newborns. The company’s engineers design the modular plastic toys and the tooling equipment necessary to fabricate them, and mold-makers finalize and produce the tools. Before changing to CATIA, Smoby used several different and non-compatible systems for creating its tooling equipment, molds and toys. Implementing CATIA V5 for computer-aided design, manufacturing and engineering (CAD/CAM/CAE) will enable Smoby to reduce toy development time, while maintaining high product quality. In addition, CATIA V5 will help the company implement its e-business strategy, promoting efficient information-sharing, knowledge-transfer and communications within the entire group and with key members of Smoby’s supply chain.<br/>

 

 

When searching for a new CAD/CAM/CAE system, Smoby sought a high-performance, user-friendly solution to handle the company’s demanding requirements, including advanced 3D product design and digital mock-up, and future e-business applications. Explained Dominique Bosio, technical director of Smoby Groupe, “We turned to CATIA V5 because we need one CAD/CAM/CAE system that is easy-to-use, that has broad capabilities, and that is compatible with our e-business strategy. In CATIA V5 we have a product that serve us today and evolve with our growing needs, helping us optimize our overall product development cycle to reduce time and costs.”

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Said Carlo Ranfagni, director of worldwide sales, IBM Product Lifecycle Management, “Implementing CATIA V5 will help Smoby respond more efficiently to its customers, and contribute to the company’s competitive advantage. And, combining its more efficient new toy development processes with IBM’s extensive experience working with small and medium companies will help Smoby advance its future e-business strategy.”