SsangYong Motor Company Unveils First Korean Car Developed Using CATIA and ENOVIA PLM Platform from IBM and Dassault Systèmes

PLM Solutions help automaker roll out “Rodius” in less than two years – one of the shortest times-to-market in the industry

Seoul, Korea and Paris, France – June 24, 2004 – IBM and Dassault Systèmes (Nasdaq: DASTY; Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA) today announced that SsangYong Motor Company’s new Rodius automobile, unveiled to the public last month, was the first Korean vehicle designed and manufactured using a “virtual platform” based on their Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Solutions.

SsangYong developed the Rodius multi-purpose vehicle using IBM PLM Solutions CATIA, for collaborative product development, and ENOVIA, for data management and decision support—both developed by Dassault Systèmes. SsangYong is the first Korean automaker to use both design and data management solutions from the IBM PLM Solutions portfolio for the entire automotive manufacturing process—from planning and design to production. IBM Business Consulting Services (BCS) managed the implementation of PLM Solutions at SsangYong’s manufacturing facilities, both in Korea and abroad.

SsangYong designed the Rodius with CATIA software, the world’s leading virtual product development application. It is the industry standard for automobile design, used by the majority of top auto manufacturers to improve vehicle quality and innovation and reduce time to market. SsangYong also used ENOVIAVPM product data and lifecycle management applications to execute digital mock-ups and virtual product testing of the car and to handle the product data management necessary for mass production of the vehicle line.

The PLM Solutions and implementation from BCS enabled SsangYong to make major headway in cutting its vehicle production time. The company transformed the Rodius from a concept car into a mass-production vehicle in less than two years. Highlights of SsangYong’s PLM transformation include: creating an online design system, enabling the company’s designers to share product data and make inquiries in real time; generating full-scale 3D digital images; decreasing significantly the number of design changes required; and reducing the time and cost of new product development.

SsangYong now plans to extend the core capability of its IBM PLM Solutions, developed by Dassault Systèmes, to after-sales services and overseas businesses in order to further improve customer satisfaction.

“The Rodius is the first offering to embody the new and improved SsangYong Motor technology,” said Sungshin Kim, vice president and head of SsangYong Motor Research. “It is the result of the determination of SsangYong employees to make an excellent automobile effectively supported by advanced PLM technology. Thanks to powerful PLM Solutions from IBM and Dassault Systèmes, SsangYong will step up its efforts to strengthen its technology and produce more quality automobiles.”

Jaemann Park, PLM Solutions Manager, IBM Korea, added: "The SsangYong Rodius can be considered a great achievement because it’s the first case in Korea in which an automaker has applied both the design and data management aspects of the IBM PLM vision, and this has given SsangYong a substantial competitive advantage. SsangYong will continue to harness the benefits of PLM with partners to achieve efficient process integration, including design, production and after-sales services.”

“The Rodius is a great accomplishment for the Korean automotive industry and a tangible example of PLM delivering on its promises end-to-end along the value chain, from concept design down to the shop floor,” said Christian Nardin, managing director, Dassault Systèmes Asia. “SsangYong’s successful deployment of our PLM solutions also illustrates the importance of having a systemic business transformation and 'best practice' approach to PLM supported throughout all levels of the organization. Dassault Systèmes and IBM together offer unmatched capabilities to help customers along their journey to PLM.”