Continuous improvement – design through deliveryA highly successful PLM implementation reduced vehicle development time by nearly 50 percent, improved quality by80 percent, and exceeded ROI targets

www.siemens.com/plm

Automotive

N I S S AN MOTOR CO. , LTD.

Siemens PLM Software

Business initiatives

New product development

Commonization and re-use

Enterprise data management

Business challenges

Ongoing time-to-marketpressures

Consumer mandate for moreenvironmentally friendly cars

Global customer base andsupplier network

Keys to success

Re-use of validated design dataand concepts

Virtual validation replaces allbut one physical prototype

Production requirementsaddressed earlier in thedesign process

Single source of vehicle data

Results

Development cyclereduced from 20 monthsto 10.5 months

80 percent fewer problemsafter vehicle release

Design changes reduced by60 percent to 90 percent

Better-than-expected ROI

Exciting times aheadIn Nissan’s view, the globalautomotive industry is nowengaged in “one of the greatestengineering competitions inhistory.” Carlos Ghosn,Nissan’s CEO and president,writes on the company’swebsite, “In pursuit of environ-mentally sustainable mobility,we are now engaged in a greatrace…[that] will change almostevery facet of the car in theyears ahead and…distinguishthe winners from the rest.”

To ensure that Nissan is one ofthe winners, the company is now building on thesuccess of a program Ghosn initiated in 2001. CalledV-3P (Value Up for Product, Process and ProgramInnovation), this comprehensive plan positions thecompany well for the challenges facing the autoindustry. In addition to the mandate for moreenvironmentally friendly vehicles, the challenges includeon-going time-to-market pressures, global markets, andglobal supply chains.

The foundation of the V-3P program is productlifecycle management technology from Siemens PLMSoftware, specifically I-deas® and NX™ digital productdevelopment software and Teamcenter® digital lifecycle management software. “Siemens PLMsoftware is the main solution for our V-3P innovation process,” says Keigo Fukushi, generalmanager and V-3P program director at Nissan. “Ideas and NX form the core design system, andTeamcenter manages all the data.”

Automotive

Dual goalsThe V-3P program as Ghosn originally conceived it had two goals: to get new vehicles to themarket faster and to increase product quality. Siemens software plays key roles in both areas.NX and I-deas, for example, form the basis for what the company calls “Know-How CAD,” asystem of knowledge capture and re-use which includes the entire team, from design engineersto suppliers.

“There are two aspects of Know-How CAD, process knowledge and product knowledge,”explains Fukushi. “With Know-How CAD, younger engineers have access to historical data andideas; knowledge is accessed and leveraged. And thus processes are streamlined and timelines areshortened. Know-How CAD enables a team to be more efficient and more innovative, andallows younger engineers to achieve the same results as more experienced engineers.”

In addition, digital data created in I-deas and NX forms the basis for virtual validation, whichis a key way Nissan is shortening the development cycle. “Virtual validation helps us findproblems very early in the design process,” Fukushi says. “If you don’t find those problems untilyou make a physical prototype, it’s too late in the process and very expensive, plus it may causechanges to many other pieces of the vehicle. A virtual test can happen very early and it allows usto implement counter-measures before other parts of the vehicle are fixed. Finding issues earlieralso gives you more time to work through design alternatives to find the best overall solution orcounter-measure.”

These practices would not be possible without Teamcenter, which establishes a single source ofaccurate and up-to-date vehicle information. The Teamcenter vault contains: CAD data createdwith both NX and I-deas, digital validation models and results, CAM files, bills of material, andprocess planning data. Teamcenter allows the company to make this information availablethroughout the organization, even to those who don’t use the technical applications.

Success on all countsThe V-3P program has been hugely successful.When the program began, Nissan needed 20 monthsto bring a new vehicle design from styling freeze to the start of production (SOP). The fourvehicles that have so far beendeveloped in the V-3P program havegone from styling freeze to SOP inonly 10.5 months.

Quality has improved significantly aswell under the V-3P program. Thiswas determined in two ways. Onewas a reduction in design changes,which ranged from a 60-percent toa 90-percent decline. The lowerfigure was achieved on a vehicleprogram that included a significant

“Siemens has demonstratedits performance on twolevels: the software hasperformed very well and thepeople understand ourprocesses and goals.”

Keigo FukushiGeneral Manager and V-3PProgram DirectorNissan

amount of new technology. The90-percent reduction was foundon a follow-up vehicle programbased on an existing platform.The other way that quality wasmeasured was in the number ofproblems reported after a vehiclewas released to the market. Bythis measure, the V-3P programexcelled, reducing this number by80 percent.

Nissan also reports that the V-3Pprogram exceeded the return oninvestment the company originallyexpected. In the midst of a greatengineering competition that willdramatically reshape its product line, Nissan has established a vehicle development process that bothpreserves its reputation for quality and allows it to get competitive technologies to market faster.The V-3P program, based on Siemens PLM technology, is the foundation for future success.

Automotive

Solutions/Services

I-deas

NX

Teamcenter

Client’s primary business

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. is one ofthe world’s leading automakerswith a diverse portfolio of cars,minivans, trucks and SUVs.

www.nissan-global.com

Client location

TokyoJapan

“Siemens PLM software is themain solution for our V-3Pinnovation process. I-deas andNX form the core designsystem, andTeamcentermanages all the data.”

Keigo FukushiGeneral Manager and V-3PProgram DirectorNissan

ContactSiemens PLM SoftwareAmericas 800 498 5351Europe 44 (0) 1276 702000Asia-Pacific 852 2230 3333www.siemens.com/plm

© 2009 Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Inc. All rights reserved. Siemens and the Siemens logo are registered trademarks of Siemens AG.Teamcenter, NX, Solid Edge, Tecnomatix, Parasolid, Femap, I-deas, Velocity Series and Geolus are trademarks or registered trademarks of Siemens ProductLifecycle Management Software Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and in other countries. All other logos, trademarks, registered trademarks orservice marks used herein are the property of their respective holders. 3/09