The model of modern industrial enterprise can be represented as a pyramid, the most stable geometric figure. This pyramid has at least four “levels” and their functioning is provided by production and information technologies (Fig 1). Pyramid basis, the first “level”, is production. At the second “level” engineering and design production planning is realized. Project and enterprise management services operate at the third “level”. At the top, fourth “level”, enterprise development strategy and tactics are defined. Making the analogy with pyramid we can claim that if the four enterprise “levels” are proportionally developed and closely interrelated, then enterprise “structure” is stable and its activities can be developed successfully.

      Nowadays, by virtue of certain historic and economic reasons, structures of many Russian machine building enterprises are often far from this ideal. For example, enterprises that invest plenty of money in purchasing production equipment, but do not provide proper engineering and design planning, cannot quickly respond to market conditions, develop and realize new products start-up in a short period of time. Management personnel inherited from old organizational structure is immense, but not efficient, because its development strategy and marketing are not clearly defined or lacking (Fig 2A).

      Another case is when enterprise has complete development strategy and marketing ideas, engineering and design production planning provides quick products start-up. However, its production basis is outdated and does not ensure required quality product output; inefficient of business processes administration hampers the realization of ideas (Fig 2B).

      Such imbalance of business “levels” development results in long-term production cycles, huge costs and low product quality.

      Having set business efficiency increase of the enterprises as their goal, many enterprise directors realy know what they want. Unfortunately, only few know how to achieve these goals, especially how to achieve them with minimum expenses. The larger is the problem solved by enterprise within technical re-equipment program, the higher are risks of making inefficient decisions, affecting all “levels”. Hence, such decisions should be carefully studied and be very reliable.

      In this caseprofessional advisers come to help enterprise to reduce risks of most important management solutions.

      SOLVER Company has been realizing engineering consulting in machine building industry for already ten years. Applying proved methods and approaches, SOLVER helps machine-building enterprises to solve relevant production and organizational problems, reduce time to startup new products, improve product quality and competitiveness and reduce production costs. Turning back to the analogy of pyramid, it is possible to say that SOLVER Company helps enterprises to eliminate imbalance of their business pyramid “levels” and lay stable foundation for their successful development (Fig 3).

      SOLVER primary course of activity is to improve production efficiency of machine building enterprises by introducing the following items:

      Automated ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) systems;

      Automated CAS/CAD/CAM/CAE systems;

      Machines.

      Introducing of CAM systems at customer’s enterprise is realized on the basis of supplied by the company up-to-date software/hardware tool packages, production equipment and also on the basis of managing, design and production prototypes, needed by the customer.

      When enterprises turn to us in order to solve their production or organizational problems, they can be sure that they won’t get only general recommendations and instructions, but will be able to actually improve their production efficiency by realizing joint projects, that will be able to solve these problems.

      “Companies that we cooperated with earlier have been restricting their services by supplying and demonstrating software and equipment capabilities only. SOLVER Company has focused on engineering strategy development and operative prototype of the efficient production system creation, solving specific design and engineering problems of our enterprise”. V. Visner, Chief Engineer of Izhevsk Mechanical Plant, Izhevsk.

      The range of solutions offered by SOLVER covers the whole enterprise, all its “levels” – from production and engineering production planning to enterprise resource planning and product lifecycle management. Technologies and methods used by SOLVER specialists allow our customers to initiate positive changes from any of the four business “levels”, gradually extending achieved success over the whole enterprise. The goal of these changes is organizational, engineering and technical re-equipment in order to create product output system that meets end users needs to the maximum, hence making high enterprise profit.

      SOLVER starts its work with machine building enterprises from realizing pilot projects, during which the customer gets the whole idea how and by introducing what soft hardware, engineering tools and organizational actions his particular production problem can be solved. Product range, offered by SOLVER, most completely satisfies the demands of machine building enterprises in metal-working, design and engineering production planning, organization of engineering documents circulation and product lifecycle management.

      During pilot project realization, for example, at the production planning stage, designing of those assemblies and parts that are the most difficult for the enterprise to develop and produce and assembly functionality (dynamics and durability) analysis are realized, parts machining technology and NC programs for CNC machines are developed, product prototypes are produced, if needed. Work, realized by SOLVER in close contact with customer’s specialists, allows eliminating bottlenecks, and the received results are discussed in detail with enterprise management in “as it was before, as it is now” context with full technical and economic effect assessment.

      All projects, offered by SOLVER for every enterprise “level”, traditionally undergo complex pilot finalizing. For this purpose, in October, 2001, “Integrated Technologies of Management and Production Automation in Machine Building Industry” Technical Centre was established in Moscow, which has become a “proving ground” for pilot projects finalizing. Thus, getting approved solutions, enterprise can be sure of reality and efficiency of their realization.

      “Our cooperation with SOLVER Company has started with realization of pilot projects series. Their results have satisfied us completely: offered software capabilities and its built-in capacity to the existing technological lines were checked. While introducing end-to-end concurrent design and production planning system, information connections were refined in “design – kinematics, dynamics and durability analysis – prototype – moldbase – tool electrode – NC program” chain. Introduction project results have lead to decision on automated end-to-end production planning development on the whole enterprise scale.” A.Morozov, Deputy Chief Engineer of Instrument-making Design Office, Tula. Pilot project results are the starting point for the next stage – introduction projects. Since during pilot project realization enterprise management gets the idea of specific engineering and software tools and its quantity needed to achieve the goals that have been set, it gives an opportunity to prepare relevant specification for software, production equipment, tooling and tools supply.

      Introduction projects are pursuing several goals. Among them there are equipment supply and its introduction into customer’s enterprise, specialists training to work with new machines and software, creating new organizational and engineering structure of the enterprise, providing production time and costs reduction and output products quality increase.

      “During project realization the active prototypes of automated production planning system were developed and introduced, including designers’ and engineers’ workplaces, machines, tooling and tools…

      …Enterprise specialists training standard was confirmed by realized training project results with some elements of independent work…

      “Body” part machining time according to technology existing at the enterprise was 28,5 hours. After new engineering process and equipment introduction, machining time was reduced to 1,72 hours…”

      An abstract from the final report of automated production system introduction project, realized by SOLVER at Central Automation Design Office, Omsk.

      “Work content comparative analysis of producing specified parts range on the old equipment according to the existing technology and on the equipment and according to the technology, supplied by SOLVER, brought about the following conclusion: overall saving is about 12 million of rubles per year.”

      An abstract from the final report of introduction project, realized by SOLVER at JSC Fazotron-NIIR Corporation, Moscow.

      After modern equipment and software installation and technology optimization, SOLVER customers get a powerful tool to solve their production problems. Next collaboration stage with the enterprise are industrial projects. At the stage of their realization, enterprise attracts SOLVER specialists to work with operative production problems appeared, to solve which enterprise needs additional hardware, engineering and management experience. Work on industrial projects is realized by common project teams, where customers’ and SOLVER specialists are taking part.

      To realize projects, SOLVER has the necessary knowledge, experience and tools. There are 150 specialists working in our company: production management specialists, designers, engineers and service engineers. In addition to Moscow Engineering Center, there are Head Office and Design Center in Voronezh and SOLVER Branch Offices in Nizhny Novgorod, Izhevsk and Omsk.

      Currently there are more than 130 projects, successfully realized by our company, over 200 automated designers’ and engineers’ workplaces are put into operation and over 150 engineering production units are supplied and put into operation.

      During joint projects realization the balance and the efficient interaction of four customer enterprise business “levels” are achieved. This fact provides enterprise success and high pace of its development. (Fig 4).

      Helping enterprises to cope with serious production and organizational problems, SOLVER creates the basis of efficient, long-term and mutually beneficial collaboration.