Bell Helicopter Standardizes on Dassault Systèmes’ PLM Solutions to Maximize Efficiency and Improve Compliance Efforts

Enterprise PLM Approach Mixes ENOVIA V6 and CATIA V5; Supports Leading Aviation Company’s Rapid Growth in Commercial and Military Sales




Lowell, Mass.– Dassault Systèmes (DS) (Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA), a world leader in 3D and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions, today announced that Bell Helicopter, a Textron company, has embarked on a multi-year, multiple stage upgrade of its PLM and CAD/CAM/CAE/CAI systems using ENOVIA V6 and its pre-existing CATIA V5 implementation. Using Dassault Systemes solutions as its PLM foundation, Bell Helicopter will support its unprecedented growth by using the ENOVIA Aerospace and Defense Accelerator™ for Program Management to meet regulatory requirements while also standardizing a number of key business processes to enable employees and suppliers across the globe to securely and more efficiently share updated product information.

Faced with a mix of aging, stand-alone technologies and systems, Bell Helicopter required an enterprise-grade, integrated solution capable of improving the efficiency of its digital product management process while also providing a foundation to support the globalization of its business. The combination of Dassault Systèmes CATIA V5 solution and ENOVIA’s V6 Aerospace and Defense Accelerator to deliver specific collaborative business processes enables Bell Helicopter to reduce product introduction cycle times by integrating the supply network, support fielded products and foster collaboration with customers, partners and suppliers. The creation of a single PLM platform also enhances data efficiency and maximizes resources by promoting extensive data re-use across multiple programs.

“Increased global demand and a more complex business environment created unsustainable pressure on our existing legacy technology systems. We therefore needed the lowest risk approach to get maximum benefits from significant business process improvements,” said Glenn Isbell, program manager, Bell Helicopter. “The partnership with Dassault Systèmes will enable us to meet these challenges through an integrated solution that will establish a series of best practices to better manage and securely distribute product information globally within our company and across the supply chain.

This implementation will also help the company maintain a solid focus on compliance as a fundamental principle of its business operations. Actively involved in the development of both commercial and defense aircraft, Bell Helicopter is required to implement processes and systems that will support multiple sources of compliance requirements. The A&D Accelerator for Program Management will enable Bell to automate much of its Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification requirements while also enabling the company to meet the specific requirements of the Department of Defense (DoD) for critical defense programs. Other capabilities include defining objective evidence of compliance for Contract Compliance and Closure, ISO 9000 certification, templating for CMMI certification and lean process initiatives.

“With its geographically diverse operations, thousands of employees, multiple customer segments and significant compliance requirements, Bell Helicopter offers a perfect example of how an integrated PLM solution can address extremely complex business environments,” said Michel Tellier, chief executive officer, Dassault Systèmes ENOVIA Corp. “ENOVIA V6 was engineered to address these business challenges which clearly represent the evolving needs of this industry. We are extremely pleased to be collaborating with Bell Helicopter, and growing the worldwide community of aerospace leaders that are choosing ENOVIA to meet their strategic and future needs..”

The ENOVIA Aerospace and Defense Accelerator™ for Program Management is based on the Dassault Systèmes V6 platform, a single PLM platform for managing product lifecycle business processes that will enable customers to implement industry standards and best practices. Designed as an out-of-the box solution, the A&D Accelerator enables companies to rapidly deploy a state of the art, scalable enterprise solution for managing Programs across an extended-enterprise in real time that can help them meet product requirements, customer contracts, schedules and regulations within a single, collaborative environment.