Building a Digital Thread with CLOVER

Modern manufacturing and engineering processes rely on massive amounts of data. Manufactured products and engineering projects typically require numerous drawings, specifications, bills of materials, change management sequences, notes, and a variety of other documentation.

For many organizations, this creates a daunting challenge — how to integrate this data into workflows so the right information is accessible throughout the organization and supports product lifecycles.

Image source: pilipphoto/stock.adobe.com.

Integrating Data Across the Enterprise

Many companies turn to PLM (product lifecycle management) to help streamline data, people, and processes. As digital transformation has accelerated, organizations have moved from manual, paper-based systems to digital platforms. Extending this further, many are exploring the concept of a digital thread — a connected flow of data across the entire product lifecycle that shares engineering data with downstream functions such as manufacturing, quality, and service. This type of integration makes product data more accessible and supports better coordination across the enterprise.

Integration Perceptions

Creating a digital thread may be perceived by some organizations as overly complex, time-consuming, and expensive. Many teams are unsure where to begin. Some assume they need to engage the IT team with specialized expertise in data integration. A digital thread also requires strategic planning, an understanding of how data behaves, and how it will be used across functions.

There’s also the challenge of unifying different data types and user needs. Supply chain management may require one data view, while quality management may need another. This can feel like trying to merge apples and oranges.

With appropriate integration tools, a clear understanding of data sets, and well-defined use cases, these challenges can be addressed. Integration doesn’t have to be overwhelming or dependent on external experts. When properly designed, a digital thread can support multiple downstream users and improve accessibility and efficiency across the organization.

A Structured Approach to Data Integration

While managing and maintaining product data can be complex, newer integration tools are helping reduce the complexity, improve data accessibility, and increase data availability. One such product is CLOVER from Razorleaf Corporation, a product data integration platform designed to help manufacturers and engineering firms build a scalable digital thread across the product lifecycle without heavy reliance on outside technical resources.

CLOVER is designed to maintain the digital thread across multiple platforms, including PDM, PLM, MRP, ERP, CRM, QMS, MES, and others. Image source: Razorleaf. Click image to enlarge.

By providing a low-code/no-code framework and pre-defined “Digital Patterns” encoded in standard core plug-ins, CLOVER enables organizations to configure and maintain their integrations with less custom development. Its hub-and-spoke architecture leverages endpoint APIs (application programming interfaces) to support data exchange across users, departments, and systems. This structured approach can enhance collaboration, streamline operations, and help organizations maintain efficiency as connected systems are updated and upgraded over time.

CLOVER can build and maintain a digital thread across multiple platforms, including:

• PDM (product data management),
• PLM (product lifecycle management),
• MRP (material requirements planning),
• ERP (enterprise resource planning),
• CRM (customer relationship management),
• QMS (quality management system, and
• MES (manufacturing execution system).
  
  

Cloud-Native, Flexible, and Secure

CLOVER is cloud-native and can be deployed on-premises, in air-gapped environments, in the cloud, or in hybrid configurations. The vendor-neutral platform supports data exchange across systems and enterprises, designed to help teams connect processes throughout the extended enterprise.

For security, services are containerized for isolation and use end-to-end encryption for data at rest and in transit. CLOVER is used to synchronize development processes and documentation across engineering, manufacturing, and quality documentation, working with a variety of data types.

Supporting Digital Twins

The emergence of virtual twins and digital twins — digital representations of physical products, processes, and facilities — has increased the need for reliable data integration. Because these models incorporate information from multiple sources and must be updated regularly, they depend on accurate, connected data.

CLOVER is designed to link data sources and workflows so digital twins receive the timely, accurate information needed to support decisions throughout a product’s lifecycle. For example, an in-service aircraft engine relies on thousands of related parts, drawings, specifications, instructions, and illustrations generated across different systems. CLOVER can help connect and synchronize this information across PLM, PDM, ERP, MES, and MRO (maintenance, repair, and operations) environments, giving engineers and service teams access to current, consistent data for design changes, maintenance, and performance monitoring.

A multi-level BOM (bill of materials) and associated files is loaded into ERP from a corresponding CAD structure in PDM. Image source: Razorleaf.

CLOVER’s architecture reflects the practical needs of manufacturers and input from consultants experienced with enterprise system integrations. The result is a modular design with visual interfaces that simplify adding endpoints (the systems and data sources CLOVER connects to) and managing integration flows. “We’ve taken knowledge gained from our consultants and turned it into software,” said Tim Noce, Product Vice President at Razorleaf.

CLOVER offers pre-configured templates to help adapt to workflows such as transforming an EBOM (engineering BOM) from PLM to an MBOM (manufacturing BOM) in a MES. Image source: Razorleaf.

Driving Efficiency and Collaboration

CLOVER is intended to support faster decision-making, shorter time-to-market, and improved data accuracy. Instead of sorting through paper-based systems for information, a digital thread provides a unified path for all team members to access the same data, helping ensure they are working from current information. Its hub and spoke architecture allows an organization to add new integration endpoints over time.

Automation is another area where integration can provide benefits. Seamless data exchange allows teams to automate tasks and processes that traditionally require significant manual effort to collect and re-enter information. With CLOVER in place, staff can spend more time on engineering work and problem-solving.

The platform includes pre-configured templates covering a variety of standard operations and data types, such as managing parts and BOMs, managing change and release processes, and validating, transforming, and processing CAD files. Within CLOVER, these capabilities are organized as the system’s “Digital Patterns.” CLOVER Digital Patterns define common engineering and manufacturing data types and their behaviors, such as the impacted item for a change order and what “add children” means in the context of a BOM. These Digital Patterns can be connected or “wired up” to each other through configuration, such as tying “Read Part” from one system to “Update Part” for another system.

By creating complex interactions step-by-step with these modular building blocks, organizations can develop their own integrations using CLOVER and its core plug-ins. CLOVER can be customized to meet user needs with little or no coding, while still providing a development environment for teams that want to extend the platform with custom plugins.

Co-existing Integration Systems

CLOVER often sits alongside other transactional integration systems such as Jitterbit or Boomi. Unlike traditional point-to-point systems that primarily move data from one location to another, CLOVER also focuses on transforming data based on how it will be used by downstream systems and end users. For example, CLOVER might extract the structure of a CAD assembly from PDM, apply rule-based modifications, and publish a draft EBOM to an ERP endpoint or to another integration system.

By bridging workflows and co-existing with other enterprise tools, CLOVER supports real-time collaboration and concurrent processes across engineering, manufacturing, and service domains.

“CLOVER delivers unique value over and above what existing integration platforms may be providing in an enterprise. We are complementary to them by addressing the specific data requirements needed for a digital thread and digital twins,” noted Juliann Grant, Razorleaf Vice President of Global Marketing.

Packages and Services

CLOVER is available in four packages — Basic, Standard, Professional, and Enterprise — with pricing listed on the Razorleaf website. Razorleaf also offers consulting, integration planning, and implementation services to help organizations define and execute their digital thread or digital twin strategies.

Looking Ahead

As digital thread integration evolves, emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) are expected to play a larger role. AI can provide insights for product development, analysis,
and decision-making — but only if it draws on accurate, well-connected data. 

“AI really has the ability to provide interesting insights,” noted Jonathan Scott, Chief Architect at Razorleaf. “But it needs the right data from across the enterprise, properly connected, to provide accurate results. No one wants to make life and safety decisions based on opaque assumptions and probabilistic data mashups.”

Sustainability is also likely to continue shaping business processes, as organizations work to design more sustainable products and take a broader view of product lifecycle planning. Everything from material selection to energy and water usage, disposal processes, and recycling are all under closer scrutiny, expanding the range of data and systems that contribute to product definition and keeping digital thread integration an ongoing effort.

Manufacturing organizations will also continue looking for ways to differentiate themselves and improve efficiency. Digital thread integration is expected to remain an important part of those efforts. 

This article was sponsored by Razorleaf. 

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