Convergence Data Services - Data Management & Information Technology

The graphic images on this site represent the products
of our customers; we recognize that the success of our
customers, determines our success.

Convergence Data services has developed significant expertise in helping companies address their part data issues. Our experience tells us each customer is different and has different needs when it comes to data; which in turn requires deploying different software and services models. We leverage this experience to help guide companies to the right implementation model, one that provides them the data they need to meet their specific business objectives. Here is a list of the most common services we have provided in
client projects.

Its quite common for a company to have some existing data structure that may be located in several disparate databases, or even be found on an employee’s excel spreadsheet. Convergence leverages its migration competency, to migrate this information into a common data format using our DFR database against a single data model. We have expertise in migrating data models, part meta-data, item relationships, category and attribute properties, numeric data in multiple UOM’s formats, etc. We are familiar with a wide variety of file formats and are flexible at importing this data. We have experience loading complex data models comprised of thousands of categories and attributes for millions of items. When migrating data to a PLM/ERP system from other source systems, we deploy custom validations to make sure the data migrates without any errors to the new
PLM or ERP system. We are quite familiar with handling the following migration issues including: duplicate part numbers, invalid attribute values, missing attribute data, incorrect organizations, invalid references, invalid manufacturer or supplier part numbers, etc.

Most companies suffer from poor data and need to have it cleansed to obtain any level of business value. DFR offers a variety of cleansing and validation tools to make data cleansing as easy as possible. We also make it easy for customers to load supplemental data from other source systems into the DFR database. When we migrate data, we can help customers auto-cleanse and classify their data using some of our migration tools. It depends on the state of your part descriptions, attribute data or part numbers in terms of what we can do with automating data clean up. Another option for helping customers with data cleansing is to go with the outsource model. Several of Convergence’s customers have set up DFR in other low cost countries to enable economic cleansing of their data. Convergence can recommend and implement different options for a customer depending on whether they have access to these types of resources.

Convergence also partners with third party content providers including Information Handling Services (http://parts.ihs.com) to help with data cleansing. IHS offers a variety
of data cleansing services that tie into DFR utilizing their content enrichment tool:

• Lifecycle attribute data – dynamic data that changes frequently e.g. end of life,
ECN, obsolesence, etc
• Hazmat data – material information for hazardous materials
• Technical attribute data – standard technical attribute data

IHS has several content solutions for electronics, mechanical, fasteners, etc. that support multiple industries. Check out their website for more detail or contact your local IHS sales representative.

Typically there is significant savings to be realized when a company rationalizes their standard purchased parts or raw materials. It’s quite common for companies to end up with a proliferation of different configurations or variations of standard purchased parts (simple example: multiple versions of the same screw that only differ by length). DFR helps companies identify the standard configurations that can meet multiple product applications. Convergence has helped its customer realize significant cost savings in the procurement for these types of direct materials.

Convergence also partners with other consulting companies to help with parts rationalization including Accenture (www.accenture.com). Accenture has experience using DFR to help other customers deploy cost savings activities from parts rationalization.

Convergence partners with companies to help with effectively sourcing direct materials, including Co-eXprise (www.co-exprise.com). Co-eXprise provides a direct material sourcing platform that makes it easy to source a large number of items in a single sourcing event, or what they call a market basket. DFR prepares the data around the parts for sourcing and also identifies the best sourcing clusters, or groups of similar items, that could be sourced in a single event or market basket. The combination of both technologies can help customers bring significant savings to their bottom lines.

As previously mentioned, we recognize each of our customers has different data needs. Quite often we may need to configure our software or create a dropin module to meet a very specific need. Our modular dropin architecture makes it very easy to offer our customers very specific capabilities to aid their specific data needs. Some examples of our development projects include:

• Custom validations
• Custom extracts and reports
• Custom item loading

Convergence offers a variety of consulting services in addition to some of the specific services listed on the website. Feel free to request additional information of the following services:

• Classification design and development
• Item key management including part numbering strategy
• Project management to help manage your classification and data cleansing project
• Setting up relationships between items including relationship modeling
• Conducting parts catalog data audits or quality reviews
• Creating custom SQL views for SmartFind – custom queries for relationships
• Custom reporting – creating custom reports using crystal reports

Convergence provides agnostic search architecture and has successfully partnered with other 3rd part search solutions. Convergence has a custom search index exporter it uses to provide the search index to other 3rd party solutions. Some other features we have deployed including: (these are all examples of DFR dropin modules)

• Access groups – manages, for example, what categories, programs and parts a user
  can see in the 3rd party search tool
• Search attribute properties – attributes that dictate how data is displayed in the search
  tool e.g. key attribute are attributes that appear at the top of the search engine
• Easy setup and maintenance of search properties – search attribute properties can be
  bulk loaded into DFR and easily maintained as you work out how you want the search tool
  to behave e.g. attribute display order by category

Search partners Convergence has partnered with include Endeca (www.endeca.com) and Dieselpoint (www.dieselpoint.com). Check out their websites for additional information.

1/2 Day DFR Overview Course – high level overview of DFR covering each module, this course can be run using WebEx (internet meeting).

2.5 Day DFR Course - This course is for the DFR administrator or super user. This course covers all of the modules of DFR. Each module is explained in detail and each module section includes detailed training exercises that each trainee will have to execute.

2 Day DFR Technical Admin Course – This course is for people who want to understand the DFR and SmartFind architecture, database and integration tools. It also discusses software setup and maintenance. Course participants have an IT background who participates in this course. This course can be run before or after a company starts using DFR.