Arena StarWarseBook TheDarkSide

eBook
A Galactic Guide to Innovation

and Designing Great Products
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table of contents
Episode I: Engineering Lessons from the Dark Side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Episode II: Building R2-D2: The Wild Years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Episode III: Help Us PLM...Youre Our Only Hope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Episode IV: Darths Too Sexy for His Suit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Episode V: Find the Droid Parts Youre Looking For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Episode VI: Bogus Parts Make You Sith Your Pants? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Episode VII: Luke, Im Your Father...(sigh) and Uncle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
2015 Arena Solutions, Inc. Arena and Arena Solutions are trademarks of Arena Solutions, Inc., Reg. U.S. Pat. & Tm. Off.
All rights reserved. Other product and company names are the property of their respective holders.
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A long time ago...

Arena invented Cloud PLM
h

ere at arena solutions
weve provided innovative product companies domestically, internationally, and in
galaxies far, far awaywith a better way to manage product data and get to market fast.
Our work all started a long, long time ago when Arena invented cloud product lifecycle management (PLM). Our objective
was, and still is, to help product companies of all sizes across industries speed prototyping, reduce scrap, and streamline
supply chain management. Accomplishing these translates into higher product quality, reduced cost and a faster time
to market.
Whether youre designing a droid, a GoPro camera or Fitbit
wearable device, Arena PLM eliminates the time consuming
complications of managing unwieldy change orders by
formalizing the change management process with an intuitive
cloud-based solution.
In this eBook parody are seven Star Wars stories of how Arena
PLM improved new product introduction (NPI) and new product
development (NPD) for several of the films iconic characters.
Stories include:
Engineering Lessons from the Dark Side
Building R2-D2: The Wild Years
Help Us PLM...Youre Our Only Hope
Darths Too Sexy for His Suit
Find the Droid Parts Youre Looking For
Bogus Parts Make You Sith Your Pants?
ompanies need an affordable

cloud-based PLM solution...
...
Luke, Im Your Father...(sigh) and Uncle

In this fierce period of global competition and galactic outsourcing, companies need an affordable cloud-based PLM solution
to manage product data and get their product to market before their competition. And with supply chain teams spread across
the galaxy from Tatooine to Dagobah, companies need a better way to collaborate with their suppliers. Keeping a close
eye on suppliersand their suppliersensures unscrupulous Jawas dont sell you dangerous bogus parts at inflated prices.
So whether youre building a high tech Death Star or a groundbreaking medical device, a modern cloud-based PLM system
ensures your company triumphs. Read on to discover why more innovative product companies across the galaxy say, Help
us Arena PLM. Youre our only hope.
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Episode I: Engineering
Lessons from the Dark Side
H
ow quality errors
doomed the Death Star
he galactic empire
is a tragic example of an enterprise-size organization thatbecause of a failure to foster a
culture of collaboration and implement a holistic enterprise-wide quality management solutionsuffered from catastrophic
quality failure.
The Galactic Empires Death Star was shipped to market with a single design flaw that resulted in costly and time consuming scrap and reworkas well as serious damage to the Dark Side brand. How can you expect to instill fear throughout the
galaxy and squelch a rebel uprising when your ultimate weapon has a flaw so glaring that it can be exploited by a one-man X
Wing Fighter? said Death Star scientist and quality manager Rorax Falken.
Sadly, the Death Star failure could have easily been avoided; however, the Galactic Empirelike many large companies
failed to integrate a quality management system (QMS) with its design and development processes to more effectively reduce
supply chain oversights, employee missteps and design errors.
When we were the Galactic Republic, it was a really relaxed vibejust me and a handful of engineers, said Falken. When
I needed a design spec or bill of materials (BOM) verified, I could boogie over to Senator Palpatines cube near the foosball
table and get him to signoff on drone specs, but once we became the Galactic Empire, it all fell apart. We failed to upgrade
to a formal BOM solution capable of keeping pace with the complexity of the Death Stars product documentation set.
There is no question the Death Star was the Empires most
How can you expect to instill
fear throughout the galaxy and
squelch a rebel uprising when
your ultimate weapon has a flaw
so glaring that it can be exploited
by a one-man X Wing Fighter?
ambitious project ever launched. The space station had a crew

of 265,675, as well as 52,276 gunners, 607,360 troops, 30,984
storm troopers, 42,782 ship support staff, 180,216 pilots and
support crew. The hangars contained assault shuttles, blast
boats, strike cruisers, land vehicles, support ships and 7,293 TIE
fighters. The station was protected by 10,000 turbolaser batteries, 2,600 ion cannons and roughly 768 tractor beam projectors.
And those are just estimates.
To keep esprit de corps high among staff members, the Death
Star housed a miniature golf course, a bowling alley, and a TGI
Fridays (servers were required to wear Dark Side vest flair)
conveniently located for crew and guests of The Emperor.
The problem with manufacturing the Death Star and management of all related quality issues was that the Galactic Empire
continued to rely on manila folders, emails, and spreadsheets as
well as disparate quality management systems to jury-rig corrective action and preventive actions (CAPA).
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These tactics, which were eons old, failed to foster the cross-functional collaboration and visibility necessary to sustain
successful quality management across the entire product lifecycle. For example, with all the emphasis placed on the
development of the fortresss magnificent defense system, engineers overlooked the potential design flaws and security risks
of a simple exhaust port.
I warned engineering that if a two-meter-wide thermal exhaust port suffered a direct hit from a photon torpedo it would ignite
a chain reaction in the main reactor that could destroy the Death Star, said Falkan. According to the quality manager, the port
was never fixed for two reasons: one, a system to foster collaboration and overcome engineerings mistrust of the quality group
was never implemented; and two, because Falkans quality people were not allowed to provide feedback early in the design
cycle, engineering was even more reluctant to rework designs so late in the manufacturing process.
W
w
hy cant you be a team player,
come to the Dark Side, and stop nagging us about this ridiculous exhaust
port? Falkan recalls scolding the engineers. In the end, the engineering group didnt change it, rationalizing that a direct hit
was impossible since the portal was no bigger than a womp rat. Boy, were they wrong.
Falkan recognized that once a product quality failure is out the door, the cost to rectify it increases dramatically. The destruction of the Death Star demonstrates the importance for companies to foster collaboration across the enterprise early and
implement a holistic quality solution to prevent the same type of costly errors that the Galactic Empire experienced.
Alkan recognized that once a product

quality failure is out the door, the cost to
rectify it increases dramatically...
*Not a Parody: Arena PLM customer Jawbone slashed Time to Market by 50% and reduced ECO Cycles by 75%.
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Episode II: Building R2-D2:

The Wild Years
f
ind the penny components
that can save you millions
egendary for his many tools,
spunky spirit and little known dance moves, R2-D2 was the crowning achieve-
ment of high tech manufacturer Industrial Automaton (IA). In fact, the brave droid and his persnickety protocol counterpart
C-3PO played a pivotal role in saving the galaxy.
Inside R2-D2s cylindrical frame were arms, sensors and
tools that could interface with computers, extinguish fires,
project holograms, and repair starships. However, to
rena Saved Customers on Earth From

Quality Failure and Product Disaster
reach a wider family market, IA introduced several new

child-friendly features with its R3 and R4 models, including: lefty scissors, Elmers glue, Betty Crocker Easy Bake
Oven, and a Super Soaker water gun.
Although the R-series brought IA great wealth, the company remained locked in fierce competition with Cybot
Galactica, which had its own product line of advanced
droids. However, IAs ability to manufacture high precision
products at deeply discounted prices enabled the
company to protect its market share.
But how could IA lower prices, meet their margins and
When we outsourced our manufacturing, we also outsourced
our material planning, leaving
us blind to the total quantity
of parts we would buy across
the portfolio.
still collapse time to market? The answer: Arena PLM

BOMControl, a cloud-based product lifecycle management solution that streamlines design processes. When
coupled with Arena Demand (a material aggregation
tool), IA could forecast and better negotiate even the
most inexpensive part costs across their entire product
portfolio.
Arena Demand helped IA reduce purchased component
costs by enabling personnel to aggregate the usage of
all individual components, parts and capacitors used
across the companys entire R-series linesfrom the
R2 to the R9 models. Knowing the total aggregated
usage of the components in advance provided IA with
S
s
leverage to better negotiate with tough suppliers, such

as Jabba the Hutt.
...
aid an anonymous IA
Procurement Manager.
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Arena Demand allowed IA to profit by tracking inexpensive components; for example: a single insignificant capacitor used in
multiple quantities at many BOM levelsand shared across different productsrarely has its total aggregated usage (portfolio wide) accounted for. Knowing the sum total usage of the capacitors to forecast in advance provided IA with significant leverage to negotiate higher volumes and lower prices.
When we outsourced our manufacturing, we also outsourced our material planning, leaving us blind to the total quantity of
R-series droid parts we would buy for the droid line over the next year, said an anonymous IA Procurement Manager. Arena
Demand provides us with parts visibility across the entire product portfolio (both broad and deep) to forecast demand and better negotiate bulk discounts. With Arena Demand, we didnt need a material resource planning (MRP) system (or an expensive
team to run it), who often just took our money and trolled at Dexs Diner. When it came to finding all the small components that
went into all our R-series droids, Arena helped us find the pennies that saved us millions.
R2-D2: The Wild Years
nce peace was established...
...and IA became the undisputed droid manufacturing champion, R2-D2 bid farewell to the
Rebel Alliance and set off to Hollywood to
realize his long-time dream: to play lead guitar
in an LA-style Guns N Roses hard rock band.
or a stint,

the droid went by the
stage name of Guitar 2-D2 and enjoyed the
decadent lifestyle of a rock star. Sadly, he fell
into a bad crowd, got hooked on WD-40, and
ended up working as a lowly trashcan on the
grimy streets of Sunset Boulevard.
ortunately,

C-3PO, who was
working as a butler at a Hollywood producers
nearby mansion, found the strung-out droid,
put him into rehab and got him a cushy job as
an hors doeuvre plate holder. And while
R2-D2s adventures werent as exciting as
they once were, he finished out his golden
years living a sedentary but peaceful life in
LA sipping the occasional Darjeeling tea with
his long-time companion.
*Not a Parody: Arena PLM customer Graphite Systems removed 90% of product errors, saved an estimated $500,000 recurring
annually by removing costly on premise IT management.
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Episode III: Help Us PLM...

Youre Our Only Hope
hy Yoda preached the power of PLM
espite his cute chihuahua-like looks,
adorable Muppet-speak and warm wise eyes, Yoda was straight
gangsta. He was one of the most powerful Jedi Masters in galactic history, renowned for his legendary wisdom, mastery of the
Force and intrepid lightsaber skills.
The lightsabers biggest product design challenges were managing end-of-life parts, such as the rare Kaiburr crystals, that
powered the Jedi weapon. Keeping track of these hard-to-find crystals had become increasingly complicated during the Galactic Civil War. The problem was the Empire banned trade and possession of these sought-after gems due to their propensity
towards molecular instability that left generations of life-forms in ashes.
Without these vital components and stones, lightsaber production ground to a halt, resulting in a catastrophic impact to
weapon builders everywhere.
Compounding this domino effect, Yodas inability to ship product resulted in a wide-spread market panic. Customers scrambled
to find secondhand early edition First Blade lightsabers, which were highly unstable and inefficiently guzzled energy from a
belt-mounted power supply. Because these lightsabers could only be used for a brief duration before overheating, Jedi Knights
often had to use their voice to make faux humming/buzzing sounds while swinging their lightsabers around to ward off foes.
This, while not only ineffective, was quite humiliating.
Yoda was too old and wise to ignore the fact he needed product lifecycle management (PLM) tools to help him identify parts at
risk as well as gain an in-depth look into component life cycles, availability and compliance data.
If youve ever designed embedded electronic components, in a high mix, high change environment for parts
that are non-compliant or approaching end-of-life
understand the value of up-to-date parts, you must,
said Yoda. But unless you work for an enterprise with
access to expensive data aggregation services, easy
to get detailed and timely information for off-the-shelf
components, it is not.
To solve his parts-management problem, Yoda turned
to Arena, which had developed Supplier Item Lookup
(SIL)a BOMControl add-on that provides current
oda was too old and wise to ignore

the fact he needed product lifecycle
management (PLM) tools to help him
market availability, datasheets and compliance information for all your BOMs. SIL communicates with SiliconExpert, a leading component database, which provides
up-to-date supplier information, lifecycle status and
regulatory or environmental compliance information.
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Part search is often a mystifying and frustrating process that burns through countless man-hours and eats away at profits,
it can, said Yoda. By using Arena PLMs Supplier Item Lookup with SiliconExperts vertical search, OEMs and distributors
can simplify the process, avoid the manual legwork, and cure many of the headaches associated with part search, it does.
Hmmmmmm. Superfluous data is ignored, buried information is uncovered, and insight is built in. With an electronic component
database, the task becomes less about locating data and more about locating intelligence. Yessssss, he said while nodding
knowingly.
efore his life was tragically cut short at the tender age of 903,
Yoda continued to preach the
value of SIL to heal manufacturers from component lifecycle and compliance pains they faced on a regular basis. SIL gave
OEMs visibility into component availability that accelerated time to market and reduced line-down situations that could result in
catastrophic shipments delays.
Everyone in the design, sourcing and manufacturing process stumbles upon data problems, they do, said Yoda. With Arena
and Supplier Item Lookup, OEMs save time by being able to quickly lookup part information, avoiding the tedious and arduous
process of going through different supplier websites, they can. Yessss.
Yodas Top Six Benefits of Supplier item Lookup
o solve a Parts Management problem...
If components youre evaluating are available for purchase, it knows. Hmmm.
Quickly it can provide a

part crossit can.
Determine if components
meet the regulatory requirements for your product, it can.
For all the parts in your

BOM, pull up-to-date
datasheets. Herh herh herh.
Identify potential supply

shortages for essential
components in your bill of
materials (BOM), you will.
For sudden market

availability changes,
monitor items in your BOM,
you do. Yesssss.
*Not a Parody: Arena PLM customer Aurora Networks lowered Time to Market by 75%, increased Product Quality by 75%.
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Episode IV: Darths Too Sexy

for His Suit
H
ow the Dark Side accelerated FDA
approval for Darth Vaders suit
arth Vaders fearsome black mobile life-support suit
was manufactured to compensate for the
serious injuries Anakin Skywalker suffered after his duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi.
But precious few knew the luminarys statuesque, gloom and doom outfitdesigned
with groundbreaking medical device technologyalmost didnt happen.
If the Galactic Empire had not previously met FDAs stringent compliance approval, the cyborg system would have never shipped to marketand the most
recognizable icon of evil the universe has ever known would have never existed.
Vaders life-support system included a chest-worn, 256 bit SSL encrypted
control panel that regulated his respiratory functions with a breathing apparatus
and embedded heartbeat regulator. A ventilating filter in his iconic mouth grill
doubled as an asthma inhaler.
Vader would sometimes get so worked up over the Rebel Alliances shenanigans that hed stomp his feet and hyperventilate, remembers Emperor Palpatine. He would curse and wheeze so hard, we thought he was going to blow a
lung. So, we made sure to include a device to regulate his breathing.
The suit also came equipped with a Fitbit, a state of the art activity tracking
device, which enabled Lord Vader to calculate the distance he walked, calories
burned, floors climbed, activity duration and intensity. Before Lord Vader was
into the Dark Side, he was into fitness and having great glutes, recalls the
ortunately, the Galactic

Empire had Arena PLM, which
made audits easier and
less time consuming. this
enabled Palpatines team to
meet compliance requirements and go to market
fast with medical device
technologyall while
dressed in a killer suit.
Emperor. In fact, he might have had the best buns in the galaxy.
Product designs for the suits frightening look and revolutionary medical device functionality had existed for some time but
had repeatedly failed to meet FDA standards. The problem was the Galactic Empire never formalized design control and
change management processes. Without a corrective action/preventive action (CAPA) management system and lack of formal
design history files (DHFs), device master records (DMRs) and design processes, the evil empire labored under severe
regulatory delays.
Since we are the Dark Side, I thought intimidating the FDA to expedite compliance approval would be easy, said Palpatine.
However, the FDA was tougher than we imagined. Their incredibly impudent rep said to me, Listenyou can stop with all the
blah, blah, blah Dark Side claptrapnothing is more powerful than the FDA. Get it, you crazy old kook?
Now, how are those hurtful words supposed to make me feel? sighed the crestfallen Emperor.
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To accelerate FDA approval and meet the requirements of other galactic regulatory compliance standards, Palpatine knew he
had to rectify the Galactic Empires missing or poorly maintained compliance handling proceduresnot to mention their outdated auditing procedures. To achieve this goal, he turned to Arenas PLM solution.
The Galactic Empire discovered Arena PLM streamlined the management of the bill of materials (BOMs), DHF, DMR, and
change orders associated with the suit. And Arena Quality, embedded in Arena PLM with integrated CAPA capabilities, provided a superior empire-wide approach. This holistic quality solution offers visibility, cross-functional team collaboration, and
long-term tracking of quality resolutions which accelerated FDA approval for Lord Vaders suit and allowed us to enter mass
production earlier, says Palpatine.
The Senator bristles when asked what would have happened if the Empire had not achieved regulatory compliance in time.
We were resigned to the possibility that Lord Vader would be forced to ride around on either a mall cop Segway, or a cherry
red Rascal with a basket in front, growled Palpatine. Even if Medicare subsidized the Segway or the scooter, imagine how
degrading that would be. How does one strike abject fear into entire galaxies while brandishing a front basket with pinwheels?
Fortunately, the Galactic Empire had Arena PLM, which made audits easier and less time consuming. This enabled Palpatines
team to meet compliance requirements and go to market faster with advanced medical device technologyall while dressed in
a killer suit.
Darth vaders Suit: Looks That Kill
ashionistas and haute couture

historians wonder...
The camera loves you, baby.
...how Did Darth Vaders suit became one of the

hottest outfits in the galaxy?
For three years running, the Endor edition of GQ
magazine voted Vaders outfit as Mobile Life Support Suit of the Year. The ensembles sweeping
lines, industrial gauged breastplate armament, and
accessoriesgloves, helmet and capebecame
the darling of the Empires Fall collection. The
rakish outfit had such flair, it also placed Best in
Show for form, fit and function (FFF) at runway
shows from Paris to Tatooine.
mportant Note:
Star Wars historians are quick to point out that the Galactic Empires medical device division was
savvy enough to understand the compliance value of using Arenas cloud-based PLM and Quality to formalize design processes; however, the larger weapons manufacturing division was too set in its old ways, relying on on-premise solutions or outdated
spreadsheet to adopt new software.
*Not a Parody: Arena PLM customer IPG Photonics reduced Time to Market by 25%, lowered ECO Cycles by 100% with 100%
improvement in Supply Chain processes.
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Episode V: Find the Droid

Parts Youre Looking For
S
ecrets to negotiating
component part purchases
without Jedi mind tricks
W
w

atto was the greediest
and most mean-spirited contract manufacturer in all of Toydaria.
Headquartered in downtown Mos Def with second and third tier suppliers hidden across the planets, Watto consistently
exploited the fact that OEMs, who outsource their manufacturing (and consequently their material planning), were left blind to
evaluate and forecast their total component needs. Without knowledge of the total aggregated usage of components, OEMs
had no leverage to negotiate with supply chain partners on price-based part volumes. This lack of visibility gave contract
manufacturers like Watto the upper hand in price talks.
Not even the shiftiest Jedi mind trickseven those wielded by a
revered Jedi Master, like Qui-Gon Jinncould improve the bargaining
position with Watto.
I wanted to buy some parts from Watto, but I told him I didnt have
cash and tried to (making air quotes) convince him that he should
accept my Discover Card, recalled Jinn. Watto snapped, Discover
Cards and Jedi mind tricks dont work on meonly money. No cash
no parts. I felt violated by the inflated prices he was charging but
helpless to bargain. I was so frustrated I wanted to punch him right in
his nosetrunkbeak?
The Jedi Master knew he needed a new strategy to strengthen his
negotiating leverage with Watto.
Turns out that Jinn, who had just inked lucrative sponsorship deals
rena Demand...reduces
purchased component costs
by aggregating the usage of
all individual components
across multiple products.
with Pennzoil, STP and Budweiser to manufacture his own line of podracers, had a high volume need for millions of tiny capacitors to build
both onboard and embedded electronic entertainment consoles for
his luxury and mid-size racers. But he didnt know how many common
modules used the same insignificant part across disparate product
lines. To gain greater part visibility so as to better negotiate attractive
volume price discounts, Jinn turned to Arena Demand.
Arena Demand works with Arenas flagship product Arena PLM BOMControl. It reduces purchased component costs by aggregating the usage of all individual components across multiple products. This visibility provides leverage to better negotiate with
supply chain partners on price-based volumes.
10
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Arena Demand allowed me to shave microns off my tiny penny componentsheretofore ignoredthat added up to millions of
dollars in savings, said Jinn, proudly flipping his luxurious mane of hair back and forth as though starring in a shampoo commercial. Arena Demand was created for OEMs like me to gain leverage in negotiating with the Wattos of the world.
Eventually, Jinns negotiation position became so strong that when he entered the Chalmuns Spaceport Cantina, the most
notoriously exploitive CMs across the galaxy would visibly quake, averting their gaze in abject fear. The Jedi Master became
so formidable, he was subsequently able to bargain for the release of Wattos slave (and Jedi prodigy) Anakin Skywalker who
was formally tendered over to his custody.
As more OEMs across the galaxy discovered how Arena Demand enabled a fast, efficient way of looking across BOMs and
product lines to update forecasting as products change, Watto could no longer charge exorbitant markups for parts. His wanton ways were splayed open as warning that OEMs possessing Arena Demand should not be trifled with.
With Arena Demand, OEMs can identify track, roll-up, and forecast even the most inexpensive components, turning pennies
into dollarsand in some volumesmillions.
How Watto Got His Groove on
atto was broke and friendless.
Compounding the suffering of Wattos

isolation was his inexorable frugality, which
made dating difficult, especially for someone with craggy teeth and a hooked trunk.
Jinn took pity on Watto and took it upon
himself to offer the uncomely creature
some double-secret Jedi dating advice.
L
l
ook, Im no george clooney,
but I learned from Jinn that even a hideous

blue insect like me could find love if I just
started being a bit more generous, said
Watto, his bug eyes welling with tears.
OEMs should count their

pennies but suitors should not.
I now understand in matters of
love how a man spendsor fails to
spendreflects how caring and giving
he is as a person, adding with a sniff,
Arena Demand was a blessing in
disguise, man.
S
s
oon after that,

Watto got a
Euro-styled haircut, bought Georgio
Armani Aqua cologne and started taking
his dates to upscale restaurants. Not
over-the-top fancy mind you, so as to not
appear showy.
*Not a Parody: Arena PLM customer Affirmed Networks slashed Time to Market by 50%, and reduced ECO Cycles by 100%.
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Episode VI: Bogus Parts

Make You Sith Your Pants?
K
eep Your Suppliers Close and Your

Suppliers Suppliers Closer
W
w

ith part suppliers spread across the galaxy,
the risk of counterfeit components making their way
into the manufacturing mix has increased at a disturbing rate.

The Rebel Alliance discovered the dangerous impact of bad parts the hard way. In the weeks before the battle of Yavin, X-wing
fighter pilots realized their onboard targeting computers were not generating an accurate projection of the battlefield.
The Incom T-65 X-wings perfect balance of speed, maneuverability and defensive shielding made it the fighter of choice for
Rogue Squadron, said Rebel Alliance General and Manufacturing Operations Manager Carlist Rieekan. However, without our
targeting computers, wed be as awkward as Jabba the Hutt twerking, said Rieekan. And the chance of shooting two photon
torpedoes down an exhaust shaft two meters wide was as likely as a Wookie winning a swim suit competition.
The Rebel Alliances entire mission was nearly compromised because
faulty components had made their way into the computer systems
due to a lack of supply chain visibility.
How could that happenyou ask?
The Rebel Alliance contracted with several top tier contract manufacturers, giving them absolute ownership of the design of their respective
piece of the X-wing product line and responsibility for managing their
own subcontractors. Unbeknownst to the Rebel Alliance, one of those
second-tier part suppliers for the tracking computers IP happened to
beJawas.
Let me explain something about Jawas, said Rieekan. They are
relentless scavengers who comb the deserts of Tatooine in search of
any scrap metal, droid or mechanical part left behind from the millennia of star travel. And guess what? Those very old junk parts were
what our primary contacts ended up buying from the Jawas and using
in our X-wing fighter tracking systems. So frustrating.
To reduce the occurrence of bogus parts, the Rebel Alliance turned to
Arena Exchange, a supply chain solution that allowed the Rebel Alliances manufacturing division to forward, filter and share build packages across their entire extended supply chain at a fraction of the
cost of others. Arena Exchange enabled more robust team collaboration and greater visibility into second-tier supply chain suppliers.
et me explain something about

Jawas. They are relentless scavengers who comb the deserts of
Tatooine in search of any scrap
metal, droid or mechanical part
left behind.
12
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While the Rebel Alliance wants efficient supply chain approval processes, we dont always want to give our primary supply
chain contacts second and third teams Login access to our innermost PLM system, especially if those providers are sneaky,
hoodie-wearing Jawas, said Rieekan.
The need for greater supply chain visibility impacts manufacturers from industries ranging from medical devices to high technology. And organizations that span from evil empires to the Sea Monsters of Naboo. Its a galactic fact that even stellar suppliers oftentimes unintentionally employ unscrupulous employees who could vacuum up your IP and jet off to the Clone Wars
to use their powers for evil. And its also a universal truth that bogus parts often rear their ugly heads during times of desperation when suppliers are hurried to service their OEM customers.
When youre trying to get an assembly built quicklyor your demand has suddenly increasedthink Death Star super laser
or X-wing tracking computeryoure going to find youre short of components and your contract manufacturer and suppliers
will work very hard to get you parts. That is classically when you end up with counterfeit parts, admits Rieekan. Unfortunately, you wont know theyre bogus until you re-spin the board and get into system tests. So, with Arena Exchange, were able to
see where our distributors and suppliers are actually getting parts before its too late.
y using Arena Exchange
the Rebel Alliance gained a clear competitive advantage over the Galactic Empire by
eliminating the counterfeit parts that might result in unforeseen scrap, rework and shipping delays. My college fraternity bro
Grand Moff Tarkin went to work for the Empire. We made a bet I could blow up his Death Star before he could finish building a
vehicle mounted laser to destroy our rebel base on the fourth moon of Yavin, snickered Rieeken with an impish smile.
Continuing, But he didnt have a way to guard against fake
parts. That caused laser production delays, giving us time
to steal a Death Star blueprint and discover an exhaust port
vulnerability. Because of Arena Exchange not requiring a
specific PLM, I prevailed. I wish he were still here so I could
open up a cold brew and say nothing. Just take a few pensive sips and gloat.
To this day, Star Wars historians debate whether Luke Skywalker actually used the Force or an eleventh generation
tracking computer to destroy the Death Star. When I first
heard a Yavin Base controller yell, Luke, you switched off
your tracking computer! Whats wrong? I said to myself. Oh,
no! Another counterfeit part has caused product failure at
the worst possible time! explained Rieekan. But then Luke
responded, Nothing. The tracking computer works fine. I was
just listening to my favorite audio book, The Bridges of Madison County. Some people claim we were victorious because
of the Force, but I believe it was actually Arena Exchange.
*Not a Parody: Arena PLM customer Nimble Storage slashed Time to Market by 100%, reduced ECO Cycles, Scrap and
Rework by 100%, increased Supply Chain improvements by 100%.
13
arenasolutions.com
Episode VII: Luke, Im Your Father...

(sigh) and Uncle
N
ext-generation supply chain collaboration
tools saved the Jedi
W
w

ithin the halls of the illustrious jedi academy,
the apprenticeship of a Padawan (Force-sensitive
adolescent) traditionally began with a disciplined one-on-one instruction with an assigned Jedi Knight or Master.
Unfortunately, this one-to-one transfer of knowledge between student and teacher had dangerous pitfalls. A Jedis untimely
death at the hands of an evil Sith could sever the line of wisdom passed from one generation to the next. And no one can deny
that if Yoda and Ben, Obi-Wan Kenobi, had not escaped the clutches of The Empire and hidden in Tatooine and Dagobah,
millenniums of Jedi Teachings would have been completely lost.
Despite avoiding capture, the Jedi realized that a humans memoryeven that of a wise Jediis prone to failure due to the
outrageous slings and arrows of aging.
Star Wars historians originally believed Obi-Wan was protecting Luke Skywalkers feelings by not revealing that his father,
Anakin Skywalker, was Darth Vader. But the truth is Obi-Wanin the twilight of his yearssimply forgot this important bit of
information.
A young Jedi named Darth Vader [long pause to remember what he was saying] um, hmmm, betrayed and murdered your
fatherI think, fumbled Obi-Wan, while drinking prune juice. This wasnt the only time the ancient Jedis absent-mindedness
had nearly doomed the rebel alliance.
Despite reminding him many times, Ben Kenobi completely forgot to take R2-D2 and his How to Destroy a Death Star for
Dummies guide to Alderaan like I asked, huffed Luke Skywalker, who began disdainfully referring to the senile old Jedi as
Bengay On Kenobi.
Seeing the potentially catastrophic amount of historical data and
Jedi teachings nearly lost during the Great Jedi Purge, the Jedi
quickly realized the importance of sharing and permanently recording important product information in a more formalized manner. Because of this, the Jedi soon employed a collaboration
system that facilitated teamwork to avoid risking the loss of critical product information, wisdom and important documents, such
as the Death Star SOP (standard operating procedure).
cribe provides the entire product

supply chain a digital slate to socialize, record and share all tribal
knowledge
The next generation collaboration solution the Jedi Academy

chose to support their Force, for engineering and manufacturing
teachings was Arena Scribe. Scribe provides the entire product
supply chain a digital slate to socialize, record and share all tribal
knowledge, said Skywalker. Stakeholders can get up to speed
quickly and make informed decisions.
14
arenasolutions.com
Because the Jedi were already using Arena PLM BOMControl to manage their product data for their engineering and manufacturing needs for the design of lightsabers, X-Wings, droids and Jedi Jamborees (the galaxys most popular wearable fitness
consumer products), adopting Arena Scribe was a no-brainer. With all the product documentation already in BOMControl,
Scribe made it so easy to facilitate collaboration; in fact, theres actually no training manual.
Luke had long recognized that the Jedis one-on-one teaching heritage and heavy reliance on email fell short of the knowledge-sharing potential that only a next generation collaboration solution could unlock. Theres only so much you can gain
by giving Yoda piggy back rides and slurping raw space bat eggs straight from the shell after a tough training session,
said Skywalker.
He continued, Although Obi-Wan forgot my dad was Darth Vader, I was able to go back to Scribe and discover a Jedi thread
that accurately recorded that Darth Vader was not only my fatherbut my uncle, too! Whoa! This made me really uncomfortable about my familys unhealthy close relationships.
Enterprise social collaboration is not just a platformits a means of transforming business processes. The solution releases
the power of your human capital and captures it in a single knowledge-base repository. By collaborating, youll bring the ease
of consumer-like social experiences to the supply chain, said Luke. Everyone within a manufacturing organizationengineers, operation managers, executives, even supplierscan share their domain knowledge broadly within their groups or narrowly across discrete functions.
Windus Greatest Hits
ith Scribe...
...the Rebel Alliance cataloged the wisdom

of Jedi, such as Mace Windu, who was
portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson. Often
quoted at Jedi Council cocktail parties,
here are some of Windus best-known
bon mots:

mm. Jimmie.

This is some
serious gourmet coffee. Usually,
me and Vince would be happy
with freeze-dried Tasters Choice,
right? And he goes and springs
this serious gourmet coffee on
us. This is some serious uptown funk.
n the name
of the Galactic Senate of the Republic, youre under arrest,

Chancellor.
e
E
nough is enough!

it with snakes on this plane!
I have had
*Not a Parody: Arena PLM customer Liquid Robotics reduced Time to Market by 75%, increased Product Quality and Supply
Chain improvements by 100%.
15
arenasolutions.com
Arena PLM Saves the Galaxy

t
oday,
engineers relate stories of how cloud-based PLM helped heroic product companies triumph over costly product
errors, shipping delays and quality failure.

Arenas suite of easy, affordable PLM and supply chain solutions enable product companies to deliver quality products on time
and on budget. With a collaborative environment for centralizing, controlling, and analyzing complex and constantly changing
product information (including bills of materials (BOMs), part specifications, and change orders) product companies are better
equipped to get their products to market ahead of their competition.
No company wants to suffer a Death Star-like product disaster. Arena helps engineers, operation managers, and executives
make sure their BOMs dont bomb.
Because of Arena, manufacturers, of world-class companies such as GoPro, Fitbit, Nutanix and SunPower have become Jedi
Masters of their BOMs and product design processes.
For more information on how to save your company from BOM errors and achieve galactic success, contact Arena Solutions at
www.arenasolutions.com or call us at 866.937.1438.
To quote Yoda, Buy it, you will.
*Not a Parody: Arena PLM customer Blast Motion reduced

Time to Market and ECO Cycles by 100%, increased Product
Quality by 100%.
*Not a Parody: Arena PLM customer Cypress Semiconductor

slashed Time to Market, Scrap and Rework by 75%,
experienced 100% Supply Chain improvements.
Author
John Papageorge, the author of ENGINEERS STRIKE
BACK: STORIES, TIPS & SECRETS, has worked with some
of the biggest names in technology, including Oracle, IBM,
Hewlett Packard, Cisco and Silicon Valley Bank, to analyze
and communicate emerging business and technology
trends. Today he works with Arena Solutions.
16

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A Galactic Guide to Innovation

A long time ago...

ere at arena solutions

weve provided innovative product companies domestically, internationally, and in

ompanies need an affordable

Luke, Im Your Father...(sigh) and Uncle

is a tragic example of an enterprise-size organization thatbecause of a failure to foster a

ambitious project ever launched. The space station had a crew

hy cant you be a team player,

Alkan recognized that once a product

Episode II: Building R2-D2:

egendary for his many tools,

rena Saved Customers on Earth From

reach a wider family market, IA introduced several new

still collapse time to market? The answer: Arena PLM

leverage to better negotiate with tough suppliers, such

R2-D2: The Wild Years

nce peace was established...

Episode III: Help Us PLM...

hy Yoda preached the power of PLM

espite his cute chihuahua-like looks,

adorable Muppet-speak and warm wise eyes, Yoda was straight

oda was too old and wise to ignore

Yoda continued to preach the

Yodas Top Six Benefits of Supplier item Lookup

o solve a Parts Management problem...

If components youre evaluating are available for purchase, it knows. Hmmm.

Quickly it can provide a

For all the parts in your

Identify potential supply

For sudden market

Episode IV: Darths Too Sexy

arth Vaders fearsome black mobile life-support suit

was manufactured to compensate for the

ortunately, the Galactic

Darth vaders Suit: Looks That Kill

ashionistas and haute couture

The camera loves you, baby.

...how Did Darth Vaders suit became one of the

Episode V: Find the Droid

atto was the greediest

and most mean-spirited contract manufacturer in all of Toydaria.

How Watto Got His Groove on

atto was broke and friendless.

Compounding the suffering of Wattos

ook, Im no george clooney,

but I learned from Jinn that even a hideous

OEMs should count their

oon after that,

Episode VI: Bogus Parts

eep Your Suppliers Close and Your

ith part suppliers spread across the galaxy,

the risk of counterfeit components making their way

into the manufacturing mix has increased at a disturbing rate.

et me explain something about

y using Arena Exchange

Episode VII: Luke, Im Your Father...

ithin the halls of the illustrious jedi academy,

the apprenticeship of a Padawan (Force-sensitive

cribe provides the entire product

The next generation collaboration solution the Jedi Academy

Windus Greatest Hits

...the Rebel Alliance cataloged the wisdom