CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
19 October 2005
Acquisitions
Autodesk Acquires Engineering Intent Corporation
Autodesk, Inc. announced that it has acquired certain assets of Engineering Intent Corporation. Privately held and based in Waltham, Mass, Engineering Intent provides "Engineer to Order" (ETO) software and services. The acquisition enables Autodesk to help its customers address the growing demand for mass customization-efficiently delivering end products designed and configured for individual customers. Autodesk's expanded solution directly supports its' customers requirement to efficiently produce and deliver customized end products for time to market advantages. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
ETO software can significantly shorten manufacturers' sales cycles, typically from an average of 30 days to as little as one day or more importantly, a single sales call. The software also helps them manufacture their end products more cost effectively. By embedding a company's engineering specifications or design intelligence and rules up-front, ETO software enables sales to achieve pre-approved designs in the field, reduces engineering design iterations, minimizes costly errors and can eliminate manufacturing re-work.
"Engineering Intent has been active and successful in helping its customers address sales engineering automation," said Buzz Kross, vice president of Autodesk's Manufacturing Solutions Division. "In addition to bringing domain expertise, Engineering Intent has developed ETO software that encompasses a competitively unique rules engine. This acquisition expands our business scope and demonstrates our commitment to providing an increasingly comprehensive solution to our customers."
Engineering Intent has successfully partnered with Autodesk Consulting for a variety of AutoCAD and Autodesk Inventor-based ETO implementations.
Hytrol Conveyor Company, a major manufacturer of conveying systems and accessories, has been working with Engineering Intent and Autodesk to implement a company-wide ETO system. "This system will help us to significantly shorten our sales cycles and engineering time by automating re-design for each order, Bill of Material (BOM) production for manufacturing, and spare parts lists for our customers," said Stuart Shaw, Hytrol's Manager of Information Systems. "We'll be able to implement this system in half the time it would have taken us to develop a customized solution in house."
Southern Staircase, a premier supplier to home builders, commercial contracts and architects, is a long time Autodesk customer. "We are thrilled about this acquisition," says Randy Scott vice president at Southern Staircase. "We are implementing a solution consisting of Autodesk Inventor and Engineering Intent, with the expertise of the Autodesk Consulting team guiding the entire project including the integration into our ERP system. With this solution we will be able to reduce order administration, reduce errors, get to market faster, and ultimately increase our sales volumes. This move by Autodesk to help address the engineer to order challenge for its customers is further proof that we made the right decision with Autodesk."
In acquiring certain assets of Engineering Intent, Autodesk broadens its solutions for manufacturing companies with 2D and 3D design products and process automation offering such as Autodesk Productstream. Autodesk continues to enable its customers to realize ideas and increase process automation for improved return on investment.
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