Siemens Teamcenter User Guide
Blog Article | April 21, 2024
Author
Michelle Simon
PLM Application Engineer at Saratech
- Over a year of experience providing technical support for Teamcenter and contributing to pre-sales demonstrations
- Currently supports service projects, assisting with the installation, configuration, and optimization of Teamcenter to meet customer needs
- B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from UC Irvine and has prior experience in medical devices and biomedical imaging
In today’s fast-paced engineering and manufacturing world, managing the lifecycle of a product is more complex than ever. Enter Siemens Teamcenter—an advanced Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solution that integrates data, processes, and people, enabling organizations to manage every stage of a product’s journey, from concept to end-of-life.
Siemens Teamcenter has earned its reputation as one of the leading PLM solutions available, helping businesses streamline their operations, improve collaboration, and maintain consistent, repeatable processes across various product development stages. In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through the key components, interfaces, and functionalities of Teamcenter to help you better understand how to leverage its full potential.
Applications of Teamcenter PLM
Teamcenter is designed to serve multiple industries, with applications spanning across product development, engineering, and manufacturing processes. Below are the key areas where Teamcenter proves invaluable:
Systems Engineering & Product Development
Teamcenter supports the entire lifecycle of a product, from conceptual design to production. Systems engineering tools in Teamcenter help define requirements, ensure compliance, and optimize design processes. The solution's ability to provide a unified platform for engineering and design teams ensures that everyone is on the same page, which leads to fewer errors and faster time-to-market.
Requirements Capture & Change Management
As product designs evolve, it’s crucial to track changes and capture requirements to ensure alignment with customer needs and industry standards. Teamcenter provides robust tools for change management, allowing teams to easily capture, trace, and approve changes across the product lifecycle. By automating change processes, Teamcenter helps maintain consistency while reducing manual errors and improving visibility into project history.
BOM Management, Classification, & Workflows
Managing a bill of materials (BOM) is essential for manufacturing, cost estimation, and sourcing. Teamcenter offers powerful BOM management tools that ensure every product component is correctly defined, classified, and tracked. Moreover, it automates workflows around BOM management, ensuring that every stakeholder has up-to-date information.
Manufacturing Process Management
Teamcenter streamlines manufacturing processes by integrating design, production planning, and execution. Its tools help define processes, control engineering changes, and optimize manufacturing schedules, reducing delays and improving overall efficiency.
Core Components of Teamcenter
Teamcenter is made up of several core components that play a critical role in organizing and managing data throughout the product lifecycle.
Item
An Item in Teamcenter represents a product or component. It is the highest level of abstraction for a product within the system and can have multiple revisions. Items are foundational to the product structure and form the basis of data organization.
Item Revision
The Item Revision is a specific version of an Item, capturing the state of the item at a particular point in time. Each revision tracks its design, specifications, and configuration, making it easier to manage changes and track the evolution of a product.
Item Master
The Item Master is a central repository for all data related to an item, including its various revisions. It holds all metadata associated with an item across its lifecycle, providing a single, authoritative source of truth.
Item Revision Master
The Item Revision Master serves as the central reference point for all information related to a particular revision of an item. It contains not only the item’s data but also its associated documents, datasets, and other references.
Dataset
Datasets represent the actual files and documents associated with an item or its revisions. These can include CAD models, specifications, engineering drawings, and other related data.
Getting Started with Teamcenter PLM
One of the standout features of Teamcenter is its global access to data and integration capabilities. Whether your team is located across different departments or continents, Teamcenter ensures seamless data flow and collaboration. Below are some key capabilities of Teamcenter:
Global Access to Data & Process Integration Features
Teamcenter enables real-time access to product data and lifecycle information across your organization, breaking down silos and improving collaboration.
Change Management Capabilities
Teamcenter simplifies change management by tracking design updates, approvals, and modifications while ensuring proper revision control.
Product Structure Management & Visualization
Teamcenter allows users to manage product structures effectively while providing advanced visualization tools to review designs and assemblies.
Data Sharing & Collaboration
By providing a centralized repository for all product data, Teamcenter enhances collaboration across teams, suppliers, and partners.
Saratech specializes in optimizing Teamcenter implementations and integrating PLM and PDM systems to streamline your product lifecycle management. Whether you're looking to improve BOM management, enhance workflow automation, or need expert support with your Teamcenter deployment, our team is ready to assist.
Teamcenter Interfaces
Teamcenter provides two primary interfaces for users to interact with the system: Rich Client (RAC) and Active Workspace.
Rich Client (RAC)
The Rich Client (RAC) is a desktop-based application typically installed on Teamcenter servers or administrator workstations. It offers full access to Teamcenter's administrative and configuration tools, making it the preferred interface for PLM administrators and advanced users managing system-wide settings.
Although engineers may also use the RAC, Siemens is gradually moving away from this interface, making Active Workspace the more future-proof solution. One of the key drawbacks of the RAC is that it must be installed on each individual workstation, increasing maintenance complexity.
Active Workspace (Web-Based Interface)
Active Workspace is the web-based interface of Teamcenter and is designed to provide an intuitive and modern user experience. Unlike the RAC, Active Workspace does not require local installation, making it easier to deploy and maintain across organizations.
For the average user, Active Workspace is the expected interface, offering streamlined access to key functionalities such as:
- Item and dataset management
- BOM visualization and modification
- CAD integration
- Workflow management and process automation
- Reporting and data analysis
With its user-friendly interface, Active Workspace improves usability by keeping important data accessible while simplifying navigation and workflows. Siemens continues to enhance this platform, ensuring it remains the preferred choice for everyday Teamcenter users.
Tips for Using Teamcenter Interfaces
Maximizing efficiency in Active Workspace (AWC) and Rich Client (RAC) requires smart navigation and customization. Here are key tips to streamline your workflow:
Customize Your Settings
Adjust default views, column layouts, and saved searches to prioritize frequently used data. AWC retains these settings across sessions, offering a seamless experience.
Use Advanced Search
Leverage wildcards (*, ?), attribute-based filtering, and saved queries to quickly find items. AWC enhances this with faceted search filters and real-time suggestions.
Save Favorites for Quick Access
Bookmark frequently used items in AWC’s Favorites or use RAC’s Recently Opened Items and Bookmarks for faster retrieval.
Streamline Workflows
Automate approvals, track changes, and enforce processes using pre-defined workflow templates. AWC offers an intuitive workflow dashboard for real-time monitoring.
Manage BOMs Efficiently
Utilize Structure Manager for BOM edits, revision rules, and effectivity settings. AWC’s 3D visualization tools allow for CAD-free model reviews and annotations.
Control Data Access
Set role-based permissions to ensure users see only relevant data. Use lifecycle states and audit trails to maintain security and compliance.
Leverage AWC for Simplicity
Unlike RAC, AWC requires no local installation, making it easier to deploy, update, and use across devices. Its streamlined interface enhances usability for most users.
Following these tips will help users navigate Teamcenter more effectively, improving productivity and collaboration.
Basic Tasks & Product Structure Management
Mastering basic tasks in Teamcenter helps users efficiently manage product data and lifecycle processes. Some key tasks include:
Creating & Managing Items, Datasets, & Folders
Organizing your product data starts with structuring items, datasets, and folders effectively.
Revision Control & Item Organization
Maintain version control and ensure changes are properly documented.
Using Structure Manager for BOM Management
Structure Manager allows users to configure and manage BOMs using revision rules, effectivity, and modular variants.
Workflows & Process Automation
Workflows play a crucial role in Teamcenter by automating approvals, adding release statuses, and streamlining engineering processes. Implementing well-designed workflows enhances collaboration and ensures compliance with organizational policies.
Product Structure Tools & Variants
Managing complex product structures is a critical function of Teamcenter PLM. The system provides various tools to help engineers and manufacturers organize, compare, and modify product configurations efficiently. These tools ensure consistency across different product versions, streamline collaboration, and support configuration management. Key product structure tools are:
Structure Manager
This tool allows users to view, edit, and manage Bill of Materials (BOMs) and product structures. Features include:
- Drag-and-drop reordering of components.
- Side-by-side comparisons of different BOM versions.
- Effectivity rules to define which configurations apply to specific production scenarios.
Variant Management
Enables engineers to create and manage product variations without duplicating entire assemblies. Key functions include:
- Option and Variant Management (OVM) – Helps define configurable product options for different customer needs.
- Modular Variants – Allow for flexible product configurations based on predefined rules.
- Effectivity and revision rules – Ensure that each variant aligns with the correct production phase.
Cloning & Packing Tools
Cloning allows teams to duplicate an existing product structure to create a new version while maintaining key relationships.
Packing tools help bundle related datasets, ensuring all necessary files are included when sharing designs with suppliers or manufacturing teams.
Comparison & Visualization Tools
BOM Compare highlights differences between product versions.
3D Visualization (in Active Workspace) provides an interactive way to examine product structures without requiring native CAD software.
By using these tools, Teamcenter users can efficiently manage product configurations, track changes, and optimize designs for manufacturing—all while maintaining full control over product data.
User Capabilities & Customization
Customizing Teamcenter improves user experience and efficiency. Key customization options include:
User Roles & Permissions
Define access levels and restrict data visibility based on user roles.
View Settings & Personalization
Adjust layouts and filters to tailor Teamcenter to your needs.
Session Management
Set up and manage user sessions, including password resets and role assignments.
Final Thoughts
Siemens Teamcenter is a powerful PLM solution that enables organizations to manage product data, streamline workflows, and maintain control over complex product structures. With its flexible interfaces—Active Workspace for ease of access and Rich Client for administrative tasks—users can efficiently collaborate and optimize their engineering processes.
By leveraging key features such as structured BOM management, variant configurations, and integrated workflows, teams can enhance productivity and ensure data consistency throughout the product lifecycle. Whether you're new to Teamcenter or looking to refine your implementation, understanding its core components, interfaces, and best practices is essential for maximizing its potential.
If your organization needs guidance on Teamcenter deployment, customization, or integration with existing systems, reach out to Saratech for expert support. We can help can make a significant difference in achieving a seamless and efficient PLM environment.
