A Q&A with Johann Dornbach, Head of Product, Revalize
What is PLM software?
Johann Dornbach: Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) follows the entire product journey from the conception of the very first idea to a product’s retirement. PLM software helps design and engineering teams manage their projects and initiatives in a single, consistent solution. Structured and unstructured information regarding the entire project is made accessible in one single place.
What defines good PLM software?
JD: A good PLM system directly integrates with engineering authoring tools and office productivity tools such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint and to email, such as Outlook, and manages the connections and relational knowledge in between. Combined with strong search and retrieve capabilities, product information is automatically available throughout the complete organization — supply chain and manufacturing groups can get notified of updates from engineering and have direct access to the updated versions. Sales and marketing have direct access to one single source of information around the products, enabling their messaging efforts with accurate and up-to-date data.
How does PLM software benefit AQ users?
JD: AQ users maintain a product catalog with strong selection, search and visualization capabilities. Products can be selected and configured to meet the requirements of each individual customer. Product information from upstream business units, such as Engineering, Procurement, and Manufacturing, needs to be available in a consistent and current form to best support AQ usage. PLM software from Revalize can uniquely provide this information. Moreover, sophisticated customers in the foodservice equipment and supplies industry have very individual and dedicated requirements, which manufacturers and sellers of dedicated equipment need to meet. Revalize PLM helps to streamline this process through a solution focused specifically on engineer-to-order requests and will integrate into AQ functionalities to best support these high-value scenarios.
What is your department is working on for AQ customers?
JD: The major focus this year has been on our AQ Products API tool as well as expanding our next gen offerings. We’ve created an AQ enterprise addition that provides expanded integration capabilities with major CRM/ERP vendors such as Salesforce and SAP. In conjunction with the expanded API buildout, numerous improvements have been made to rebate handling and payment options for AQ Pay users.
What can FES customers expect to see from Revalize in 2023?
JD: The 2023 Revalize product roadmap will have a significant focus on the theme of integration and enhancing the overall user experience. Unlocking the potential of cross-product integration as well as with esteemed third party applications will drive value and increase utilization of our suite of products for FES customers. In addition to expanded integration offerings, we will be improving our existing API and improving content management services within the AQ platform. Altogether, this strategic plan aims to maximize the value of our customers’ continued investment by boosting revenue opportunities for their operations in 2023 and beyond.
