Stay Sharp in Digital Engineering

Razorleaf Corp.

Welcome to 'Stay Sharp in Digital Engineering,' the ultimate podcast for all things digital in the manufacturing industry by Razorleaf. Join us as we take a deep dive into the multifaceted world of digital transformation, exploring topics such as the digital thread, digital twins, IDEs, model-based strategies and delving into the frontiers of cutting-edge technologies like PLM, MES, Integration, and more. Our expert hosts, Jonathan Scott, Jen Ferello, Juliann Grant, and Eric Doubell, will be your guides, providing valuable insights, captivating interviews, and the latest industry updates to ensure you remain at the forefront of the ever-evolving digital landscape. Whether you're a technology enthusiast, a business leader, or simply curious about the digital realm in manufacturing, this podcast is your essential resource for staying sharp and well-informed.

  1. 3 GG FA

    #136: What is Master Data Management and Who Owns It?

    Master Data Management Explained: Why Clean Data Matters More Than Ever Data fuels every digital initiative — but who’s actually managing it? In this episode of Stay Sharp in Digital Engineering, Jonathan Scott and Juliann Grant sit down with Razorleaf’s Ann Garcia to unpack the fundamentals of Master Data Management (MDM) and why it plays a critical role in modern digital engineering environments. With more than 30 years of experience across medical device, consumer packaged goods, and manufacturing industries, Ann brings a practical perspective to one of the most misunderstood topics in digital transformation: data ownership, governance, and lifecycle management. The conversation explores what master data actually is, how it differs from transactional and reference data, and why organizations struggle to define and manage it consistently across systems like PLM, ERP, and manufacturing platforms. The team also dives into: The difference between master data, transactional data, and reference data Why data governance often becomes more complex as organizations grow The role of master data during PLM and ERP implementations How mergers, acquisitions, and global operations impact data quality Why defining data standards early matters for digital transformation The relationship between clean master data, digital thread initiatives, and AI readiness How organizations balance speed with data accuracy during system rollouts Ann also shares real-world examples of how poor data definitions and inconsistent ownership can create downstream challenges — and why many companies underestimate the effort required to maintain clean, trusted data across the enterprise. As AI and analytics become increasingly important in manufacturing and engineering environments, this episode highlights a foundational truth: clean insights require clean data. If your organization is investing in PLM, ERP, digital thread, AI, or enterprise modernization, this conversation offers an important look at the often-overlooked infrastructure behind successful digital transformation. Featured Guest Ann Garcia – Data management and governance professional with 30+ years of experience supporting manufacturing, medical device, CPG, and enterprise transformation initiatives. Listen & Subscribe Follow Stay Sharp in Digital Engineering for conversations about digital transformation, PLM, manufacturing systems, engineering data, AI, and the future of connected product development. Music is considered “royalty-free” and discovered on Story Blocks. Technical Podcast Support by Jon Keur at Wayfare Recording Co. © 2024 Razorleaf Corp. All Rights Reserved.

    39 min
  2. 12 MAG

    #135: iBase-t Excelerate 2026 Wrap Up

    What’s driving the future of manufacturing execution, MRO, and digital operations in aerospace and defense?  In this special on-site episode of Stay Sharp in Digital Engineering, the Razorleaf team recaps their experience at the iBase-t Excelerate 2026 conference in National Harbor. Jonathan Scott and Juliann Grant share insights from customer presentations, emerging AI strategies, MES modernization efforts, and the growing push toward model-based manufacturing. From practical upgrade strategies to global deployment challenges, this episode explores how manufacturers are balancing innovation with operational realities. The event highlighted a clear industry shift: manufacturers are under increasing pressure to modernize quickly while maintaining quality, compliance, and production continuity. Discussions throughout the conference focused on pragmatic digital transformation, data integration across the “golden triangle” of ERP, PLM, and MES, and how AI can be securely and effectively embedded into enterprise systems. The team also discusses: GE Aerospace’s large-scale Solumina deployment for MRO and sustainment iBase-t’s practical AI strategy and security-first approach Real-world MES upgrade lessons from Honeywell and Razorleaf Global rollout strategies across multiple manufacturing sites Model-based work instructions and AI-powered data ingestion Integration architecture challenges and the role of connected data Why manufacturers are moving faster than ever to eliminate paper processes Beyond the technology, the episode captures the collaborative spirit of the iBase-t community — where even competitors openly share lessons learned to improve manufacturing outcomes across the industry. If you’re involved in MES, manufacturing operations, aerospace and defense, or digital transformation initiatives, this episode offers a grounded look at where the industry is heading next. Listen & Subscribe Stay connected with Stay Sharp in Digital Engineering for conversations focused on digital transformation, manufacturing technology, PLM, MES, AI, and the future of product innovation.  Music is considered “royalty-free” and discovered on Story Blocks. Technical Podcast Support by Jon Keur at Wayfare Recording Co. © 2024 Razorleaf Corp. All Rights Reserved.

    15 min
  3. 6 MAG

    #134: The Flex Factor-How Retail Rewrote the Rules of PLM

    What happens when traditional Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) meets the fast-moving world of retail and apparel? In this episode of Stay Sharp in Digital Engineering, hosts Juliann Grant and Jonathan Scott sit down with returning guest Brion Carroll to explore how PLM evolved beyond engineering-heavy industries into fashion, footwear, and retail. Brion shares firsthand insights from building one of the first retail-focused PLM solutions—revealing why apparel required a completely different mindset, how FlexPLM was born, and what lessons every industry can take from retail’s speed, complexity, and creativity. From colorways and line planning to supplier collaboration and real-time change, this conversation uncovers how retail pushed PLM to become more flexible, visual, and business-centric. Key Topics Covered Why traditional PLM didn’t work for apparel and retailThe shift from “parts and assemblies” to materials and stylesUnderstanding style, colorways, and seasonal product variationWhy costing comes before design in footwearThe role of suppliers as active collaborators in product developmentHow line planning and merchandising changed PLMThe need for visual, intuitive user experiencesManaging rapid, continuous change vs. formal engineering change processesThe importance of multi-team collaboration across the businessBuilding FlexPLM and lessons from early customers like Timberland and ReebokWhy a single, shared bill of materials (BOM) mattersConnecting PLM with upstream and downstream systems (ERP, supply chain, etc.)Key Takeaways 1. PLM Must Serve the Entire Business Retail proved that PLM isn’t just for engineering—it must support design, merchandising, sourcing, supply chain, and more. 2. One Product, Many Views A unified BOM with multiple views enables different teams to work from the same data without duplication or inconsistency. 3. Speed Changes Everything Retail operates in rapid, iterative cycles—requiring PLM systems to be flexible, responsive, and user-friendly. 4. User Experience Matters Creative teams need visual, intuitive interfaces—not engineering-style data structures. 5. Collaboration is Critical From internal teams to global suppliers, successful PLM depends on seamless data sharing and connectivity. Notable Quote “There’s really no difference in the core of PLM across industries—the difference is how you apply it and who you bring into the process.”  About the Guest Brion Carroll is CEO and Principal Consultant at Digital Solution Group, LLC and a pioneer in PLM, including early development of retail-focused solutions like FlexPLM. He has decades of experience helping organizations connect product data across the digital thread—from concept to market. Listen & Subscribe Stay tuned for more conversations on digital engineering, PLM, and the technologies shaping product innovation. Music is considered “royalty-free” and discovered on Story Blocks. Technical Podcast Support by Jon Keur at Wayfare Recording Co. © 2024 Razorleaf Corp. All Rights Reserved.

    47 min
  4. 28 APR

    #133: Aras ACE 2026 - Innovation, AI, and Community

    What’s next for the Aras Innovator community heading into 2026? In this episode of Stay Sharp in Digital Engineering, the Razorleaf team recaps insights from ACE 2026—Aras Community Event (ACE) 2026—the annual gathering for users of Aras Innovator. Featured Hosts and Guests: Jonathan Scott – Co-host, Razorleaf Juliann Grant – Co-host, Razorleaf Milan Obradovic – Aras Pre-Sales Architect, Razorleaf Steven Binstock – Senior Solution Architect, Razorleaf From bold AI vision to the growing impact of Innovator Edge, the conversation explores how Aras is evolving beyond traditional PLM—focusing on user-centric experiences, flexible architectures, and empowering customers to build their own solutions. Whether you attended ACE or missed it, this episode delivers key takeaways, standout moments, and what it all means for the future of digital engineering.  Key Takeaways: AI is the headline—but vision leads the story Rather than flashy product launches, ACE 2026 emphasized direction: how AI will be embedded into workflows, decision-making, and the broader digital thread. “Meet users where they are” is the new PLM mantra Aras is shifting toward task-based, accessible experiences that extend beyond traditional interfaces—bringing PLM to more users across the enterprise. InnovatorEdge is a major catalyst The platform enables lightweight, targeted apps and micro-experiences that connect users to PLM data without requiring full system access. The digital thread is becoming more actionable With AI and new architecture in place, organizations are closer than ever to truly connecting data across engineering, manufacturing, and service. Community remains a defining strength From open Q&A sessions to collaborative demos, ACE continues to stand out for its transparency and user-driven innovation. From AI-driven experiences to flexible app ecosystems, ACE 2026 made one thing clear: PLM is evolving—and Aras Corporation is building the foundation for what comes next. If You Found This Episode Valuable: Follow or subscribe to Stay Sharp on your favorite podcast platformLeave a review to help more listeners find the showShare this episode with a colleague or friendStay Sharp. Music is considered “royalty-free” and discovered on Story Blocks. Technical Podcast Support by Jon Keur at Wayfare Recording Co. © 2024 Razorleaf Corp. All Rights Reserved.

    31 min
  5. 21 APR

    #132: Event Wrap Up - CIMdata Market and Industry Conference 2026

    Is AI coming for PLM or saving it?  This week on Stay Sharp in Digital Engineering, hosts Juliann Grant and Jonathan Scott are joined by special guest Ashish Kulkarni, Senior PLM Leader at Razorleaf International (Netherlands), for a dual-continent recap of CIMdata's Annual Market and Industry Conference — held simultaneously in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Paris, France. Between them, the three cover the global PLM market data, the AI conversation dominating the industry, vendor vs. buyer disconnects, and what it all means if you work in digital engineering, PLM, or manufacturing technology. Key Takeaways: The global PLM market grew 8.7% to $87.3 billion — strong, but below the 9.3% forecastTop PLM investment priorities have shifted: knowledge management, global collaboration, and configurability are now leading over traditional part and BOM managementThe percentage of respondents saying PLM has "run its course" jumped from 22% in 2025 to 55% in 2026 — a striking shift in market sentimentAI is not replacing PLM — yet. But the question is now being asked openly, especially in EuropeArchitecture/Engineering/Construction (AEC) and Electronic Design Automation (EDA) were the surprise growth leaders, with AEC growth well above forecastCIMdata recategorized how it reports the market: moving from CPDM to "Product Innovation Platforms," with new scrutiny on how tools vs. platforms are classifiedSI/VAR growth significantly missed forecast (7.5% vs. 12.6% predicted) — reasons remain unclearA "fluency-deployment divide" is emerging end users are experimenting with AI tools like ChatGPT, but in-house enterprise AI deployments in PLM are still very earlyVendors are racing to embed AI capabilities; buyers are moving slower and prioritizing data readiness firstFear factors around AI — "your data has to be perfect before you can use it" — are being actively addressed by presenters like Diego TamburiniAbout Our Guest Ashish Kulkarni is a Senior PLM Leader at Razorleaf International, based in the Netherlands. With over 23 years of experience driving enterprise-scale digital transformation across Europe and 15+ years in PLM (including ENOVIA), Ashish has led strategic growth across Europe and the Mediterranean region. He was instrumental in building and growing the Razorleaf India office. Resources & References CIMdata Annual PLM Market and Industry Conference (Ann Arbor, MI and Paris, France)CIMdata PLM Market Report — official publication expected May 2025CIMdata PLM Roadmap and PDT Conference — May (North America) and Fall (Sweden) Diego Tamburini — previous Stay Sharp episodes on Strategic Patterns for Implementing AI in Manufacturing and The AI Reality Gap – What You Need to Know Before Building at Scale.Topics mentioned: RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation), model-based systems engineering (MBSE), digital threadMusic is considered “royalty-free” and discovered on Story Blocks. Technical Podcast Support by Jon Keur at Wayfare Recording Co. © 2024 Razorleaf Corp. All Rights Reserved.

    36 min
  6. 14 APR

    #131: The AI Reality Gap: What You Need to Know Before Building at Scale

    Build, Buy or Wait, Navigating the AI Implementation Stack  Is your company ready to build its own AI solution?  In this episode of Stay Sharp in Digital Engineering, hosts Juliann Grant and Jonathan Scott welcome back Dr. Diego Tamburini — executive consultant and AI practice lead at CIMdata — for a deep dive into what it actually takes to move from AI experimentation to production-ready deployment in manufacturing and engineering organizations. Diego brings 25+ years of experience across PLM, CAD/CAM, digital manufacturing, and AI strategy, with past roles at Microsoft, Autodesk, and Siemens Digital Industry Software. In this episode, he cuts through the noise to give you a practical, honest look at the AI build-vs-buy landscape. What You'll Learn: The difference between AI workflows and true agentic AI — and why conflating the two leads to bad decisionsThe full spectrum of AI implementation options: from fully embedded vendor tools to building from scratch in PythonWhen it makes sense to use low-code/no-code platforms (like Microsoft Copilot Studio or Amazon Bedrock) vs. full custom developmentWhy subject matter experts — not just developers — are becoming the key builders of AI agentsHow the digital thread concept is getting new life in the AI era and why it matters for cross-system reasoningThe "make, buy, or wait" framework for prioritizing AI initiatives wiselyThe traceability and privilege elevation challenges that regulated industries must address in agentic AIWhat skill sets organizations actually need at each level of AI implementationGuest: Dr. Diego Tamburini Executive Consultant, AI Practice Lead at CIMdata, Former Director of Engineering Agility at Microsoft, Former Design & Manufacturing Strategist at Autodesk  Connect with Diego for AI strategy consulting through CIMdata Related Episode - Give it a Listen! #125 : Strategic Patterns for Implementing AI in Manufacturing Connect & Subscribe Have a question, topic idea, or guest suggestion? Reach out anytime at podcast@razorleaf.com. 🎧 Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode — and if this was valuable, leave us a review or share it with a colleague navigating the AI landscape in their organization. Music is considered “royalty-free” and discovered on Story Blocks. Technical Podcast Support by Jon Keur at Wayfare Recording Co. © 2024 Razorleaf Corp. All Rights Reserved.

    46 min
  7. 7 APR

    #130: How Product Data Management Was Born — And What It Means for AI Today

    The man who helped name an industry sits down with Stay Sharp in Digital Engineering to trace the winding path from Product Data Management's humble origins to today's AI ambitions — and delivers a blunt warning: fix your data integration first, or AI will fail you. About This Episode Brion Carroll, CEO/Principal Consultant at Digital Solution Group, is not just a PLM practitioner — he's one of the people who built the very first PDM system and coined the category name. In this episode, Brion joins Juliann Grant and Jonathan Scott for a rare firsthand account of how product data management came to be, how it evolved into PLM, and why decades later, the industry is still wrestling with the same fundamental challenge: getting data to flow across systems. Whether you're deep in a PLM implementation or just starting to think about your AI strategy, this episode is a grounding, practical reality check you won't want to miss. Key Takeaways PDM was born as a defensive move — Computer Vision built it to protect its CAD customer base from competitors, not to transform the industryThe first PDM system sold for $1 million per seat and handled only four functions: backup/recovery, revision control, access/security, and archive/restorePortability was a watershed moment — Brion famously declared from a conference stage that their product would run equivalently across three competing operating systems, and delivered on it in six monthsThe evolution from PDM to PLM wasn't a grand vision — it was vendors needing new features to sell, starting with workflow engines to manage product lifecycle stagesWeb technologies (Java, JavaScript, TCP/IP) democratized access and pushed the shift toward client-server and eventually true cloud architecturesToday's AI problem is yesterday's integration problem — AI applied inside a silo gives narrow insight; real business intelligence requires harmonized data flowing across all systems~4% of AI initiatives have yielded measurable value (per BCG research cited in the episode), and Brion argues dirty, siloed data is the reason why What We Discuss Brion takes us back to the mid-1980s and Computer Vision's "Project David" — the small team tasked with building a data management system to protect the company's installed CAD base. From there, the conversation moves through the birth of the PDM category name, the wild competitive landscape of early vendors (Sherpa, Workgroup Technology, CDC), and the technical leap of making software portable across VMS, Unix, and IBM VM/CMS environments. We then trace the shift to PLM — why workflow management changed everything, how web technology opened the door to broader connectivity, and how the retail industry became an unlikely early adopter of enterprise PLM. The conversation closes with a clear-eyed look at today's AI landscape and why Brion believes companies that skip the hard work of data integration will find AI disappointing at best and damaging at worst. Guest Resources Brion Carroll— CEO & Principal Consultant, Digital Solution GroupWebsite:digitalsolutiongroup.netEnjoyed This Episode? Leave a review, drop a comment, or share this episode. Reach out anytime at podcast@razorleaf.com. 👉 Subscribe and never miss an episode — and don't forget to Stay Sharp Music is considered “royalty-free” and discovered on Story Blocks. Technical Podcast Support by Jon Keur at Wayfare Recording Co. © 2024 Razorleaf Corp. All Rights Reserved.

    42 min
  8. 31 MAR

    #129: 2026 ENOVIA User Conference Wrap Up

    PLM Is Changing Fast: AI, Cloud & 3DEXPERIENCE Insights from ENOVIA 2026 What’s really happening with PLM, AI, and cloud adoption right now? In this episode of Stay Sharp in Digital Engineering, hosts Juliann Grant and Jonathan Scott, with their Razorleaf colleagues, François Schlub and Andrew Halley, break down the biggest takeaways from the ENOVIA User Conference 2026, hosted by Dassault Systèmes in Boston. From AI-powered virtual twins to cloud migration strategies and digital thread integration, this conversation goes beyond the keynote hype to share what real users, engineers, and manufacturers are actually experiencing today. 👉 If you're working in product development, engineering, manufacturing, or PLM—this is what you need to know. 🔑 What You’ll Learn Why cloud migration is now a “how,” not “if” decision How AI is shaping the future of PLM (and what’s still missing) Why integration—not tools—is the biggest challenge What companies like Ford Motor Company are doing to move faster The growing gap between PLM beginners and advanced users Why organizational change management is critical to success 🧠 Key Topics Covered 3DEXPERIENCE platform strategy and roadmap AI scalability and compute requirements Digital thread and system integration (ERP, MES, more) Supply chain collaboration and cloud adoption Real-world user stories from global manufacturers If you found this helpful: 👍 Like the video 💬 Share your perspective in the comments 🔔 Subscribe for more insights on digital engineering, PLM, and AI Music is considered “royalty-free” and discovered on Story Blocks. Technical Podcast Support by Jon Keur at Wayfare Recording Co. © 2024 Razorleaf Corp. All Rights Reserved.

    33 min

Descrizione

Welcome to 'Stay Sharp in Digital Engineering,' the ultimate podcast for all things digital in the manufacturing industry by Razorleaf. Join us as we take a deep dive into the multifaceted world of digital transformation, exploring topics such as the digital thread, digital twins, IDEs, model-based strategies and delving into the frontiers of cutting-edge technologies like PLM, MES, Integration, and more. Our expert hosts, Jonathan Scott, Jen Ferello, Juliann Grant, and Eric Doubell, will be your guides, providing valuable insights, captivating interviews, and the latest industry updates to ensure you remain at the forefront of the ever-evolving digital landscape. Whether you're a technology enthusiast, a business leader, or simply curious about the digital realm in manufacturing, this podcast is your essential resource for staying sharp and well-informed.