A single source of truth for development, production, and procurement
When Nortek started using Highstage, their data was scattered across multiple drives. Drawings existed in private copies, revisions took on a life of their own, and the production team couldn’t always be sure they were working from the latest version.
This is the story of how a PLM system addressed that situation.
From days to hours in component placement
Component placement is the bottleneck every PCB engineer knows. Hundreds of components must be placed correctly, and a misplacement leads to noise, EMC issues, and a redesign that delays the project for weeks.
Danfoss wanted to know if AI could eliminate the bottleneck without compromising quality. Nordcad built the setup, with Cadence as a consultant.
In brief
The challenge
Data was scattered across drives, individual drawing copies, and unclear revisions. The production team could not be sure they were working with the latest version.
The solution
Highstage as a shared source, with a document module, persistent links, and integration with the production software.
The result
Fewer errors, a smoother change process—and a PLM setup that ultimately shaped Nortek’s subsequent ERP implementation.
The challenge
Starting Over with PLM
Nortek started from scratch. First and foremost, this meant cleaning up: data scattered across various drives had to be gathered, and the information had to be sorted by product.
The most challenging part wasn’t the technology, but the mapping process. Describing the internal procedures exactly as they actually took place took a considerable amount of time. However, this is the exercise that determines whether a PLM system will be a good fit for the company—or vice versa.
The solution
Highstage as a common foundation
Nortek currently manages several hundred documents at various stages of approval in Highstage's document module.
One detail turned out to be more important than expected: a document can be linked to multiple sections instead of being stored in a single folder. It sounds like a small thing, but it’s the difference between an archive that reflects reality and one where you have to remember where things were placed.
Persistent links do the same for production. The link always points to the latest approved revision, without anyone having to update it manually. This eliminates an entire category of errors.
Finally, Highstage is integrated with Nortek’s production software, so the acceptance criteria for the manufactured sensors are displayed directly. The customized search function can export data in JSON and XML formats, allowing third-party systems to access the same information.
“Highstage has significantly improved production efficiency while minimizing errors.”
Christopher Grinde, Nortek
The result
A single authoritative source, so that production always follows the correct drawing and revision
Fewer errors from outdated revisions and private copies
A More Flexible Change Process
Data that can be exported to third-party systems without manual effort
And one effect no one had anticipated: The PLM implementation ended up shaping Nortek’s subsequent ERP setup. The work of structuring data in Highstage clarified how the ERP system should be configured—and made it possible to put functionality into use that would otherwise have remained unused.
About Nortek
Nortek specializes in oceanographic instrumentation. The company develops and manufactures equipment for measuring waves, currents, ice, turbulence, and biomass, as well as DVL navigation sensors for surface and underwater vessels.
Nortek was founded in 1996 by Atle Lohrmann and is headquartered outside Oslo, with customers in the fields of marine research, autonomous marine systems, defense, energy, and coastal infrastructure. The sensors are developed and manufactured in-house.
