MANITOU Navigates Product Development Terrain with CoCreate OneSpace Suite
Forklift-truck manufacturer picks up design flexibility, easy-to-use applications

FORT COLLINS, Colorado and SINDELFINGEN, Germany — November 14, 2007 — CoCreate Software, Inc., a leading provider of 3rd generation PLM software applications for high-tech electronics and machinery, today announced that MANITOU has standardized on the CoCreate OneSpace Suite. The manufacturer of all-terrain forklift-trucks has successfully deployed more than 100 seats of CoCreate OneSpace Modeling, CoCreate OneSpace Model Manager, and various add-on modules in five locations worldwide.

With its 2,500 staff members, 21 subsidiaries and 600 points of sale, MANITOU, an international company located in western France produces and distributes choice equipment for construction, industrial and agricultural markets worldwide.

MANITOU relies on OneSpace Modeling's Dynamic Modeling based approach to 3D product development to help engineers flexibly change models as new insight and innovative ideas arise.

"We use the Dynamic Modeling based approach to streamline our collaboration with development partners," said Christian Herrmann, MANITOU's IT Director. "For example, our team imports partner's CAD models for diesel engines right into OneSpace Modeling, where we can easily fit fixture geometry to our current requirements."

MANITOU has also streamlined development with CoCreate's online collaboration software. MANITOU saves with CoCreate OneSpace.net as its teams collaborate on projects with external partners (suppliers, subcontractors). OneSpace.net cuts business travel and results in fewer communication mishaps.

MANITOU recently replaced its highly customized PDM environment with CoCreate OneSpace Model Manager. This standard solution integrates tightly with OneSpace Modeling and offers impressive performance when working with large assemblies.

"OneSpace Model Manager is easy to implement and easy to use," said Herrmann. "So much so, that our engineering departments at MANITOU will adopt it. OneSpace Model Manager will be deployed in France this year."

MANITOU plans to further streamline product development and lifecycle management by integrating OneSpace Model Manager into its ERP system. That way, the company can exchange technical data when transitioning from development to manufacturing.

"Our aim was to extend the use/usage of our CAD-PLM system, which is considered powerful and flexible by our end users," said Herrmann. "And we needed a product development environment that can easily be integrated via standard connections into our future ERP system. CoCreate's PLM solution combines all these things."