The backbone of modern manufacturing.
Manufacturers don’t struggle because they lack engineering talent. They struggle because engineering data moves faster than their processes.
Design files live in multiple systems. BOMs drift out of sync. Suppliers quote from outdated revisions. Procurement locks material before engineering finishes validation. Everyone is doing their job, just not from the same source of truth.
And that’s where costs quietly explode.
Why almost right engineering data is a serious business risk.
In complex programs, design changes are inevitable. What separates high-performing manufacturers from the rest is when and how those changes are managed. Without a single source of truth:
- Engineering updates don’t propagate downstream.
- Procurement buys the wrong revision.
- Suppliers manufacture obsolete parts.
- Manufacturing discovers issues after material hits the floor.
At that point, the problem is no longer technical. It’s financial.
The real cost of late manufacturing design changes.
A design issue that costs $1 to fix during concept development typically costs:
- 5× during detailed design.
- 10× after BOM release.
- 25× during production.
- 50× or more once equipment ships.
This isn’t theory, it’s the lived reality of manufacturing programs with long lead times, custom configurations, and multi-tier suppliers.
A real-world cost-of-change example.
A late design change impacts a subassembly after procurement has released POs:
- Engineering rework and revalidation: $15,000.
- Scrapped material and WIP: $40,000.
- Supplier expediting and penalties: $20,000.
- Production downtime and rescheduling: $30,000.
- Total cost of one missed change: $105,000+.
The same issue caught before BOM release:
- Digital impact analysis: $5,000–$8,000.
- No scrap. No downtime. No supplier fire drills.
That’s a 90–95% cost reduction, on a single change. Multiply that across dozens of changes per year, and you’re looking at millions in preventable cost.
Why Siemens Teamcenter changes the economics.
Siemens Teamcenter isn’t just PLM, it’s the control plane for engineering, manufacturing, and procurement alignment. What Teamcenter does differently:
Single Source of Truth:
- One authoritative definition of product, BOM, and revision.
- No shadow spreadsheets. No “latest_final_v7” files.
Change Impact Visibility:
- Engineering changes automatically surface downstream cost, material, and supplier impacts.
- Procurement knows before issuing or revising POs.
EBOM to MBOM Continuity:
- Manufacturing and sourcing work from synchronized structures.
- No translation gaps, no interpretation errors.
Supplier Collaboration with Control:
- Secure access to the right revision at the right time.
- Full traceability for audits and accountability.
Why this matters to leadership.
For Engineering leaders:
- Fewer late-stage redesigns.
- Faster decision making.
- Higher confidence design releases.
For Procurement leaders:
- Reduced expediting fees.
- Fewer supplier disputes.
- Predictable material costs and lead times.
For the business:
- Shorter time-to-market.
- Lower cost of quality.
- Measurable ROI in months, not years.
Bottom line.
In manufacturing, unmanaged design changes are one of the fastest ways to destroy margin. Siemens Teamcenter gives manufacturers the ability to:
- Catch issues early.
- Quantify impact before approval.
- Align engineering, procurement, and suppliers.
- Turn change management from a liability into a competitive advantage.
When your data is under control, everything else moves faster, and costs less.
Still managing engineering changes after the damage is done? See how Siemens Teamcenter gives manufacturers control before costs escalate.