The implementation of 3DEXPERIENCE – Damen Naval’s new project management software platform – is currently ongoing. It is a complex process that is being completed step-by-step. When completed, the ultimate aim of 3DX will be to support all stages and processes of product development, synchronising all project activities into a single interface. This means that, besides internal activities, 3DX will also be used to exchange information to and from subcontractors. With an eye on maintaining the strict information security requirements of naval clients, this calls for the creation of a secure gateway between Damen Naval and its numerous subcontractors.

3DExperience Specialist Electrical Bert Zwanenburg. 3DExperience Specialist Electrical Bert Zwanenburg.

“We have been working for the last couple of years on share-a-space, which is a platform to exchange information with suppliers,” begins Bert Zwanenburg, 3DExperience Specialist Electrical at Damen Naval. “But we realised that share-a-space did not have sufficient functionality to communicate with the subcontractors.” Here, the key difference between subcontractors and suppliers is that a subcontractor has more of a design scope, whereas a supplier is a straightforward supplier of products or components. “Using 3DX, we have set up a communication portal connecting Damen Naval’s restricted environment to each of our subcontractors’ restricted environments,” Bert goes on to say.

Naval clients have many requirements but when it comes to the subject of information exchange, two issues are at the top of their list of priorities: security and traceability. Complying with the matter of security, the main challenge arises when linking two separate restricted environments (one for Daman Naval and one for the subcontractor) with an unrestricted internet-based portal in between. The solution is to encrypt files based on their security classification. “Files can be either restricted or unclassified,” states Bert. “Restricted files will be encrypted, allowing them to be handled outside the restricted environment. To open an encrypted file that we have put in the portal, a subcontractor has to decrypt it.”

The encryption of restricted files is automatic. “This means that we don’t have to do it manually, saving time, money, and energy. We are also setting the system up so that it creates a transmittal report so that we and our subcontractors know what documents have been shared with each other.”

“Using 3DX, we have set up a communication portal connecting Damen Naval’s restricted environment to each of our subcontractors’ restricted environments.” Bert Zwanenburg

Traceability is a subject that has increased in importance and complexity over the years. “If anything goes wrong, whether it’s in the communication but also in the design and production processes, then we need to trace the source of that mistake. This is the requirement of our customers,” explains Bert. “This is related to the move from file-based to data-based operations, which in turn is due to the increased amount of information involved on projects; this has increased by a thousand-fold compared to ten years ago.”

The amount of information involved is breathtaking. “We are working to the requirement of a maximum of 30,000 documents per subcontractor, with the average number of subcontractors being around 200,” replies Bert. “This adds up to a considerable amount of documents: just for one project. F126 will be the first project to work with this, but ASWF will work with this to the same extent.”

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, the implementation of 3DX is still ongoing, as is the set up of this 3DX subcontractor portal. “The first version of the portal went live at the beginning of February – and we need until about the summer to get all the functionalities sorted out,” says Bert.

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