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Whereas large manufacturers can manage how things are done and with which systems, engineering SMEs have to be more flexible and resourceful, finding ways of tapping into and integrating with suppliers and customers that benefit all parties. Again, large companies often have their own initiatives and big ticket PLM (product lifecycle management) systems to manage changing engineering data and to accelerate development, but smaller companies facing the same challenges need a more modest approach – and one capable of protecting their intellectual property. But it can and is being done: today many products are the result of collaborations between teams in different countries, often on different sides of the world.
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