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Optional Integration

Integrate DFR with Your Environment

Typically our customers want to integrate the DFR database with other systems in their architecture. Convergence offers an API which is accessible as a webservice. API supporting the following general capabilities: updating technical attributes, creating new items, support the ability to add/update/delete collection attributes, test for the existence of an item in DFR and the publishing of technical attribute values about an item into an XML file. The API also works in a Java environment.

Content Subscription Service Integration

Keeping Your Data Current

For a majority of our customers, having accurate and current information on their products is critical, considering today’s rapidly evolving technologies.  To meet this need Convergence has established integration with third party content providers.  This integration has been enabled by our API and some custom applications.  These capabilities enable regular updates (refreshing) of our customer’s data in DFR from the content provider.  Here are some of the solutions we have worked with in the past:

• Databases: i2-Explore and IHS’s ED parts database
• Web Applications: IHS’s 4D Online (Formerly i2’s Parts Universe)
• Integration Tools: IHS’s XML web service and Convergence’s API
• Data Types: lifecycle, hazmat, technical attribute data, obsolescence, availability, etc.

PLM / PDM Integration

Updating PLM / PDM Systems - PTC's PartsLink

Quite often customers want their PDM systems to contain detailed attribute data for a part or item. DFR can better manage mass updates of data than a PDM system like PTC’s PartsLink, which was not originally designed for data cleansing. DFR’s security model more easily enables multiple users updating data at the same time, without compromising data integrity. Once data models and item data changes are approved in DFR, updates can be exported in XML format to PartsLink. Prior to exporting updates to PartsLink validation reports can be run in DFR to ensure the data will be loaded correctly and that data models are in sync.

Key components of this integration include:

• Import complete data models including attributes and properties from PartsLink to DFR
• Import item data including attribute data for each item or part
• Custom XML exports by category, by part or batch status or by attribute value filter, from DFR to PartsLink
• Comparison reports, outlining differences between DFR and PDMLink