Technical FAQ
Every PLM system says the same thing how do I evaluate what I want?
We are happy to help put you in touch with our partners who can help you build an RFP, provide PLM strategy, Vendor evaluations and more. Contact us at support@zweave.com for an introduction to leaders in the PLM consulting field.
Does the system have workflow?
Our platform allows the creation of workflows. It supports the creation and management of approvals, notifications and automated routing by role and user. Users have roles and can subscribe to tasks in the workflow around that object and activity. Out of the box workflow allows you to do most of what you want. Additional workflow customizations can be done as you learn more about how you do what you do with minimal cost. Contact our support team for more information on workflow configuration.
Can my vendors work on the same system as I do or do they need their own system?
We support vendor and factory access to the BOM, spec, patterns and other information from the system. Zweave offers Vendor Studio to vendor partners. Vendor, agents, suppliers, overseas offices can access their own customized portal with the same tools as you. Vendor Studio supports material card creation and upload, lab dip, strike off and fit requests and approvals, Tech pack dissemination and reviews, construction guidelines and pattern, grade and marker sharing. Vendor Studio is a robust tool and inputs within it update work in progress throughout your system.
Does the system allow me to do costing?
Costing Studio supports costing activities from FOB to LDP pricing.
Is the system forcing me to do more work than the benefits I am getting from it?
We support the automation of data entry at several levels: Who inputs the data (user role, what studio are they in, what data can they add based on their role), Where does the data belong (material, BOM, item, vendor, etc...), how does the data get input to support standards and proper data entry (Templates and Wizards). In many cases where data entry requires multiple steps and the interrelation of multiple assemblies, our wizards and templates are supported by powerful databases that constrain the selection of inputs. The benefits are amazing!
Does the system track changes?
Zweave’s solutions are built to support robust configuration management in which every data or document change is tracked by user, date and time.
Does the system support multiple languages?
Zweave’s interface has more than 35 translations, and tools exist for managing multilingual content.
What kind of reports does the system generate? What if I need my own reports?
Zweave’s products offer dozens of built-in reporting screens and can be accessed by Crystal Reports or other leading report writers. If you need a custom report we can build one for you at a fixed cost.
How do I use the system to collaborate? Does this replace email?
Our platform allows robust collaboration in many ways. You can invite external team members to your system and give them roles that allow them to see data, change data, input data and more. With Vendor Studio or VendorCOMM they can manage the data you create and their input within their own private portal. When changes take place in the system notifications are automatically routed to your email to keep you in the loop. Each portal has a communication engine that keeps track of all of your notifications daily and weekly so you can refer back. Comments and information you have been making in email can be made within the system. No more filing, tracking and cc’ing.
Does the system support apparel and footwear data?
The Zweave Item data model goes deep into the core data requirements of Clothing and Equipment products. Our model supports the definition of components, colors by supplier, Tech packs by item and supplier, fit data from pattern and grade to markers and Points of Measure (Spec), 3D subjects and draping, construction details, request for samples by vendor, lap dip and fit approvals by vendor and more.
What is the platform built on?
Zweave’s solution suite is built on top of a robust Open Source content management framework with thousands of production installations. To use our products you don't need to learn anything about Web Servers. To customize our products a small amount of Web development knowledge is helpful, and it is covered in our documentation. Zweave’s platform runs on Windows, Linux, BSD, Mac OS X, and many other platforms.
What is the architecture of Zweave’s platform?
Zweave’s platform can interface with Microsoft and other proprietary architectures. Our pages are compliant with US Section 508, and the W3C's AAA rating for accessibility. The Zweave platform can be scripted using web standard solutions and Open Source languages.
How hard is it to use?
Our wizards and templates and overall graphic user interface support not only repetitive data entry but business process best practices around data entry. Easy repetitive steps, constrained data selections (pull down menus) and constrained template availability support data entry and minimize errors. With minimal training you are up and running.
Can we migrate data from Pattern software Systems like Gerber, Lectra, Optitex, etc?
Any file created in these systems can be saved in ours and managed. However to view non standard file formats you will need adapters or the native software available.
How long are your contracts?
We offer contracts for 1 year, 2 year and more. Discounts are available based on contract term. Contact us at info@zweave.com for more information on contracts and terms.
How do I figure out how many seats I need to get a price?
First get a census of your users. When you look at their roles ask yourself what information do they need access to. Add up the number of studios per user and this gives you your total seat per user. Then add each seat per user total to get your grand total. Depending on the number of users and seats, Zweave offers discounts. For more help contact a solution specialist at info@zweave.com.
Can I add people easily or change roles and users?
Our platform is a flexible, world class role based system. Roles and users can be modified or added by a trained administrator. We support Users custom set-up by user-login. Once a User is invited to the system they can log in and define their password. They can set up their basic profile.
If I have PC's and my vendor has MAC's or visa versa can we seamlessly communicate?
We support the upload of documents including Word, Excel, PPT, all CAD files including graphic files (adobe), patterns, grades and 3D CAD Programs. In addition we support Ply files (3D files from body scanners) no matter what system they were created in as long as the files saved in the system are standard file formats.
What Browsers can I use since your software is web based?
Windows Explorer Version 6.0 and Mozilla Firefox 2. Zweave’s platform complies with all TCP/IP standards.
What hardware do I need?
Zweave’s platform can interoperate with most relational database systems, open source and commercial. These include Microsoft SQL Server 2003, Oracle, and MySQL. Our servers can run on a vast array of platforms, including Linux, Windows, Mac OS X, Solaris and BSD. Zweave clients can run on virtually any hardware or operating system with a standard web browser.
Can Zweave support a .NET framework?
Zdesign can be implemented to run on Microsoft Windows Server 2003. Zweave can support .NET Framework releases Microsoft® .NET Framework version 3.0 and version 2.0 which are available on Windows Server 2003.
Do I have to buy this on demand or can I host this myself?
Zweave understands that you may have preferences on how you acquire software. We believe our on-demand model will significantly reduce costs and risk. On-demand fees are a cost expense (lease) versus the typical capital expense of software license purchases (buy).
We are flexible in our delivery and can offer additional purchasing options. For more information contact support@zweave.com.
– Subscription Agreement
– Perpetual License
– Managed Perpetual License
Is your hosting site secure? How secure is it?
The entire system is backed up daily. Replication service for data and entire sites can be arranged. Custom service level agreements are available.
If we want to host our data on site can we and what would the difference in price be?
Zweave offers flexible solutions for hosting. For more information contact our support team at support@zweave.com
What kind of training do you offer?
Zweave’s training program includes on site and on line training and is customized to each implementation. Zweave’s training manuals are simple step by step documents that are also available within the solution as quick reference tools. Upon completion of the implementation users will be trained on the overall application but also on specific features and functions specific to their business processes. User manuals and on-line documentation will be shared during the training sessions at the end of the project and available at the Zweave University website.
What support do you offer?
Zweave offers a structured implementation methodology and exceptional customer support. Our solution was defined to meet the highest standards of Configuration Management as defined by the United States Government, the Electronic Industry Association, and CMII standards. Our change management control is both rigorous and easy to use. It provides change and version control at the object level, supporting multi-level change management within the BOM, the Item and to all parts and attributes of all data related to the portfolio and item.
What if I subscribe and I need to configure or customize it to meet my needs?
We offer a prix fixe menu of configuration services that allow you to go as fast as you want at a cost you can control. We can train your team to take on many of these activities or you can have us help you. We offer configuration packages to support your needs. For more information contact us at support@zweave.com.
Can I use my own consultants to configure your product?
Zweave certifies its solution partners and resellers so that they can provide you with this service in markets where you may be. For more information contact support@zweave.com.
I see you have so many different training packages, data entry services, migration services and consulting services how do I know what I really need?
Don’t be overwhelmed. We can help answer all of your questions. Just contact us at support@zweave.com for assistance.
Can you integrate to other systems I already have?
We can easily interface with PDM, PLM, ERP and CAD solutions. Zweave supports a variety of enterprise application integration solutions including web services, XML, and systems supporting the EIA-836 Configuration Management Data Exchange standard.
What do I need to do to migrate historical data once I get started?
Zweave can work with you to come up with the data migration strategy that works best for you. We can train you to do it or we can do it for you. Contact our support specialist for more information and pricing.
Can I import and export data from/to external sources through a variety of methods?
Zweave products support batch-import csv data, document conversion system to convert Office files to HTML document when they are uploaded in Zdesign, Import and Export ATCT based Content as pure XML data, massive uploads via Zip files, high-quality exporting content to the most common office formats like PDF, RTF, ODT, DOCX and WML based on XSL-FO technology., two-way real-time communications with any ODBC compliant relational databases, LDAP, or Windows file system, two-way real-time communications with any system using Web Services. Zdesign Allows "pushing" or synchronizing data from one Zdesign server to another.