Dian Kreatif Increases Sales by 40% With PLM Solutions From

MALACCA, MALAYSIA, and PARIS, FRANCE -- Feb 16, 2004 -- IBM and Dassault Systèmes today announced that world-famous dome-maker and yacht designer, Dian Kreatif Sdn Bhd, has achieved significant competitive advantage from their PLM Solutions.

Since implementing CATIA, the world´s leading virtual design solution from IBM and Dassault Systèmes in 1999, Dian Kreatif has seen its sales jump by 40% annually. Dian Kreatif´s majestic, high-tech composite domes adorn religious and public buildings around the world including Abraham´s Tomb in Mecca, the Conference Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi, and Malaysia´s seat of government in Putrajaya.

Prior to migrating to CATIA, Dian Kreatif typically required six months to construct a 35-meter diameter dome on-site due to the complexity of the structure. Today, the company needs only six to seven weeks, with total design and construction time reduced to less than four months for a fully decorated dome. With these production efficiencies that reduce costs, Dian Kreatif passes the savings along to their customers, thus stimulating sales.

˝CATIA´s virtual design has helped us speed development by rendering paper-laden processes nearly obsolete,˝ said Jurgen Heer, head of composite and boat engineering, Dian Kreatif. ˝Not only does the software reduce the voluminous paper documentation typically used in design and construction, it also facilitates a common, process-oriented design approach, governed by the use of one master assembly, thus minimizing the risk of errors.˝

According to Heer, the virtual design platform serves as ˝catalyst˝ during the building process, rapidly transforming ideas into reality using digital techniques rather than traditional painstakingly slow architectural design approaches. He cites the dome of the Putrajaya Mosque, erected in a record six weeks. ˝These domes can be manufactured, shipped out, and assembled on-site in a fraction of the time it takes to cast a concrete dome, allowing buildings to be closed off to the elements so that internal fittings can be installed sooner,˝ said Heer.

The IBM PLM solution developed by Dassault Systèmes adds up to a more efficient, more cost-effective and speedier design and manufacturing process, giving Dian Kreatif a vital competitive edge in the unique dome business. ˝With this digital approach, we can walk through the assembly process and solve any assembly problems before they appear,˝ said Heer says. This translates into significant savings in terms of process time and material costs, thus leading to greater customer satisfaction. CATIA is also used for all the other downstream tasks, such as tool design, adding laminate information to CATIA-generated drawings, virtual layout of tiles for decoration, and realistic rendering of domes for sales presentations and ˝impressing the clients.˝

Dian Kreatif also designs yachts using its PLM platform. Heer points out that the building of composite domes and ocean-going racing yachts has more in common than just the material used. ˝The curves of a dome and a boat hull are both very technically demanding to design and build. As trivial as it looks to create a spherical shape of 30 meters in diameter, the reality is that a very high level of precision is required,˝ said Heer.

˝IBM understands the process involved in business transformation and we have empowered our clients with superior technologies so that they can evolve with the needs of their own customers,˝ said Loo Hwai Sheng, PLM Director, IBM Malaysia. ˝Dian Kreatif is a case in point of how savvy clients have been able to merge technology and ideas to deliver products that deliver optimum quality, cost-effectiveness and innovation. Backed by IBM PLM Solutions, Dian Kreatif is now a leader in their market segment.˝

˝Dian Kreatif is a perfect example of how Dassault Systèmes´ PLM Solutions bring value to small-to-medium sized businesses,˝ Denis Senpéré, vice president, PLM Europe, Dassault Systèmes. ˝CATIA design products enable companies of all sizes, from global aerospace manufacturers to specialized SMBs such as Dian Kreatif, to intuitively design high quality structures and parts and anticipate their manufacturability.˝

About Dian Kreatif
An SMB employing 300 professionals, DK Composites is a German-Malaysian joint venture established in Melaka, Malaysia in 1997. Originally founded to facilitate the production of four major dome projects in the country, DK has since established itself as a major producer of large high tech composite products. Being closely associated with significant engineering, architectural design and composite companies -- in Germany, our technical staff has considerable experience in the aircraft and automotive industry, environmental industry, and the use of composites in architecture and building construction. We also have extensive knowledge in the production of racing yachts and power boats. Find out more at http://www.dkdomes.com

About IBM
IBM is the world´s largest technological company, providing leadership and innovation throughout the world for more than 80 years. IBM is the largest supplier of ˝hardware˝, ˝software˝ and Information Technology services, and pioneered the development and implementation of ˝e-business˝ solutions. IBM Sales & Distribution, which supports more than a dozen key industries worldwide, works with companies of all sizes around the world to deploy the full range of IBM technologies. The fastest way to get more information about IBM is through the IBM home page at http://www.ibm.com

About Dassault Systèmes
As world leader in PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) solutions, the Dassault Systèmes group brings value to more than 70,000 customers in 80 countries. A pioneer in the 3D software market since 1981, Dassault Systèmes develops and markets PLM application software and services that support industrial processes and provide a 3D vision of the entire life cycle of products from conception to maintenance. Its offering includes integrated PLM solutions for product development (CATIA®, DELMIA™, ENOVIA®, SMARTEAM®), mainstream product design tools (SolidWorks®), and 3D components (ACIS®) from Spatial Corp. Dassault Systèmes is listed on the Nasdaq (DASTY) and Euronext Paris (#13065, DSY.PA) stock exchanges. For more information, visit http://www.3ds.com