Sterling PLM Custom Configures Polarion to Help Medical Device Company Launch Complex Robotics Device

Challenge

A global orthopedics medical device company had been partnering with Sterling Medical Devices to solve their design and development challenges for more than a decade. Shortly after they began work on their most recent project, a robotics surgical device, the client realized they needed their own instance of the product lifecycle management (PLM) software tool, Polarion. The project was highly complex, requiring a more customized Polarion configuration that could support more users, additional work items and multi-layered sub-systems.

Solution

Based on detailed input from the client, Sterling configured a Polarion instance with custom-built plugins and scripts that could accommodate hundreds of users, complex traceability reporting, robust testing functionality and more.

With the platform built to the medical device company’s specifications, the team moved the existing data from the Sterling server and test cases from a third-party platform onto the client’s instance of Polarion to serve as one centralized PLM system. The Sterling team then trained 180 users on the new platform to ensure consistent use of the tool. As additional needs arose, Sterling further customized and configured the tool to meet the evolving demands of the highly complex project.

Today, Sterling offers ongoing support as needed—from answering basic questions and troubleshooting to setting up accounts, importing documents and more.

Result

By migrating the customer onto their own instance of Polarion configured for their use, Sterling helped the medical device company work more efficiently with greater control and flexibility to accommodate their evolving complexities. In under two years, the customer designed, developed and submitted the highly complex surgical robotics device for FDA approval.