The Expanding PLM Footprint and Impact on Innovation

The second law of thermodynamics states that everything is getting less organized, or something like that. If one gazes upon my desk they will see this law in action. It may not be obvious, but there is order in the seeming disorder of my desk. PLM has also been growing, expanding, and developing new solutions to provide opportunities for improved innovation. In the apparent disorder of all the new solutions and technologies there is an opportunity to enhance innovation, and take advantage of new and better methods for product development.

The first reason for this expansion of PLM is that the PLM vendors would like to provide a complete solution that can take your product from conception through to manufacturing. This is a huge challenge  for most companies, and very few have realized the holy grail of complete PLM deployment across the enterprise. Of course, today there are many PLM vendors that can provide a large part of the product development requirements. There are still gaps, but if you want to rely on one vendor's solution set for product development, you will have several very good options.

The second reason PLM is expanding is that today we have many new technologies that can support innovation. These new technologies have the potential to revolutionize the way we do product design, and allow a more seamless and streamlined process. Implementing these solutions will not be easy nor quick, but starting today will allow you to be ahead of your competition. A few of these new technologies are:

• The Cloud (Not really new, but the application of this technology is having a big impact)
• Social Tools (How will they impact PLM? The jury is still out)
• The Internet of Things (Lots of options here, but it will require an effort by many groups)
• Big Data/Analytics (There is so much information to analyze. How do we do it?)
• 3D Printing (Also not new, but the new materials and uses are making this a reality)
• Mobile Devices (Potentially allows global teams to collaborate more easily)

The list could go on. New technologies provide a way to increase the amount of innovation you put into your products while at the same time preparing you to take advantage of any other new technologies that may appear. If you still do much of your data management with MS Excel spreadsheets, and rely on disconnected silos for data management you will not be able to take advantage of these new technologies. PLM expansion is an opportunity for greater innovation and inefficiencies in product development, just don't look at my desk.

Would you like to learn more about the expanding footprint of PLM and how new technologies can support your product innovation? Then join me for a FREE webinar on September 10 at 11:00 AM to hear more details about these important topics. I'm sure you have nothing better to do.

Go here to register for this excellent FREE webinar!

Cheers,

Jim

The Top 7 Posts of 2013

As the year comes to an end, we inevitably think of where we've been, where we are, and where we're going. To help you along, I offer this look back at the top post of 2013. Looking back is only good if it helps us move forward, so take a look at these posts, and then go and get it done with PLM in 2014.

Configuration Management

Let's start with the 7th most popular post from 2013. Actually it was very close to a tie, so I will introduce these two together. The Basics of Configuration Management - Part I and The Basics of Configuration Management - Part II were very close. As a bonus, let me throw in The Basics of Configuration Management - Part III. This proves my point that configuration management is poorly understood by most companies. Even if a company has taken the time to understand and implement a good configuration management practice the rules are often not enforced, and usually not followed. Take these three posts as a guide to doing a better job with configuration management in 2014. You might also enjoy a related post: Change Management: The Ghost in the Machine.

Cultural Change Management

My impression over the past year is that one of the most challenging activities related to PLM implementation is cultural change management. Often, it is not even considered until the solution is rolled out and in the hands of the users; this is too late! Take my post Cultural Change Management, or How I Saved PLM as a good example. I wrote this in a short story format, and I think you will like it. If not, at least it's short.

PLM Education

I am a big proponent of PLM education. Virtually every company I have visited this year needed more PLM education. Keep this in mind for 2014 and put PLM education in your budget early in the year. The 4th most popular post from 2013 was this one: PLM Education Done Right in 3 Easy Steps. Follow these steps to get the most from PLM.

How to Measure the Value of PLM

We often do surveys, and when we ask for the top impediments to PLM, one of the top answers is always measuring PLM value. Without a way to measure the value, it is often hard to get upper management to invest in PLM. The 3rd most popular post of 2013 was How Can You Measure The Value of PLM, which, it turns out, is a very good question. Without some way to measure the value of PLM there is no way to evaluate your success, and plan for future updates. Keep this in mind as you plan your changes in 2013, and find a good way to measure this important aspect of your business.

Social PLM

There have been many posts about social PLM, or how social tools will impact the activities that are traditionally part of PLM. But in my experience, the impact of social PLM has been very low, or nil. Why is this the case? I dove into this question in my post Why Has Social PLM Failed? I think we will see a better meshing of PLM and social tools in 2014. There certainly is an opportunity to enhance PLM with social tools, but PLM vendors will need to do a better job of integrating these tools into their solutions. This may take some time, but we will see it some day; I just hope I live long enough. You might also want to read a related post: Why is Social PLM DOA? I like the graphic I used here; very creepy.

PLM vs ERP

I am amazed how often I am asked about the difference between PLM and ERP. There exists a very different set of views on this topic depending on who you ask. I addressed this in my most popular post of 2013: PLM vs ERP: Can't We All Just Get Along? This was an attempt to give some clarity to this polarizing topic. I think companies need to come together and decide where they will put the dividing line. Obviously it is not a clear demarcation, and there will always be some overlap. Just agree and then implement consistently to get the best results.

Conclusions

So, there you have it, the top posts from 2013. I hope that 2014 will be a very successful year for your PLM implementation. No matter where you start you can always improve, and PLM can have a dramatic effect on your bottom line. I wish you all the best in the coming year!

Don't forget to read one of my favorite posts from 2013: Email: "I'm not dead yet!" PLM: "But you're not well." I really like that one!

Cheers,

Jim

Don't Be Afraid of PLM!

Since today is Halloween, I thought it would be a perfect time to review some of the aspects of PLM that make people afraid to take the leap. There really is no reason to be afraid of PLM, but many people listen to the market hype, and some vendor hype, and then some user experiences, and they get scared. There is no reason to fear PLM!

Fear #5: PLM value is impossible to measure

There are many ways to measure the value of PLM. Many companies do not take the time to do an assessment before they launch a PLM initiative. Time spent at the beginning to gauge where you company is today with a view of the improvements PLM will bring allows you to understand the value of PLM to your company. A simple spreadsheet will allow you to identify metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) that will support PLM as the implementation progresses. These KPIs can be used to keep executives aware of all the great benefits that come when PLM is rolled out to the enterprise.

Fear #4: PLM technology is unproven

There are many companies that have used PLM technologies to improve their business. There are also new technologies that are poised to make an impact on PLM and how it is deployed: mobility, the cloud, virtualization, direct modeling, social PLM, agile methodologies, and more. There will always be new technology but that's no reason to delay your PLM implementation. Start working today so you are ready to deploy new technologies when the time comes. This will put you ahead of your competitors and give you an advantage.

Fear #3: PLM adoption is low

Implementing PLM is a complex project that requires the cooperation of multiple organizations. Companies that do good upfront planning always see a strong adoption of PLM solutions across the company. Plans for data migration, cultural change management, system integration, PLM benefits assessment, process changes, and testing must be created before rolling PLM out to the company. When management understands that PLM is a strategic company initiative they will not treat it like a simple piece of software. We see very high adoption when the planning of PLM is given a high priority.

Fear #2: PLM takes too long to implement

Like any strategic enterprise technology deployment, PLM will take time to implement. However, we recommend a phased approach that provides company benefits as early as possible. Try starting with PDM and visualization as your first phase, and you will see a great deal of success across the entire enterprise. It doesn't have to take a long time to see huge benefits from PLM. But remember, PLM never ends. There will always be a need to plan the next implementation, and coordinate the next roll-out.

Fear #1: PLM is too expensive

Does PLM cost money? Yes. Did ERP cost money? Yes. Usually many more times than what you will spend on PLM. Put PLM in the proper perspective. PLM is a strategic investment just like ERP. No one expects ERP to be inexpensive and quick, do they? Now, take a deep breath and plan the proper way to spend you budget for PLM, just like you did with ERP; doesn't that feel better?

Conclusion

The benefits of PLM have been realized by many companies in many industries for many years. Do the right upfront planning, educate your executives, and coordinate the implementation with your key users and you will have success with PLM.

What do you think?

Cheers,

Jim

Why Has Social PLM Failed?

"I hate Facebook", he said, with fire in his eyes. "Twitter is a total waste of time, if you ask me. I can see no reason for it to exist!" I was instantly sorry I had asked his opinion. I was also surprised that someone in their mid 40's would have such strong negative opinions about social media. It was especially surprising, since this was a person that had embraced smart phones, tablets, PCs, email, and other technology for many years.

The man in question was an engineer who was looked to as a forward-thinking leader in his company. He was a key player in an engineering organization and in charge of introducing PLM to his company. He was also in charge of the entire PLM implementation project. The executives in this company would listen to him on PLM related technology issues. Any chance of  getting social PLM tools into this company was quickly erased from my mind. This conversation got me to thinking about social PLM and why it seemed to limp along in 2012.

Why has social PLM failed to make a big impact in most companies this year? I, along with others, thought this would be the year when social PLM would make a big push into most businesses. I also read a recent article by Oleg Shilovitsky about his take on this topic. Read the full article here.

I have come to the conclusion that Social PLM has failed because most people in the engineering and manufacturing parts of businesses (mostly the people that champion PLM) do not use social media. They have not seen benefits in their own personal lives, and that is why they struggle to see how it can help in their businesses. It reminds me of the early days of the PC: people started to buy personal computers for their own use, and then wondered why they couldn't have the same exceptional connectivity and personalization in their jobs?

I think social PLM will have to follow the same path. However, for that to happen, we need company PLM champions using social media in their personal lives. This has not happened yet. In fact, most of the PLM classes I teach tell me that very few engineers use or care much about social media tools. When I introduce the topic I get a lot of wide-eyed stares and snoring. Those who attend my classes think social media tools are fun toys for their teenagers, but have no use in a "real" business.

I am sure that this will change over time. Sadly, I am old enough to remember when people called Computer Aided Design (CAD) a toy, and when people called 3D modeling impractical, and when people called email a fad; of course, none of these turned out to be true. I just hope I can live long enough to see social PLM have its' due.

What does your company think about social media? What do the leaders of your business organizations think about social tools? Do they have Facebook accounts? Do they have twitter accounts? Do they see any benefits from social media? If not, it will be hard for any of them to see the benefits of Social PLM.

What do you think?

Jim