How Can PLM Get the Attention it Deserves?

[Former Member]

Dear Friends,

As we all know, Product Life Cycle Management (PLM) is a crucial element in the IT landscape. However, it has not been able to get the attention it deserves from top management. About 80% of the cost of products resides in the development phase. Companies need better tools and processes to control time, cost and quality. PLM can help.

How should PLM messaging evolve so it gets the attention it deserves?

All suggestions are welcome.

Regards,

Anand

[former_member181920 · Accepted solution]

Anand, back in my CGT Magazine days, PLM was a big deal. But the PLM messaging then wasn't one of cost-savings or even "manage the entire lifecycle of a product efficiently."

It was all about getting products to market faster in order to gain competitive advantage.

Imagine PLM powered by SAP HANA for instance? You could quickly gather intelligence on current product performance and use that intel to craft exciting next-gen products before your competitors.

That would probably get the attention of the C-suite.

-Tim

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Thanks Tim,

I feel it's slightly early for PLM to go on Cloud...correct me if HANA talks about cloud...

There is a strong need to first cover/address the current requirements of mfg/engg that are/can be well addressed in various PLM technologies.

My contention is that C level doesn't consider PLM beyond PDM-Product data management and it's been kind of accepted R&D/Engg Dept's initiative whereas the scope of PLM is quite large and PDM is subset/one of business process within it.

Hope I'm understood

Best Regards

A N A N D

[Former Member]

Hi Anand

To look at relevant messaging for PLM in todays market conditions, lets look at the evolution of CRM to CEM. Now when the market, business models etc are changing, something like CRM goes into the background and forms a core and something like CEM takes a frontline position and leverages CRM. Have a look at my blog on this topic http://scn.sap.com/community/business-trends/blog/2013/04/30/5-steps-to-success-on-the-customer-expe...

Now coming to your point on top managements attention - 1/ PLM has traditionally taken the engineering aspect of a product, whereas something like 2/ Product life cycle marketing takes a commercial management side of a product. The industry has to come up with product concept similar to CEM, which takes an Outside-In approach rather than an Inside-out approach of CRM, PLM. Im by no means saying that CRM and PLM are not important, they are critical, but the market and business models have changed, so the product suite has to mirror that.

If we take a quick look at some of the products around us- Apple, Samsung etc, its clear that its not only about time to market, its also about how long the product stays in the market. Time to market has a new cousin now- time-in-market and this is possible only by finding a way to leverage market insights to connect it into the life cycle of the product, both engineering and commercial side.

Ramesh

[Former Member]

Thanks Ramesh for the perspective.

I agree with you on the part of CRM/CEM in the entire product lifecycle.

CRM/CEM is one of many business process that can/must be further integrated with Product lifecycle. As you rightly pointed out, markets have changed and messaging needs to be corrected. It should cover the entire lifecycle...rather than just covering aspects of key business processes. I feel SAP has the applications/solutions that covers if not all but most of the business processes that any manufacturing/engineering company would need.