Sponsorer for PLM

[Former Member]

As PLM spans across different departments, who ususally sponsors the PLM project? Is it Engineering department? is it Marketing or is it Master Data? Every company is different, but can you please share who sponsored project in your company?

Thanks.

Shai

[former_member42743]

From what I've seen there is no PLM sponsor.  As you indicate, PLM would span across many different groups and departments.  There really is no single group. 

Installing SAP into a company is usually such a basic change to the companies underlying IT infrastructure and business processes that any significant implementation has to be championed at the highest levels. I mean at the CFO, CIO and CEO levels.  If they aren't behind the implementation 100% than it won't happen, or at least not correctly.

Because it spans multiple areas, IT usually takes the predominant role in managing and executing the project.  But usually each area of PLM will have their own business owner/sponsor/responsible person that is primarily responsible for the successful adoption and use by their respective departments.  What ever you call them, they should be well versed in their operations, well respected in the company and totally empowered to make key decisions for their departments when a consensus agreement cannot be arrived at.

These key business owners, in addition to a few key people from IT, (project manager, IT director, CIO, etc), are usually held responsible internally for the success or failure of the project overall and/or within their specific business areas.  They would typically be asked to brief and keep informed a top level steering committee made up of very senior management.  That senior management would typically include at least a few executive VP's and depending on the size of the company and/or project may include the CEO or CFO.

FF