Let’s talk about what makes a successful PLM implementation. I joined PTC Global Services in a research project to help identify what the companies that get most business benefit from PLM do differently in their implementations. I shared an overview of the research approach and findings earlier in this Tech-Clarity TV video episode Best Practices for Implementing PLM. Today, I want to share my perspective on one important conclusion. The more PLM you implement, the more value you get.
Note: This is just a brief overview of the findings, if you want the detail behind these bullets you can check out my guest blog post Broader Scope PLM Yields Greater Business Value on the PTC blog.
The Research Findings
On the surface, the findings might sound trivial. But they are not. The point is that implementing PLM sets up a foundation that companies can leverage to gain new business value. After the initial investment, there is more value to reap. How? The research shows that:
- Top performing companies have implemented more business processes with PLM (Process)
- The leaders have PLM adopted in more departments (People)
- Companies with PLM in place for longer are more likely to have higher benefits (Time in Use)
So the more people and processes you enable with PLM, the more benefits are available. Over time, the leading manufacturers have learned how to expand the use of PLM to get more value.
Implications for Manufacturers
So what does it mean? There are some very practical considerations for how a manufacturer can implement PLM. In summary:
- You don’t need to do it all at once, consider phasing your implementation
- If you already have PLM, think about how you can extend it to get more value
- PLM can offer value in many different ways, think about what you want to improve (and then do it again)
Those are my thoughts, feel free to take a look at the posting on PTC which has some stats and graphics to back this up!