What’s the right size PLM to fit a midsized manufacturer? When looking for PLM for SMB (small to midsized businesses) it’s important to remember that midsized companies need capabilities, but have limited resources. Midsized manufacturers need to choose a PLM system that brings core product design and development capabilities within reach, but also offers room to grow value over time. This eBook explores how much PLM is right for midsized companies.
Please enjoy the summary below, or click the report to download a PDF overview.
For the full report on PLM for SMB, please visit our sponsor Dassault Systemes (registration required).
Table of Contents*
- Midsized Manufacturers Stuck In-Between
- The Allure of Simple Solutions
- “Simple” Simply Falls Short for Midsized Manufacturers
- Collaborate for Successful New Product Development
- Manage Products and Programs Holistically
- Start Fast, Plan for the Future
- Consider the Cloud
- Get Started with the Right PLM Solution
- Acknowledgments
Midsized Manufacturers Stuck In-Between
Midsized Companies Compete on Speed and Agility
Midsized manufacturers are taking advantage of growth opportunities armed with a combination of product innovation, agility, smart manufacturing, and digitalization. But developing successful products today is complex. These smaller companies have to innovate and introduce new products quickly and efficiently to compete with larger competitors.
PDM May not be Enough, PLM May be too Much
Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) software can help. It drives better product development performance by managing product-related data, processes, and projects. While smaller companies may be able to control, access, and share product data with relatively simple Product Data Management (PDM) tools, larger manufacturers rely on full-featured PLM systems.
Midsized companies may find themselves in-between because:
- Product and organizational complexity drive them beyond basic PDM capabilities
- A full-featured PLM implementation may feel out of reach
Manufacturers face a Strategic Decision
Midsized manufacturers need to choose a system that quickly delivers the core capabilities they need to streamline product development. At the same time, they need a solution that allows them to support more capabilities and processes and expand to more users, sites, and geographies to grow value over time.
What’s the right size PLM to fit a midsized manufacturer? Should they consider the cloud? Let’s take a look.
Get Started with the Right PLM Solution
Get Started to Gain Value
Core PLM can quickly add value to midsized manufacturers by helping them combat complexity, improve productivity, and collaborate. Recognize the potential value of a fully featured PLM with all of the bells and whistles, but be honest with yourself about whether your company can afford the time and effort to get there (at least right away).
Start Small
Start with the basics and get value quickly, but avoid the shortcomings of simple file sharing solutions that fall short for complex products and product development environments. Look for a solution that allows you to design in the context of your products in real time, but also in the context of processes and product development projects.
In addition, look for PLM with automatic CAD and project updates to keep engineers focused on innovation instead of managing files and tasks.
Leave Room to Expand
Finally, make sure to leave room to grow as your business dictates, using the initial implementation as a foundation for greater value and improvement.
*This summary is an abbreviated version of the research and does not contain the full content. A link to download the full report is available above.
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