Hosted by CIMdata president Peter Bilello
CIMdata last week hosted a Webinar on results from its annual global PLM [product lifecyle management] Status & Trends research, and here is my transcript of the Q&A.
To listen to the entire Webinar, go to https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/7009086853856478209, register, and then be ready to download and install GoToWebinar.
To just view the slides on their own, download the PDF from https://www.cimdata.com/images/Webinars/CIMdata_Webinar_PLM_Status-and-Trends_9May2019.pdf
Q: Why has it taken so long for PLM to be adopted?
A: The education system is the biggest problem. Management understands paying people for transactions, but the nuance of product information escapes them. The value of information is not being taught well in MBA schools, which don't talk to engineering schools. People don't understand the life-cycle.
Q: Is PLM growing in chemicals and personal care?
A: Yes, it is growing. It used to be mostly about packaging, but now it is more about labeling and composition of products inside the packaging.
Q: What are the key things keeping companies back from implementing new technology?
A: The legacy systems are not upgradeable. Systems are so customized inside businesses that they can only upgrade by replacing the entire system. Also, there is a disconnect between engineering and the rest of the company.
Q: Can you define S&A?
A: Simulation and analysis, historically called computer-aided analysis.
Q: Why do companies not use the full features of PLM, usually only the PDM [product data management] part?
A: If it is owned by engineering, then it is unlikely to be used outside of engineering.
Q: What is beyond PLM?
A: Nothing, except maybe in nuances. However, change is inevitable. AI [artificial intelligence] is just scratching the surface in having insight from all the smart-connected devices.
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