2009 North American Agenda
2009 European Agenda
2009 Japan Agenda - English (Forthcoming)
2009 Japan Agenda - Japanese (Forthcoming)

Economic cycles are a fact of life. So how do companies adapt to accommodate these cycles? They can’t just ignore downturns and hope for a better day. Like any market, the Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) market is not immune to changes in the global economic climate. Industrial companies frequently ask CIMdata when is it a good time to invest in PLM enabling technologies. “Should we invest when times are good and we are running too fast to have the time to dedicate to PLM?” or “Should we invest when times are tough and we don’t have the resources because money is tight?” CIMdata’s view is that there is never a bad time to invest in making your company more efficient and to better enable the ability to innovate, an easy comment to make, but perhaps not an easy recommendation for many industrial companies to implement.

CIMdata often stresses to companies of all industries and sizes that it is critical to not lose sight of the high-priority strategies and tactics that are required to position themselves for the future. An economic downturn is no new phenomenon. Economic cycles have long been a fact of business life and have been successfully addressed by companies in many different industries. A downturn in the economic climate doesn’t change the fact that companies need to be more efficient and innovative. In fact, CIMdata would argue that effective PLM strategies are even more critical during uncertain economic times. The key to survival is often based on what companies prioritize and establish during stressful times to both survive and effectively position themselves for the market growth periods that will follow. This is of course not only true for companies that implement PLM, but also for suppliers of PLM enabling solutions.

So what should a PLM solution supplier do in these uncertain economic times? Fully move to a tactical business position and put strategic projects on hold? Of course not—today’s economic climate may be stressful, but it hasn’t eliminated the PLM-related market opportunities or the applicability of PLM-enabling solutions to solve critical business needs that still exist in multiple industrial segments. The bottom line is that periods of economic uncertainty in the global market bring both challenges and opportunities. Existing markets continue to need PLM and new markets continue to open. Positioning in these times is critical and requires the proper balancing of corporate restraint in some areas along with the willingness to expand resources and expenditures in others.

CIMdata’s 2009 PLM Vendor Forum will provide an insightful view of the impact of the current economic climate and trends on PLM solution suppliers competing in an increasingly challenging market. As always, CIMdata’s perspective on the state and trends of the current and future PLM market will be reviewed in detail, as well as the first public exposure to CIMdata’s perspective on 2008 PLM market results—including our extensive analysis and forecasts regarding market growth across PLM domains, industries, and regions, and the performance (revenue and market share analysis) of leading PLM providers.

Participants in CIMdata’s PLM Vendor Forum should expect to gain a solid understanding of current PLM market situation, dynamics that are impacting it, and expectations for its continued evolution. In addition, attendees will have the opportunity to gain further insights into opportunities and approaches they can use to navigate the PLM market environment during these current uncertain economic times.

2009 Vendor Forums

North America

Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Kensington Court
610 Hilton Boulevard, Ann Arbor, MI 48108, USA

Europe

Thursday, April 2, 2009
Millennium Hotel and Resort
Plieninger Strasse 100, 70567 Stuttgart, GERMANY

Japan

Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Myojin Kaikan
Sotokanda 2-16-2, Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo, JAPAN