CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive

15 December 2009

CIMdata News

“Meeting the Challenges of Transitioning PLM Implementations” A New Program Review from CIMdata

CIMdata, the leading global Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) consulting and research firm released a new Program Review entitled “Meeting the Challenges of Transitioning PLM Implementations.” This Review describes some key challenges faced by companies as they transition their PLM implementations through the series of version and enhancement releases provided by their PLM supplier. As examples, CIMdata interviewed a number of long-term customers of Siemens PLM Software (Siemens) to assess their approaches and experiences in addressing this often-challenging issue.

Enterprises worldwide are faced with significant challenges as they strive to compete more effectively. Mr. Ed Miller, President of CIMdata, reported that, “In increasing numbers, businesses have committed themselves to transforming the way they operate in order to become more innovative, effective, and responsive to the markets they serve. In order to facilitate new processes, companies generally utilize information technologies as primary enablers.” In this environment, Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) is one of the most significant initiatives to be introduced into industrial companies in the last several years.

IT-based initiatives offer significant opportunities to organizations, especially broad enterprise-focused ones like PLM, but they also bring their own set of issues. Mr. Miller stated, “A major issue that has challenged companies implementing PLM over the years has been the time, cost, and difficulty of evolving their PLM environment through the ongoing introduction of new versions of software that are provided to them by their PLM solution suppliers.” He continued, saying, “A common complaint from companies with PLM implementations has been that technology changes introduced by their PLM suppliers have often caused them difficulties as those newer technologies have been inconsistent (with their previous versions) in both architecture and application software, and thus not easily evolved within the company’s IT environment.”

In this market environment, Siemens has consistently attempted to position itself as a PLM solution supplier committed to ensuring that customers can upgrade to successively newer versions of their software without significant trauma. In an effort to review Siemens’ positioning and success in supporting upgrades and enhancements, CIMdata has interviewed a number of Siemens’ customers to gain a better insight into their experiences. This Review provides CIMdata’s perspectives on the results of those interviews and the recommendations that these companies provided to minimize difficulties. Some excellent examples emerged.

Copies of the “Meeting the Challenges of Transitioning PLM Implementations” CIMdata review are available here at no cost.

About CIMdata

CIMdata, a leading independent worldwide firm, provides strategic consulting to maximize an enterprise’s ability to design and deliver innovative products and services through the application of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions. Since its founding more than 25 years ago, CIMdata has delivered world-class knowledge, expertise, and best-practice methods on PLM solutions. These solutions incorporate both business processes and a wide-ranging set of PLM enabling technologies.

CIMdata works with both industrial organizations and suppliers of technologies and services seeking competitive advantage in the global economy. CIMdata helps industrial organizations establish effective PLM strategies, assists in the identification of requirements and selection of PLM technologies, helps organizations optimize their operational structure and processes to implement solutions, and assists in the deployment of these solutions. For PLM solution suppliers, CIMdata helps define business and market strategies, delivers worldwide market information and analyses, provides education and support for internal sales and marketing teams, as well as overall support at all stages of business and product programs to make them optimally effective in their markets.

In addition to consulting, CIMdata conducts research, provides PLM-focused subscription services, and produces several commercial publications. The company also provides industry education through PLM certificate programs, seminars, and conferences worldwide. CIMdata serves clients around the world from offices in North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.

To learn more about CIMdata’s services, visit our website at www.CIMdata.com or contact CIMdata at: 3909 Research Park Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48108, USA. Tel: +1 (734) 668-9922. Fax: +1 (734) 668-1957; or at Siriusdreef 17-27, 2132 WT Hoofddorp, The Netherlands. Tel: +31 (0)23 568-9385. Fax: +31 (0)23 568-9111.

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