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Industry Summary Articles
Resources (739)
All About PLM
Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Definition
CIMdata defines PLM as:
- A strategic business approach that applies a consistent set of business solutions that support the collaborative creation, management, dissemination, and use of product definition information
- Supporting the extended enterprise (customers, design and supply partners, etc.)
- Spanning from concept to end of life of a product or plant
- Integrating people, processes, business systems, and information
It is important to note that PLM is not a definition of a piece, or pieces, of technology. It is a definition of a business approach to solving the problem of managing the complete set of product definition information—creating that information, managing it through its life, and disseminating and using it throughout the lifecycle of the product. PLM is not just a technology, but is an approach in which processes are as important, or more important than data. It is critical to note that PLM is as concerned with “how a business works” as with “what is being created.”
Three core or fundamental concepts of PLM are:
- Universal, secure, managed access and use of product definition information
- Maintaining the integrity of that product definition and related information throughout the life of the product or plant
- Managing and maintaining business processes used to create, manage, disseminate, share, and use the information
While information includes all media (electronic and hardcopy), PLM is primarily about managing the digital representation of that information.
Based on user experience over the years, PLM solutions can support a broad range of “products.” Examples of “products” include manufactured products, such as automobiles, computers, refrigerators, mobile phones, toys, and airplanes. Many products today also contain software, firmware, and electronic components whose data must be managed. Some organizations have long-lived assets that need to be managed such as utility distribution networks, e.g., power, telecommunications, water, gas, and cable TV, or facilities like plants, drilling rigs, buildings, airports, harbors, railway systems, and logistics warehouses. Other “products” include bridges, highways, and other civil engineering projects. Organizations across many industrial sectors have successfully used PLM solutions to manage product information across the lifecycle for all of these “products.”
In the 1990’s, this lifecycle view expanded from managing primarily the mechanical elements of a product’s definition to include the electronics and software elements that have become a greater portion of many products. That expansion continued to push the perception of what “design” encompassed. PLM includes management of all product-related information from requirements, through design, manufacturing, and deployment. This information ranges from marketing requirements, product specifications, and test instructions and data, to the as-maintained configuration data from the field. The PLM solution links information from many different authoring tools and other systems to the evolving product configuration. At the same time, the lifecycle began to include production-focused attributes and information.
Today, PLM encompasses significant areas of process. It’s not just program and project management processes. It is also the processes required to manufacture the product or plant, operate it in the field, and dispose or decommission it at the end of its useful life. PLM solutions help define, execute, measure, and manage key product-related business processes. Manufacturing and operational process plans are also now viewed as an inherent part of PLM. Processes, and the workflow engines that control them, ensure complete digital feedback to both users and other business systems throughout each lifecycle stage.
Also download our Product Lifecycle Mangement (PLM) Definition from our Complimentary Reports.
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About PLM
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
A CIMdata Essential Reading List: The Circular Economy
Written by Cheryl PeckThe more you read about industrial sustainability and the circular economy the more you hear about corporate leaders who are readying their companies to take advantage of the transformational opportunities that will undoubtedly become available. All this has implications and opportunities for PLM. Most apparent is the need to embed the end of a product's useful life through the creation of innovative new products while at the same time supporting the full lifecycle. Those companies able to do this will be rewarded.
For more information take a look at CIMdata's Essential Reading List on this topic.
Let us know what we should add to this list HERE.
Sign up HERE for access to our free PLM recources and to receive updates on this topic.
A CIMdata Essential Reading List: The Circular Economy
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation
http://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/business/reports (registration required)
Towards the Circular Economy Vol.1: Economic and business rationale for an accelerated transition
Towards the Circular Economy Vol.2: Opportunities for the fast-moving consumer goods sector
Towards the Circular Economy Vol.3: Accelerating the scale-up across global supply chains
McKinsey & Company
http://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/McKinsey/dotcom/client_service/Sustainability/PDFs/Towards_the_circular_economy.ashx
Towards the Circular Economy
ZeroWIN
http://www.zerowin.eu/
The main idea of ZeroWIN is that waste prevention has to be seen from a holistic perspective to make it work efficiently and effectively.
The Guardian
http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/talk-point-circular-economy-systemic-change
Guardian Sustainable Business
Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circular_economy
Havard Business Review Blog
http://blogs.hbr.org/2013/01/is-your-company-ready-for-the/
Is Your Company Ready for the Circular Economy?
World Economic Forum
http://www.weforum.org/
China Circular Economy
http://www.iisd.org/measure/knowledge/national/china.asp
International Institute for Sustainable Development
http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/circular-economy
The circular economy hub
Europe 2020
http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/index_en.htm
The Aldersgate Group
http://www.aldersgategroup.org.uk/asset/download/764/Report%20-%20Resilience%20in%20the%20Round.pdf
The Club of Rome
http://www.clubofrome.org/
The Guardian
http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/business-leaders-circular-economy-mainstream-davos
Business leaders in Davos keen to mainstream circular economy
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Resources
Publications for Purchase
CIMdata produces several publications that are available in our on-line store that provide information on various PLM-related topics. Titles include:
- PLM Benefits Appraisal Guide
- PLM Market Analysis Reports
- Product Cost Management in Discrete Manufacturing
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Send us your PLM events for inclusion on our PLM Events Calendar.
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CIMdata’s complimentary Educational Webinars provide an opportunity for those interested in PLM to learn more about selected topics. Our Webinars are applicable to all, irrespective of where you are on your PLM journey.
How to Properly Plan Your PLM Implementation
A Complimentary CIMdata Educational Webinar
March 26, 2014
11:00 am EST | 8:00 am PST | 5:00 pm CET
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How to Claim the Benefits of PLM for Your Business
A Complimentary CIMdata Educational Webinar
December 11, 2013
11:00 am EST | 8:00 am PST | 5:00 pm CET
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Resources
Articles and columns written or featuring CIMdata consultants, collected for you and FREE to read online now. Some of these links will lead you outside the CIMdata web site to the sites that published the article.
2014
Systems Engineering Meets Moldmaking
(MoldMaking Technology, August 1, 2014)
By Peter Bilello, President, CIMdata, Inc.
PLM: There is More Than Meets the Eye
(Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News (eAPMEN) July/Aug 2014)
By Peter Bilello, President, CIMdata, Inc.
(ConnectPress, July 16, 2014)
By John Myers, ConnectPress Editor
Featuring Dr. Keith Meintjes, Simulation & Analysis Practice Manager, CIMdata, Inc.
CIMdata Reaffirms Collaborative Innovation and Social Product Development Practice
(ConnectPress, June 25, 2014)
By Jill Jerabek, ConnectPress Editor
Featuring Dr. Suna Polat, Director, Collaborative Innovation & Social Product Development Consulting Practice, CIMdata, Inc.
CIMdata Aerospace & Defense PLM Action Group Addresses The Big 3
(ConnectPress, June 10, 2014)
By John Myers, ConnectPress Editor
Featuring James Roche, Aerospace and Defense Practice Manager, CIMdata, Inc.
‘Experiencing’ the Quality of the Internet of Things
(Quality Digest, May 15, 2014)
By Stan Przybylinski, Vice President of Research, CIMdata, Inc.
Value Gaps and PLM Sustainability
(CIO Review, April 8, 2014)
By Peter Bilello, President, CIMdata, Inc.
The Internet of Things: Beefing Up the 'Back End' of PLM
(ConnectPress, March 26, 2014)
By Stan Przybylinski, Vice President of Research, CIMdata, Inc.
PLM Value Gap Emerges
(Aerospace Manufacturing and Design, February 5, 2014)
By James Roche, Practice Manager, Aerospace & Defense, CIMdata, Inc.
Fragmentation: Product Development's Dark Secret
(ConnectPress, January 27, 2014)
By Peter Bilello, President, CIMdata, Inc.
Moving Toward Supporting the Circular Economy
(Raconteur Report on PLM, January 27, 2014)
By Peter Bilello, President, CIMdata, Inc.
Raconteur Report on PLM
(The London Times, January 27, 2014)
2013
Systems Engineering Reaches its Tipping Point
(ConnectPress, December 29, 2013)
By John Myers, ConnectPress Editor
Featuring John MacKrell, Vice President, CIMdata, Inc.
Value Gaps and PLM Sustainability
(ConnectPress, October 3, 2013)
By Peter Bilello, President, CIMdata, Inc.
Collaboration, Social Media and the Single-User Mode
(ConnectPress, August 20, 2013)
By Dana Nickerson, Director, CIMdata, Inc.
CIMdata Feature: Simulation & Analysis Governance
(ConnectPress, May 1, 2013)
By Peter Bilello, President, CIMdata, Inc.
PLM Returns on Investment ... with User Metrics
(ConnectPress, February 15, 2013)
By Peter Bilello, President, CIMdata, Inc.
CIMdata, Big PLM Users Form Research Consortium to Go Beyond Standards
(ConnectPress, January 11, 2013)
By Peter Bilello, President, CIMdata, Inc.
2012
Raconteur Report on PLM
(The London Times, December 5, 2012)
Brave New World’ CIMdata’s 2012 PLM Road Map Conference Goes Strategic Before a Capacity Crowd
(ConnectPress, October 25, 2012)
By Peter Bilello, President, CIMdata, Inc.
PLM View: Managing Intellectual Property
(ConnectPress, October 12, 2012)
By Peter Bilello, President, CIMdata, Inc.
A New Era for PLM Software
(Desktop Engineering, October 1, 2012)
By Peter Bilello, President, CIMdata, Inc.
PLM View: Market Trends Are Robust
(ConnectPress, August 23, 2012)
By Peter Bilello, President, CIMdata, Inc.
PLM VIEW: What is the Whole Truth?
(ConnectPress, July 12, 2012)
By Peter Bilello, President, CIMdata, Inc.
Pharma Eyes PLM For Enterprise-Level Information To Handle FDA Compliance, PAT/QbD, Clinical Trials
(ConnectPress, June 13, 2012)
By Peter Bilello, President, CIMdata, Inc.
Empowering Systems Engineering with PLM
(ConnectPress, June 5, 2012)
By Peter Bilello, President, CIMdata, Inc.
Optimizing Product Cost by Leveraging Infor10 PLM Process (Optiva)
(ConnectPress, May 21, 2012)
By Peter Bilello, President, CIMdata, Inc.
Analytics, PLM Converge Amid Data Tsunami; A Ceaseless Search for Sustainable Advantage
(ConnectPress, April 16, 2012)
By Peter Bilello, President, CIMdata, Inc.
2011
Assessing Implementation Maturity
(ConnectPress, November 21, 2011)
By Peter Bilello, President, CIMdata, Inc.
The Cloud: Worrying About The Wrong Things?
(ConnectPress, November 9, 2011)
By Peter Bilello, President, CIMdata, Inc.
Open-Source and PLM Marketplace Maturity
(ConnectPress, September 27, 2011)
By Peter Bilello, President, CIMdata, Inc.
Mobility Meets PLM
(MTAdditive, September 16, 2011)
By Peter Bilello, President, CIMdata, Inc.
Future Directions of PLM
(ConnectPress, August 22, 2011)
By Peter Bilello, President, CIMdata, Inc.
Going “Back to the Future” as PLM Sales Strengthen
(MTAdditive, June 23, 2011)
By Peter Bilello, President, CIMdata, Inc.
Green Design - With simulation and analysis, going green offers many benefits
(ANSYS Advantage, March 2011)
By Peter Bilello, President, CIMdata, Inc.
PLM & System Overlaps
(Time Compression, February 24, 2011)
By Peter Bilello, President, CIMdata, Inc.
The Social Network & Product Development
(Time Compression, January 6, 2011)
By Peter Bilello, President, CIMdata, Inc.
2010
PLM, Social Networks, the Cloud & More
(Time Compression, October 29, 2010)
By Peter Bilello, President, CIMdata, Inc.
PLM: State of the Technology
(Time Compression, August 26, 2010)
By Peter Bilello, President, CIMdata, Inc.
Managing Compliance
(Time Compression, July 1, 2010)
By Peter Bilello, President, CIMdata, Inc.
Visualization for Everybody
(Time Compression, April 20, 2010)
By Peter Bilello, President, CIMdata, Inc.
Analysis & Simulation Data: Why You Should Capture It
(Time Compression, February 24, 2010)
By Ed Miller, President, CIMdata, Inc.
Collaboration Across the Design Chain
(Time Compression, January 11, 2010)
By Ed Miller, President, CIMdata, Inc.
2009
2008 PLM Market Growth Was Strong Going into the Global Economic Downturn
(Time Compression, June 30, 2009)
By Ed Miller, President, CIMdata, Inc.
2008
Trends in NC Software; CIMdata shows efficiency, effectiveness are industry goals
(Tooling & Production, November/December 2008)
By Alan Christman, CIMdata, Inc.
2007
A PLM Evolution
(ISA InTech, July 1, 2007)
By Ed Miller, President, CIMdata, Inc.
2006
Manufacturers Go Digital to Stay Competitive (PDF)
(Harvest Magazine, November 22, 2006)
By Ed Miller, President, CIMdata, Inc.
Technological Advances Ensure Value Throughout the Market (PDF)
(Tooling & Production, November 2006, page 18-23)
By Alan Christman, CIMdata, Inc.
Ask the Expert: PLM Implementation Challenges
(Managing Automation, October 29, 2006)
By Ken Amann, Consultant, CIMdata, Inc.
Trends in NC Programming For Moldmakers
(Moldmaking Technology, May 2006)
By Alan Christman, CIMdata, Inc.
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Resources
CIMdata understands how important it is to keep up with PLM industry trends and information. With over 30 years of experience, CIMdata is in a unique position to be the most comprehensive source for all your PLM needs. Make CIMdata Resources your first and last stop for all things PLM. From whitepapers to commentaries; from news to events, CIMdata has everything you need.
About PLM
PLM has been at the core of CIMdata’s business for over 30 years. During that time we have amassed invaluable intelligence that we share with anyone interested in finding out more about PLM. From basic information to the complex, we want to make sure you have the information you need.
Definition of PLM PLM Glossary
Solution & Service Provider Directory
CIMdata is aware of how important it is to be informed as you embark on your PLM journey. Investing in PLM is a significant decision and selecting the right solution is critical. CIMdata has compiled a list of PLM solution and service providers to help you sort through what is currently available in a market where the solutions are plentiful.
Solution Provider Directory Solution Provider Profiles
Complimentary Research
With over 30 years of experience, CIMdata has amassed an extensive library of research that covers many PLM topics. All of which is freely accessible.
Commentary Library Whitepaper Library Article Library
PLM Industry Summary
CIMdata’s free Weekly PLM Industry Summary brings you the latest news and information on the week’s PLM developments - straight to your in-box. CIMdata understands how important it is for you to receive the most up-to-date information you need to make critical PLM decisions.
Register Now for your Free Subscription
Educational Webinars
CIMdata’s complimentary Educational Webinars provide an opportunity for those interested in PLM to learn more about selected topics. Our Webinars are applicable to all, irrespective of where you are on your PLM journey.
CIMdata Event Calendar
Check CIMdata’s Event Calendar for the PLM industry’s most comprehensive listing of events or submit your PLM events for inclusion on the calendar.
Industry Calendar Submit PLM Events
Published in
Resources
Wednesday, October 01, 2014
PLM Investment Sustainability: Measuring Long-Term (Commentary)
PDF Key Takeaways A sustainable PLM solution is one that can meet current and future business requirements with an acceptable return on investment (ROI) via incremental enhancements and upgrades A sustainable PLM solution minimizes risky, complex, and expensive “Rip and Replace” projects CIMdata’s PLM Enterprise Value & Integration Knowledge Council…
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Product as a Service: A Competitive Imperative in Industrial Equipment (Commentary)
PDF Key takeaways: The global industrial equipment (IE) market is crucial for economic development and growth In many IE products, software and embedded electronics are providing differentiating features, and providing the most user value Many IE products are delivered as a service, imposing new requirements on product development and lifecycle…
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Accelerate 2014: A Growing PLM 360 Community (Commentary)
PDF Key takeaways: Autodesk held their first ever Autodesk PLM 360 user event, Accelerate 2014, in Boston, MA, a fitting location Customers showed their delight with the solution, supporting many varied use cases, some traditional for PLM and many extending to new areas Autodesk is transforming their company and their…
Featured Cimdata Reports
PLM-Enabled Digital Transformation Benefits Appraisal Guide
The Guide is designed to help potential PLM users evaluate the applicability and payoffs of PLM in their enterprise, and to help existing users of PLM monitor the impact it is having on their product programs.
Aerospace & Defense PLM Action Group
A CIMdata administered PLM advocacy group for the A&D industry
PLM Market Analysis Reports
The PLM MAR Series provides detailed information and in-depth analysis on the worldwide PLM market. It contains analyses of major trends and issues, leading PLM providers, revenue analyses for geographical regions and industry sectors, and historical and projected data on market growth.
PLM Market Analysis Country Reports
These reports offer country-specific analyses of the PLM market. Their focus is on PLM investment and use in industrial markets. Reports cover Brazil, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Russia, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Simulation & Analysis Market Analysis Report
This report presents CIMdata’s overview of the global simulation and analysis market, one of the fastest growing segments of the overall product lifecycle management market, including profiles of the leading S&A firms.
CAM Market Analysis Report
CIMdata's definitive guide to the worldwide CAM software and services market. This comprehensive report provides critical intelligence on market size, user expenditures, trends, and segmentation, alongside authoritative rankings of the top CAM solution providers and reseller revenues.