Commentaries & Highlights

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, USA 28 January 2026—CIMdata, Inc., the leading global research, consulting, and education firm specializing in Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and the Digital Transformation it enables, announces that Accenture, Autodesk, Capgemini, SAP, and Siemens Digital Industries Software have joined as sponsors for its landmark research program, “AI in Product Development.”

The participation of these five industry leaders, along with many industrial companies, shows how important AI has become for digital transformation. As sponsors, these organizations will provide the support and industry perspective needed to examine how AI is used, how mature it is, and what ROI it delivers in...

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, USA, January 26, 2026— CIMdata, Inc., the leading global research, consulting, and education firm specializing in Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and the Digital Transformation it enables, announces the expansion of its industry-leading PLM Certificate Program. In response to the evolving needs of the global industrial sector, CIMdata’s assessment-based certificate programs are now available through a Virtual Live Classroom format, complementing its traditional In-Person classes.

In...

This webinar will reveal whether the new SysML v2 standard can successfully advance collaboration between OEMs and suppliers.

Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA 21 January 2026—The Aerospace & Defense PLM Action Group (AD PAG) has announced it will sponsor a webinar on Tuesday, 24 February at 11:00 am EDT to present the findings of its recent research on the capabilities of the SysML v2 standard and its implications for OEMs and suppliers. Titled "Does SysML v2 Improve MBSE Collaboration?", the webinar will offer insight into how...

This CIMdata educational webinar identifies the causes of integration roadblocks and offers actionable strategies to create a single logical source of truth.

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, USA 15 January 2026—CIMdata, Inc., the leading global research, consulting, and education firm specializing in Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and the digital transformation it enables, announces an upcoming free educational webinar, “Leveraging AI, Semantics, and Ontologies within your PLM Integration Strategy.” The webinar will take place on Thursday, 12 February 2026, at 11:00 a.m. (EST) and last for one hour.

As product definitions become increasingly shared...

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, USA 14 January 2026—CIMdata, Inc., the leading global research, consulting, and education firm specializing in Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and the Digital Transformation it enables, today announced the launch of a new global research initiative, “AI in Product Development.” While Artificial Intelligence (AI) currently dominates industry conversations, industrial organizations are facing a critical data gap.

Industrial organizations, as well as PLM software and service providers, currently lack neutral, fact-based data to understand how AI is being applied across the global and rapidly...

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, USA 12 January 2026—CIMdata, Inc., the leading global research, consulting, and education firm specializing in Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and the Digital Transformation it enables, is pleased to announce the promotion of James Roche to Vice President, Aerospace & Defense Practice.

Mr. Roche, who previously served as Director of the Aerospace & Defense Practice, has been instrumental in expanding CIMdata’s footprint within the global A&D community. In his new role, he will assume broader strategic responsibilities, overseeing the practice's growth and ensuring CIMdata continues to provide world-class insights into the complex requirements unique to the aerospace and defense...

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SSI enables digital shipbuilding design, planning, and production.

Key Takeaways

• Shipbuilders face challenges quite different from other manufacturing industries, requiring tools that capitalize on their unique experiences in both design and construction.
• AI concepts can be applied across all aspects of shipbuilding from design through maintenance and operations, but the challenge lies in building company-specific AI models that capture organizational knowledge and processes.
• SSI’s open architecture strategy recognizes that multiple AI models will exist within any shipbuilding organization. Rather than forcing a single model approach, SSI’s solutions can create and work with company-specific AI models...

This PLM-focused event will take place in May.

Ann Arbor, MI, USA 7 January 2026—CIMdata, Inc., the leading global PLM strategic management consulting and research firm, announces the theme and dates for the highly anticipated PLM Road Map & PDT 2026 North America conference. The event will take place at the Westfields Marriott in Chantilly, Virginia, USA, on May 6th and 7th. The theme for the 2026 conference is “AI in PLM: A Disruptive Opportunity and Challenge.”

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) moves from an experimental technology to a core industrial requirement, the PLM professional faces a critical turning point. PLM Road Map...

Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, 17 December 2025—The CIMdata-administered Aerospace & Defense PLM Action Group (AD PAG) has released a new, authoritative report, Digital Twin-Digital Thread Solution Evaluation Benchmark Report of Findings: General Availability Edition.

Recognizing that the knowledge of what is currently possible with digital twin and digital thread (Dtw-Dth) was not widely understood, the AD PAG sponsored this extensive project. The findings reported are the culmination of a collaborative exploration of solution strategies, implementation approaches, current value delivery capabilities, and future visions of commercial Dtw-Dth providers. Domain experts from seven AD PAG member companies partnered with four industry organizations and...

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How SAP’s Solution Strategy for PLM Extends the Digital Thread Across the Enterprise

Key Takeaways

• SAP positions its solutions for PLM and the SAP Business Suite as providing the system of record for product data, ensuring seamless execution across the enterprise. This enables companies to connect design, supply chain, and service data in one integrated business platform.
• SAP’s solutions for PLM create and manage the product data backbone required to drive efficiencies throughout the supply chain.
• SAP’s solutions for PLM address the needs of businesses in both discrete and process industries.
• By embedding data, applications, and...