product lifecycle management

PLM reaches the midmarket

Wed, 02 May 2007 20:01:38 -0400

Product lifecycle management (PLM) software used to be thought of as an enterprise play, but not anymore. Today, the midmarket accounts for about 45 percent of PLM software sold annually. PLM, which allows companies to manage and support the information surrounding their various products and parts, includes XML or enterprise application integration; core functions like data vaults, document and content management, workflow and program management, and information authoring tools and functional applications. It is becoming more popular in companies of all sizes due to the expansion of outsourcing and contract manufacturing overseas, an increase in mergers and acquisitions, and the amount of regulatory and compliance laws. PLM offers companies the chance to enable company-wide collaboration to create whatever products are in play. Unlike ERP, which focuses on transactional business operations and manages financial or inventory data, PLM focuses on products and is designed to handle the changing, unstructured data associated with product design. But quantifying ROI can be tricky. Vendors include Omnify Software, Agile Software, Enovia MatrixOne and Arena Solutions.

Learn more about the value of PLM:
- read the article at CIO Decisions

ALSO: read this on why PLM software is close, but not perfect

PLM software: close, but not perfect

Mon, 05 Feb 2007 19:01:38 -0500

Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) software can manage every aspect of a product's life cycle, from the concept and design stages through retirement, but it's not error-free. Problems can include data and system incompatibility and difficult-to-catch errors, and these factors are significant enough to require CIOs to measure the rewards versus the risks. Companies are taking a risk by relying so heavily on any one piece of software--especially one that includes key information on both internal users and external partners. Make sure that you calculate the costs of a PLM system to determine whether it's worth it.

Learn more about the risks and rewards of PLM:
- read the article and download the calculator at Baseline

Golf club maker hits par with PLM efforts

Wed, 26 Jul 2006 20:01:36 -0400

Product lifecycle management (PLM) isn't a new concept by any means, but it's getting renewed interest these days from all sorts of companies looking to streamline, gain efficiency and speed up product development processes. One advocate is a golf equipment maker that has embraced PLM as a competitive tool which has propelled product development from two to 14 products a year and boosted up time to market from two years to just nine months. No small feat in such a competitive industry, and given its PLM success, the company is now propelling PLM capabilities to its suppliers as a way to shore up collaboration.

For more on making PLM payoff:
- read this article at CIO Insight

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Wed, 05 Apr 2006 20:00:50 -0400

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> The ins and outs of product lifecycle management. Article

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