PLM for World: Program, Product Portfolio Management in PLM & nPD

In one of my recent interaction with an OEM, I have been asked many questions over Program, Product Portfolio Management area, and I discussed and done well with questions. After many rounds of deep discussions with OEM senior members, I got the clear view with PPM domain and I am able to fix and I can accommodate PPM domain exactly with PLM layer.

In my last two assignments I got to work rigorously with Project Management area to establish tight integration system across cross functional teams by using PLM Project Management Platform. SOW is clearly said to collaborate new product development (nPD) processes along with various product ranges of the client.

Developing a New Product in a controlled system for minimum or few product ranges is quiet lesser complex compared many product line portfolios. An organization with many such product ranges as per market segments have more projects and teams to development and deliver to market.

In the context of R&D focused nPD processes PLM gives an opportunity to establish strong PDM area with Design Data innovation tools (CAD, CAM, FEM, Simulation etc.) to generate and manage IP, Change Management Processes within and across product development groups. This layer of PLM controls, manages the technical processes like APQP, DFMEA, DFA & DFM, ECO, ECR, PSR, Quality Audits, PPAP, Product Costing Processes, RFQ, etc. and one can manage information for many such product ranges with focus to R&D. With the above processes meant for R&D and many cases maximum time technical persons are involved to deliver products as per their plan.

Presently the globalization trend pushing every organization to deliver product on time to market with quality, innovative, attractive and economical parameters in mind. So organizations' executives look the product development and R&D as main business strategically units to look over the each and every projects and processes to control the system to meet the globalization challenges.

So here is the solution PPM (Product Program Portfolio Management). PPM manages and controls the information and processes flow in business strategically way and gives the scope of executing Projects for small to big, market to segments product ranges development projects.

PPM controls the individual projects, multiple projects under one market segments or many market segment & as per industries categories. PPM is total end to end Project Management solution, acts as governing processes for many sub processes inside various groups of an organization.

Example: R&D looks mainly into Technical info and innovation of product with various processes. Costing group looks for product costing optimization, SCM looks for all suppliers processes, Purchasing looks for material procurement, marketing looks for VOC, customer feedback, orders and Planning and Production looks for execution of orders, operations, Inventory processes etc.

All the above examples for Cross functional teams should work close and collaboratively to meet business and globalization challenges.

Here PPM comes and integrate all these processes as set of tasks in phased manners for single and multiple projects across organization product ranges. PPM gives clear view of Project Scope and integration areas, total project duration, Resource management, allocation, Quality norms, Project Risks, Financial, budgeting and slighter finance forecasting, communication across cross functional teams & whole project status and Reporting etc.

In my experience, many organizations not providing much attention and importance in PPM and many group leaders, seniors intentionally do not wanted to be part of such PPM solutions in their Information Systems (IS) like PLM, ERP, Project Management tools.

Reasons are many more and few are pretty straight and simple that,

One do not want to come under processes controlled system,

Lack of confidence in executing many projects and deliver on time,

One thinks everything under track for every set activities and information will be clear transparency, chance of getting exposed for minor mistakes,

Egoism to work under one controlled system and one administration of project base system, Etc. etc.