Core PLM Areas and Functionalities

PLM Software tool will do lot of things and it can do much more things by streamlining Product Development Process, Enhancing User Efficiency and Productivity, establishing Reliable and Robust Environment in different areas of a Product journey through different departments of an Organization to achieve Business Strategic Plans,

Following are Core PLM Areas which will cover various stages of Product Development,

1.      Program and Portfolio Management (Project, Plan & People Management)

a.      Managing Projects effectively in turn save more Time and Money

b.      Splitting Projects into sub projects – WBS

c.       Resource Planning and Assignment – Track Tasks and status

d.      Overall Project Plan – Set Goals, Mile Stones

e.      Detailed Reporting and Benchmarks

f.        Quick Decisions

2.      "Intellectual Property" cycle Management (CAD, Digital Data, documents, Analysis)

a.      Various Types digital Data Generation

b.      Structured way of managing data

c.       Managing complicated Bill of Materials

d.      Secured and Role based user assignment for a Projects

e.      Single Source of IP

f.        Make Easy Search of right information at right time

g.      Well defined workflow and Review processes

h.      Document Change Management

i.        Quick defined and decisions for Release Processes

j.        Working with Multi-CAD environments

k.       Integrated to other Editor Software

l.        Replicated Environments

m.    Collaboration between Multi Site working Environments

n.      Scope for Innovation in NPD

o.      Digital Analysis Data Management – FEM, DMU, Stress- Bending etc.

3.      Suppliers Integration (SCM)

a.      Suppliers Quotation Management
b. Customer relationship management

2. Customer service management
3. Demand & Order management
4. Manufacturing flow management
5. Supplier relationship management
6. Product Development & Commercialization
7. Returns management

4.      Production (Digital Manufacturing)

a.      Testing and Prototyping

b.      Digital Coding and Tooling

c.       Mass Production Management

d.      Plant Maintenance

e.      Material Management

f.        Design to Production Management

g.      Production Level Change

h.      Assembly Line management

5.      Sales & After Market (Service)

a.      Inventory Management

b.      Sales to Order

c.       Engineering to Order

d.      Finance and Marketing

e.      Customer Requirements Management

f.        Service Management

The above said poitns are covering main functionalities of PLM core areas which covers Product  stages from Concept of Planning phase to Design Phase to Production Phase to After Market Phase in turn covers full Lifecycle of a Product.

So it is clear that PLM is a platform for  integrating People, Processes, and Technologies accross various departments through out a Product Lifecycle.

Next Post we will discuss how PLM tool acts as a Strategic Tool in an Organization and PLM benefits.

Bye for Now

Anil Kumar  J R