Inspired by the blog post: “Is PLM a Journey? Follow (or Join!) the Blogfight!" in "The PLM Dojo" group at LinkedIn I started thinking about the topic of “PLM as a journey”. In my previous company I wrote the post “PLM – Tool or Mindset”, and a PLM implementation is in my view a journey pretty much as Jos Voskuil describes it. If and there is an if, you think about the scope of PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) then I think it is crucial to have a vision, strategy and a clear commitment from business in order to be able to execute. This is because the initiative involves several different departments, and in bigger organizations also multiple sites on different continents. Such a project becomes a journey, because in order to eat that particular elephant it is very important to do it one bite at a time, and in between each bite, business and the organization needs to digest and mature.
This is where organizational rollout and communication comes in as a very important factor. IT must in this case work very closely with business to deliver functionality after each bite has been swallowed…. A lot of eating here, but I think the analogy is good.
This is where organizational rollout and communication comes in as a very important factor. IT must in this case work very closely with business to deliver functionality after each bite has been swallowed…. A lot of eating here, but I think the analogy is good.
| I’ve been fortunate enough to be a part of a few such PLM projects, but in the beginning I must say that it was the proverbial catfight between business and IT. But, as healthy group processes were promoted and everybody tried to see it from the other party’s perspective they became ONE team with ONE goal. This could happen because there were external personnel present to mediate and translate the language of business to IT and vise versa. After a few months it was impossible to tell who was business and who was IT! I would describe this process as an important part of the PLM journey. Then, as business gets more and more of their processes implemented in the PLM system and the solution matures, more and more bites can be introduced and devoured. |  |
So what about PDM (Product Data Management)?
Well PDM is where PLM originally came from, and it primarily addresses the needs of product engineering and design. Mostly a one department effort, although such projects can also span multiple sites on different continents.
However if we face the facts, most PLM projects today are STILL abut implementing PDM functionality in a full blown PLM platform.
Why is that?
Well in my view it is because:
a. It started as an engineering or IT effort without appropriate business vision and strategy.
b. The PLM project, with business involved and strategy developed, got constipated because they bit over more than they could chew.
If the PDM project started as an IT or engineering department only effort, then there seems to be a glass ceiling preventing the project to get acceptance from business to grow the scope into a full PLM implementation.
I cannot really explain why, so feel free to comment!
My hunch though, is that it has to do with a certain “Not invented here” syndrome….
But I seriously doubt that business would say that out loud......
Some points to ponder
Bjorn Fidjeland
Well PDM is where PLM originally came from, and it primarily addresses the needs of product engineering and design. Mostly a one department effort, although such projects can also span multiple sites on different continents.
However if we face the facts, most PLM projects today are STILL abut implementing PDM functionality in a full blown PLM platform.
Why is that?
Well in my view it is because:
a. It started as an engineering or IT effort without appropriate business vision and strategy.
b. The PLM project, with business involved and strategy developed, got constipated because they bit over more than they could chew.
If the PDM project started as an IT or engineering department only effort, then there seems to be a glass ceiling preventing the project to get acceptance from business to grow the scope into a full PLM implementation.
I cannot really explain why, so feel free to comment!
My hunch though, is that it has to do with a certain “Not invented here” syndrome….
But I seriously doubt that business would say that out loud......
Some points to ponder
Bjorn Fidjeland
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