Overview of Product Lifecycle Management

Product Life Cycle Management (PLM) is an emerging discipline involving information

technology enabled enhancement and optimization of products that enhance the

quality of human life. PLM is applicable to both new and existing products. Product

Lifecycle Management (PLM) includes all data and information of the stages from

demand, specification, R&D, engineering, manufacturing, sales, service to

maintenance. From the technical point of view, PLM is the internal management,

control and operation for products data, information and related operation of an

enterprise via the use of information system. Broadly speaking, from the enterprise

point of view, PLM is product database and process management. PLM is a concept

or a method to help enterprises manage their data and process. In a narrow sense of

the word, PLM is the application from R&D to engineering planning. It focuses on how

to integrate and manage product information (blue prints/ documents) and operation

processes from R&D to engineering planning. It also focuses on how to integrate

back-end systems including ERP, MRP, MRPII, SCM and CRM systems.

What are lifecycle activities?

Product Realization: from concept to production

Production: supply chain coordination

After-sales: service, maintenance, product updates, obsolescence management

Need of PLM

Products with many embedded technologies require a collaborative design and

development process across corporate, global and disciplinary boundaries.

Information technologies offer the tools necessary for such collaborations and

therefore lead to the birth of the novel products with multiple embedded technologies.

Evolution of PLM

Manufacturers are focusing more on their core competencies and keeping as much of

their process knowledge and intellectual property intact as they possibly can.

Knowledge capture and reuse methods will be more important than ever as a critical

element of an end-to-end PLM solution set. This has given rise to the expansion of

PLM applications well beyond the traditional product authoring and testing applications

(CAD/CAM/CAE) to a much broader scope of the product lifecycle.  These PLM

solutions now include the manufacturing processes, new product introduction, content

management, product support and maintenance, and expanded service offerings. As a

comprehensive business tool, PLM involves the fusion of many traditional engineering

disciplines such as computer aided design (CAD), computer aided manufacturing

(CAM), and computer aided process planning (CAPP) with many traditional

management disciplines such as lean manufacturing and six sigma quality control,

supply chain management (SCM), and enterprise resource planning (ERP).

What does PLM offer?

1. PLM allows faster, cheaper and better conception, invention, feasibility, testing

and deployment of novel products.

2. PLM allows significant improvements to the quality, cost, life, reliability and

environmental implications of existing products.

3. PLM allows the seamless birth, training and deployment of products with

embedded mechanical, chemical, electrical, computer, intelligence, and

communications hardware and software.

4. PLM allows exchange of ideas, collaborative design, embedded design, and full

life cycle considerations while the product is still on the proverbial "drawing

board." The exchange of ideas and collaborative design can be between a

large number of stakeholders, across disciplines, across time zones, across

continents, and also across interacting product teams. The stakeholders are

citizens, consumers, customers, governments, business people, investors,

suppliers, researchers, colleagues, peers and competitors.

Potential of PLM Market

PLM market is estimated to hit $30 billion by 2011.The Product Lifecycle Management

(PLM) market totaled almost $9.4 billion in 2008.  Unfortunately, the last two quarters

of 2008 signaled the beginning of a global economic downturn. The following factors

are all contributing to growth in the worldwide PLM market. 

1. Demand for increased efficiency and productivity

2. A continuing need for collaboration across a global manufacturing lifecycle

3. The rapidly growing need for product re-invention and innovation

4. The continued growth of manufacturing in emerging economies

5. Expanding adoption of a more holistic end-to-end PLM solution set

While enterprise business solutions like ERP, SCM, and BI remain essential to most

companies, the expanding PLM solution set across the design/build/support/ maintain

domains has enabled companies to manage the end-to-end process of product

development much better and more productively. Additionally, top executives in the

manufacturing sector are refocusing the strategic direction of their companies toward

innovation and new product development to gain market share and grow top-line

revenues.

PLM investments are forecast to climb over the next five years, increasing at a

compound annual growth rate of approximately 8.5% to exceed an estimated $30

billion by 2011 (analyst firm CIM data)

Challenges in the PLM space

Improper integration of the systems making up a PLM implementation

Shortage of talented PLM professionals

The attraction for investment is PLM's prowess in supporting the collaborative

creation, management, dissemination and use of product definition information across

the extended enterprise. That strength, however, is easily jeopardized by improperly

integrating the systems that make up a PLM implementation. PLM is not just a set of

technologies, but a strategic business approach that integrates people, processes,

business systems and information. PLM success requires the implementation strategy

to focus on optimizing the business process. As newly developed niche technologies

expand the PLM footprint, implementers must remember that the goal is not

technology optimization, but use of the technology to optimize the business process."

For example, customers of UGS Corp. typically use PLM to help optimize as many as

eight key business initiatives. They include new product development, value chain

synchronization, enterprise data management, commonization and reuse, knowledge

and IP management, regulatory compliance, production efficiency and systems

engineering and mechatronics.

The ongoing proliferation of niche PLM technologies continues to spur the growth of

service-oriented architectures (SOA) in an effort to help make systems integration

easier. "SOA is essentially a way of componentizing solutions so that they can be

more easily integrated with other solutions." A recent survey by Evans Data Corp.

reveals that enterprise SOA adoption is expected to double over the next two years. In

that survey, close to a quarter of enterprise-level developers indicate that they already

have SOA in place, and another 28% plan to do so within the next 24 months.

Commercial players in the PLM space

Companies that supply software to support the PLM process( the largest by revenue )

1) Dassault Systemes ($1.7B)

2) Siemens PLM Software (formerly UGS) ($1.4B)

3) PTC ($1.0B)

4) Agile Software Corporation (now part of Oracle Corporation), and SofTech Inc

(.011B) provide software products that cover most of the areas of PLM

functionality.

5) MSC Software ($0.3B) and Altair Engineering ($0.15B), provide packages

specializing in specific topics.

6) Aras Corp offers Microsoft-based open source enterprise PLM solutions

7) Arena Solutions provide on-demand PLM (software as a service) solutions.

8) Companies who provide web-based PLM software

Knowledge Bench provides applications that are used by pharmaceutical

and food and beverage manufacturers

Systems Associates provides applications for the aerospace and defense

industries.

9) Independent PLM solution providers such as Atos, Origin, Sopheon and

Capegemini deliver PLM consulting and system integration services and help

companies to identify, design, implement, and operate appropriate PLM

practices, processes and technologies

PLM Vendor Landscape- Vendor focus

Vendors CAD or

Formulation

Product

design

Product Data

Mgmt

Product Portfolio

mgmt

Aras

Arena solutions

Autodesk

Dassault Systemes

Enginuity

Infor

Oracle (Agile)

PTC

SAP

Selerant

Siemens PLM

Software (UGS)

Vendor focus with respect to verticals

Vendor Auto/A&D Hi

tech

Industrial Apparel/Textiles Chemical

Process

Medical

Device

Aras Primary

industries

Emerging

Industries

Arena

solutions

Autodesk

Dassault

Systemes

Enginuity

Infor

Oracle

(Agile)

PTC

SAP

Selerant

Siemens

PLM

Software

(UGS)

What "is" Agile?

Agile Provides visibility, management and collaboration capabilities for new and

changing product record information across the product lifecycle and the extended

supply chain. Speeds innovation and strengthen collaboration during product definition

and change cycles reduce costs

What "does" Agile do?

Accelerate new product introduction cycle time by 50%

Reduce direct material costs by 5%

Reduce warranty and service costs

Leverage global outsourced design and manufacturing Ensure regulatory

compliance

Agile Product Suite:

Agile provides visibility, management and collaboration capabilities for new and

changing product record information across the product lifecycle and the extended

supply chain. Speeds innovation and strengthen collaboration during product definition

and change cycles reduce costs

Agile is for those need to manage product lifecycle, collect records, integrate different

systems and technologies, with suitable users from industries such as aerospace,

national defense, automobile, consumer, electronic and life science industries. Agile can

provide worldwide enterprises with a larger vision for their products to improve their

competitive edge and margin while helping them to plan their product roadmaps. Agile

can go on line anytime. It is an expansion-based solution – the solution is based on PLM

and can be added with more functions according to various needs. Agile has hundreds

of customer-oriented features such as the following:

Agile Product Suite

Using PLM to manage R&D and prolong Product Lifecycle

R&D is the key of the competitiveness for an enterprise and is hard to manage. All

enterprises want to control R&D and know its updated information, including the project

schedule and updated situation, task complete rate, delay schedule, ….and so on.

Therefore, enterprises can have plans to improve those delays, issues, as well the

efficiency and quality for R&D. Traditional PLM manages product information such as

images and documents, products, materials, BOM, version control for forms in the

process, eProcess of applications and authorization management. Now, PLM improves

project management for product development to realize the project management of

product development, collects different information, provides updated information and

analysis for high-level executives.

Agile Product Collaboration (PC)

Agile Product Collaboration provides product record covering the whole supply chain,

increases visibility, as well as offering a complete solution that can manage and

coordinate internal records. With Agile Product Collaboration, each shareholder in the

extended design & supply chain has secure access to critical product record data -

including bills of materials, attributes, manufacturers, configurations, specifications,

documents, models, work instructions, revisions and more - and can easily initiate and

approve design, manufacturing, customer and supplier-driven changes.

Agile Product Portfolio Management

Agile Product Portfolio Management enables organizations to optimize their product

development investments, provide tightly-synchronized program and product

information, maximize resource utilization and cross-program visibility and offers

decision support throughout the product lifecycle. Agile Product Portfolio Management

maximizes profits by providing enterprise with visibility and coordination of product

development deliverables, metrics, timing and resources across a portfolio of programs,

organizations, sites and the global product network.

Agile Product Governance & Compliance

Agile Product Governance & Compliance™ helps organizations to manage product and

program compliance amid industry standards, environmental and regulatory

requirements, making possible an effective compliance throughout enterprise operations.

The solution enables environmental compliance of products, provides lifecycle

capabilities to meet environmental regulation standards such as the Waste of Electronic

and Electrical Equipment (WEEE) directive and the Restrictions of Hazardous Substance

(ROHS) regulation.

Agile Product Cost Management

Agile Product Cost Management enables companies to manage product costs

throughout the product lifecycle and make informed sourcing decisions beforehand,

synchronize product cost intelligence and manage design, sourcing, manufacturing and

supplier sectors throughout the product lifecycle. The solution extends the enterprise

product record with a rich and reusable repository of risk data, current and projected cost

information, enables major shareholders to evaluate the best sourcing strategies and

continuously analyze products for total costs throughout the lifecycle of each product.

Agile Product Quality Management

Agile Product Quality Management drives the improvements in product quality and

customer satisfaction by tightly integrating customer, product, quality and regulatory

information within a closed-loop corrective action system. Agile Product Quality

Management extends the enterprise product record by presenting an actionable,

enterprise view of quality events, status and issues that facilitates making the right

product decisions at the right time.

Agile Engineering Collaboration

Agile Engineering Collaboration™ addresses the specific requirements of the

engineering organization, ensuring that development processes and best practices are

fully leveraged throughout the product lifecycle and across the enterprise with design

partners. The solution provides comprehensive product intellectual property

management across multiple CAD authorizing tools and disciplines in a central product

record, optimizing internal & external collaboration and IP reuse, as well as linking

processes and data across functions, projects and partners.

After its acquisition and integration of Agile Software Corporation, Oracle has been able

to provide an integrated PLM solution for enterprises. PLM refers to the management of

a product through the different stages in its lifecycle, from the initial concept to disposal.

Oracle's Agile PLM provides a set of technologies for companies with a large collection

of products that can be complex to manage. The solution helps companies manage

information related to their products, such as customers, costs, suppliers,

manufacturing, design, service, compliance and new products.

Product information is usually dispersed across different global systems. Oracle’s Agile

PLM supports collaboration between these systems and protects sensitive information

with attribute-level security. Integration with other crucial systems such as CRMs, ERPs

and CAD is also a feature of this PLM solution. Oracle has focused on specific

industries such as foods, electronics, medical, aerospace and automotive, thus

providing industry-specific expertise to companies operating in these sectors.

Overall this integrated PLM solution is meant to simplify product management

throughout its lifecycle and consequently lets enterprises improve efficiency and deliver

better quality products.

Agile Product Collaboration provides enterprise visibility, management and collaboration

of new and changing product record information across the extended supply chain.

Agile Product Collaboration helps companies define, develop and manage product

change by providing:

Secure access to preliminary and released information about any product, part or

document

Visibility into pending and released changes and items affected by these

changes

Automated and streamlined change management processes with intelligent

workflow

Efficient product management across global, multi-tiered supply chains

An environment to manage and control manufacturers and their product content

Synchronization of manufacturing systems with the current product record

Agile Product Collaboration is a suite of solutions that enable you to manage and share

critical product information across your company and extended supply chain.

About Agile PLM jobs

Agile software development is a group of methods of development, which evolved in the

mid-nineties. These methods include rapid continuous delivery of useful software and

close daily co-operation between members of businesses and developers.

As software requirements evolve as a project moves through the development phase

there is increasing importance on managing the project lifecycle through agile thus agile

PLM job vacancies exist in many companies.

Agile PLM job opportunities vary and can include roles at various levels from agile

administrator jobs through to agile developer positions. An Agile PLM job favours

experience in the methodology due to the constant development of the technology

industry.

Skill Availability

Industries hiring PLM graduates

Aerospace

Automobile

Government and defense

Heavy engineering

Hi tech and electronics

Jobs within Agile PLM are available in a variety of companies:

Sierra Atlantic

It has 25 – 30 employees in Oracle Agile application

Mahindra Satyam:

It has a pool of 40 – 45 employees. In 2008 it had approximately 120 employees which

got reduced to a present number of 45.

Major clients: JDSU, Apple, Cisco, GSK, GE.

Apple is its biggest client

IBM:

15-20 employees

CTS:

5-8 employees

Deloitte:

5-7 employees

All involved in a single project

Dhanush Infotech Pvt Ltd:

12-15 employees

All based out of Hyderabad

Dell, TCS, HCL, Accenture and Qualcomm also have Oracle Agile professionals. But

the number is less.

Training Institutes

EDST Technologies Training Centre

It is India’s largest PLM Solutions and 3D Visual Simulation provider, with its

headquarters in Bangalore and having presence in Chennai, Gurgaon, Hyderabad,

Mumbai, and Pune.

EDST is staffed with over 115 skilled professionals. Its training centre in Bangalore

provides industry-focused training in PLM tools like CATIA V5, ENOVIA. These training

centers are focusing on building domain expertise in the areas of PLM and Engineering

Competitiveness specifically aligned to the manufacturing and engineering services

industries.

EDST, the largest PLM partner of Dassault Systemes, plays a vital role in implementing

Dassault PLM Solutions, in India across various industry segments. EDST has the

largest customer base in the PLM industry including OEMs, aerospace and automotive

sectors

The training is delivered by industry experts. The programme includes a curriculum that

comprehensively covers the concepts and advanced features of PLM tools that enable

conceptual and detailed designing, besides manufacturing design, resulting in state-of-

art knowledge based solutions.

The explosive growth in the Product Life Cycle Management sector will be hampered by

shortage of qualified people unless investment is done in educating and training

professionals who can join the field. EDST aims to address the staffing needs of the

PLM industry by making available a talent pool that immediately fits their needs and

their client’s specific needs.

EDST conducts customized training in several PLM modules for corporates to

specifically meet their needs vis-à-vis stipulated project requirements/specifications.

PLM solutions provided by EDST

CATIA- solution for product design addressing all manufacturing

organizations

ENOVIA- Delivers industry-specific applications that accelerate enterprise

collaboration and product innovation

SIMULIA- Portfolio of Realistic Simulation solutions including, Unified

FEA, Multiphysics & Simulation Lifecycle Management

ICEM

DELMIA

3DVIA

Casting simulation

Light Simulation

Human Ergonomics

DIE Design

Product data Quality

3D engineering Content

Trainees’ Profile in EDST

Students in the pre-final and final years of mechanical and manufacturing

engineering from engineering colleges/institutes

Unemployed students trying to upgrade their skills in PLM

Working professionals seeking a change in career to PLM from

manufacturing and engineering industries

TRAINING PROGRAM

Program Duration in hrs

CATIA V5 professional 240

CATIA V5 Designer 96

CATIA V5 Expert 48

Certifications available

Dassault Systemes- CATIA

Cisco

Vmware Inc

Brocade Communications

EMC

Oracle

Adobe SAP

Citrix Systems

EDST offers training in the following modules of PLM tools

CATIA V5 ‘Professional’ with business and Soft Skills

CATIA V5 basic and Advanced level

CATIA V5 Manufacturing

CATIA V5 Automation

CATIA V5 Advanced Sheet Metal Design

CATIA V5 Plastic tool design

CATIA V5 Electric Design

CATIA V5 Administration

Enovia VPM user

Enovia VPM Adminstration

Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Training & Curriculum Development at

Purdue University

Undergraduate

CGT 163 – 800 students/year

PLM minor

Interdisciplinary Courses

Project-based learning

PLM Major & Minor

Advanced Solid Modeling

Surface Modeling

CAD Interoperability/Standards

PDM/Configuration/Collaboration

Simulation

Graduate

Applied Projects

PLM Research

Industry Training