PLM off Craiglist – Different Angle on Social PLM

plm-from-craiglist1Social PLM. Social Product Development. Social Network and PLM… I think we got lots of such discussion in the past few months. All of them, indeed, are very interesting and productive. I loved most of them and have to admit, social dimension in Product Lifecycle Management sounds as a very interesting option to me.

However, today, I want to raise discussion in a bit different angle of Social networking and PLM. How to choose PLM system? This is an important question when you think how to leverage wisdom of the crowd for PLM. I think, this question will be even more laud, as much as we will be moving to the future cloud services and more granular. In the end of the day, PLM will stop becoming a “catholic marriage” with a vendor for next 25 years. So, to flow into the ocean of available services will be very beneficial.

But what we have today in this space? How you can get a recommendation from masses about what PLM to choose? In my view, professional social networks, such as LinkedIn can become a place where you can get some knowledge and ask for other people experience.

Look on this. I browsed through “Linked In Ask Service“ and found some very interesting discussions related to how to choose enterprise and PLM software. Furthermore, you can ask your specific question. When I don’t see something new in services like Ask, presence of such service in professional social networks can be very interesting social PLM option.

plm-from-craiglist

Do you want to make a try? Maybe your future PLM will come as a recommendation from PLM Craiglist?

Best, Oleg

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  • AndyF

    Oleg,

    We often use internet forum boards for technical discussions and sometimes vendor feedback. It is often quicker to ask a question on a message board than it is to call the vendor. Many SW vendors have moved their techlines offshore to India or other places and the quality has dropped to nearly useless. (the maintenance charges haven’t dropped though oddly enough!)

    I can see using a message board for very general PLM feedback but I’m not sure it would valuable for much else. Some of the issues are just so complex that most people aren’t going to spend the time to provide good feedback, even if they do know the answer.

    I’ve been spending a lot of time lately investigating PLM solutions the old fashioned way – using the phone. I might find contacts via social networking but the conversation doesn’t take place on the internet.

  • Andy, your comment brings new idea- why forum and message board cannot have a Skype (or whatever else) unified communication option? You can message and when time come, you can have a call… Does it make sense to you? Best, Oleg

  • yml

    Hello Oleg,

    I think that one of the key difference between PLM and some commodity softwares such as databases, word processor, web server, programming language is that PLM is a very “secret minded” industry. You are not even able to easily and legally find the documentation, book or training online on their products. These elements are key to support this kind of discussion thread that you are describing.

    This weirdness makes the sector very opaque and could explain why it is not able to surf on the wave of crowd sourcing but so far the licensing/economic model of the major players make this sector very profitable. However this approach might become harder and harder to sell to big company.

    Rgeards,
    –yml

  • yml

    ping
    [oleg] -> ping

  • Yann, I think your observation is very important. I’d expect some changes in this space as a result of social media, business model changes and demands driven by other players in non-PLM industries. I think, roots of this are in organizations implementing product and technologies for PLM. They assume (and I agree with that), way they implement PLM systems and organizational processes is something that allows to them to become leader or beat competitors in their space. So, they are not very interested to share their manufacturing and engineering processes. This is something that create initial level of “secret minded” industry. And of course, PLM vendors competition is an additional level. But, I see more and more materials shared online, on blogs, slideshare, youtube etc. It becomes more open… Would you agree? Best, Oleg

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