PLM Innovation and Top 5 PLM trends

by Oleg on October 30, 2012 · 10 comments

Last week I attended PLM Innovation event in Atlanta. If you haven’t had a chance to follow my blog last week, you can catch up on this post – PLM Innovation: Who will provide PLM to Boeing in 2015? In my view, Boeing presentation during the event provided an important “mind changing” message. Today, I wanted to provide more organized and systematic view on trends I discovered during the event from presentations and talks with people. Here is my take on top 5 trends in PLM software and industry:

1. Usability. Usability. Usability…

You cannot stop it. Bad user experience is “so ’95″. You can see how PLM companies are focusing on that. Take a look on the following slide presented by Boeing. I think, it is very self explaining:

Here are few examples of PLM vendor strategies in this space – Autodesk PLM 360 cloud alternative, Dassault 3D Experience, PTC Whindchill 10 focus on user experience, SAP Visual Enterprise, TeamCenter Active Workspaces. So, vendors recognize the importance. The delivery of user experience is a tricky thing. It takes time, experiments and effort to deliver good user experience. It is not a simple task.

2. Global Access

Today even smallest manufacturing companies and business are global. You cannot build the system today assuming on a single location. PLM industry has a long history of investment in global access. Web architecture, global collaboration and data sharing. The biggest challenge and opportunity I can see these days is related to the ability of vendors to bring new technologies from web to PLM space. Large companies and small startups are investing in this space. Few examples – Autodesk PLM 360 on the cloud, Dassault Enovia V6 online, GrabCAD, Sunglass.io and others.

3. Affordable business models and simple pricing

PLM is too expensive. You can hear this message very often. One of the clear messages I’ve heard during PLM Innovation is related to how PLM vendors can provide a simple and affordable pricing model. Take a look on the slide below presenting how and why the existing pricing model are limited PLM business.

Fundamentally, customer’s demand is to have a predictable pricing model.

4. Mobile Applications

Mobile is a king of the road. Everything is going mobile these days. So, if you don’t have a mobile strategy you are literally dead. The biggest challenge for vendors is how to deliver mobile applications right. One of mobile challenges is related to platform and device diversification – there are too many platforms and devices. Another one is business and licensing. Sales usually are not interested how to sell an app for $4.99.

5. Beyond engineering

Last, but not least. Historically, PLM was very focused on design and engineering business. However, companies recognize an increased value of PLM to be delivered downstream in the company beyond engineering. PLM is recognized as a system(s) that can manage and distribute information about product across the lifecycle.

What is my conclusion? I think we move from “changes are coming” to “changes are here” status now. The focus of customers like Boeing on usability introduce the new era of PLM software. Enterprise IT (PLM included) is finally “on fire” to deliver systems with desired quality. The next five years focus will be on how to deliver PLM leveraging massive experience in technology and business of consumer and web business. Just my thoughts…

Best, Oleg

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Tagged as: PLM, PLM Innovation, PLM Trends

  • http://www.facebook.com/aleksey.grigoryev Alexey Grigoryev

    Oleg, thanks for post.

    The question on mobile thing and strategy is open. On one hand the importance of mobile part is important both for b2b and b2c nowadays, on the other hand – will engineers switch from big screens to smaller ones and how fast and easy ? What do you think ?

    Alexey

  • Garrick Ballantine

    I agree it’s all about the user experience! Think about all the great user experiences we have every day with applications and devices outside of work and how they become part of our lives. My 5 year old cousin can order a movie on Netflix from the TV or video game console with relative ease. We then go to work and have to deal with poor tools and user experiences that end up creating more work rather than delivering on the promises they’ve made to make our lives better while at work. The bar has been raised and I look forward to being part of the changes you speak of here. :)

  • Paul2002

    I think that to really improve user experience – there is a need to rebuild or at least rearrange the foundations. Sticking monolythic systems in the cloud only allows you to go so far. Reconfiguring the foundations with non RDMs (as Oleg you have discussed else where) is I believe a way to address this – esp re your point about delivering plm down stream (and in a way upstream). What will be intersting is will the existing big boys or the New Turks (Sunglass etc) who make the progress here?

  • Andy

    I refer specifically to the comment about vendors bringing web capability to the PLM space. In recent years I have noticed increased activity from the vendors achieving this (and other enhancements) by seeking out niche web technology and often making strategic acquisitions (instead of developing in house) strategic acquisitions enhance portfolios overnight whilst occasionally inflicting damage to the competition at the same time. Vendors with deep pockets and short arms often become the target for acquisition themselves.

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  • beyondplm

    Alexey, thanks for the comment! No, I don’t think engineers will switch from big screens. At the same time, I do believe that mobile can be used in the scenarios and use cases big screens and desktop computers cannot be used. Just my thoughts, Oleg

  • beyondplm

    Garrick, agree 100%. we will be watching that. the demand of people using consumer apps and tools today is completely different and it will change the industry. Best, oleg

  • beyondplm

    Paul, you are right! lots of things need to be changed to really improve user experience. this is part of the overal change in the industry. Exciting time… Best, oleg

  • beyondplm

    Vendors can use different strategies such as develop by themselves or acquiring other technologies. PLM companies did it in the past and will continue doing so. This is not specific for CAD/PLM space- this is part of the overal industry/tech eco-system. Thanks fro commenting. Best, oleg

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