A blog by Oleg Shilovitsky
Information & Comments about Engineering and Manufacturing Software

Top annoying things about PLM software.

Top annoying things about PLM software.
olegshilovitsky
olegshilovitsky
26 August, 2009 | 2 min for reading

PLM as a combination of technologies, software, and methodology came long way from initial CAD systems, followed by CAE, Product Data Management and Collaboration Software. Some of the PLM-software components are very mature, but some of them are still in the early beginning. While we’ve innovated in many PLM products and technologies, we’ve also continued to disregard pre-existing PLM issues.

Here my list about top annoying things in PLM with no specific order, however, I do believe I started with the most significant ones.

PLM Implementation Scope. PLM software pretends on overall control of product IP and data. By saying that PLM companies, in my view, try to boil an ocean and claim to support unlimited capabilities in management of information and business processes around product development and manufacturing. Multiplied by marketing and sales, PLM creates perception of “do everything” software.

PLM Uniqueness. Ability to support a design process, manage product data and collaboration presented as unique capability of PLM software. Such position creates perception of premium value provided by PLM software and, very often, disregards other available alternatives in managing data and collaboration.

PLM Complexity. I have to admit product engineering and manufacturing are not a simple topic. To manage such processes and data, software needs to achieve a specific level of sophistication and complexity. However, in my view, PLM often exaggerated needed a complexity level and sophistication. In the end complexity creates a significant adoption rate problem. These time people like simple words and simple software.

Terminology. PLM domain created huge terminological barrier for people to get into this space. Number of multiple buzzwords and terms create difficulties to understand business purpose and capabilities of software. Heavy usage of overlapping and confusing terminology put a very significant constraint on ability to use software and tools that come from different software vendors.

Bizarre User Interface. Because of a long life cycle of a software product, user interface is something that was development during many years and contain multiple “historical reasons”. Even if during last few years, user experience was priorities by most software vendors in PLM space, this is still pace requirement multiple improvement and innovation.

Slooooow…. After all, performance isstill one ofthe most discussed issue software vendors isfocusing on. Refresh time, Render Time, regeneration, display, view etc. All these functions are very time consuming and contains space for innovation.

Best, Oleg

Recent Posts

Also on BeyondPLM

4 6
6 August, 2015

The usage of Excel in manufacturing is overwhelming. You might think that Excels and spreadsheets are only used by smaller...

24 November, 2016

It is Thanksgiving or Thanksgiving Day in United States today. I wanted to say some special words to all my...

17 June, 2010

I had chance to read Buzz message thread about ECO management, initiated by Josh Mings. I found it worth reading....

17 December, 2022

The PLM industry is finally moving a full speed ahead toward the cloud. Remember the cloud debates 10 years ago?...

7 October, 2013

There are almost as many cloud storage services as clouds in the sky these days. Cloud opens a huge opportunity...

29 October, 2023

Every business is looking for three things: how to make more money, save costs, and reduce risk. Manufacturing companies are...

4 July, 2016

Timing is everything. When you want to develop a new service or change an existing one, time criteria is crucial....

19 May, 2024

Attending events is getting back in swing these days. The lesson learned from COVID days – you go to conferences...

27 January, 2010

I want to raise discussion about reporting in PLM. We don’t see it much in marketing materials about PLM. I...

Blogroll

To the top