I’m following Aras PLM annual event online this week – ACE2015. There is a moderate volume of tweets coming from Detroit. Navigate to the following link to have a look. You can take a look on the agenda here.
For the last few years, Aras is developing as a very interesting story. Do you remember my post back in 2011 – Aras PLM lines up against Windchill, Enovia, and TeamCenter. If you listen to updates coming from Aras, this is actually coming truth and I’ve seen presentations made by few customers explaining how Aras is replacing existing PLM implementations or co-exist with PDM implementations from Enovia, TeamCenter and Windchill.
The following slide caught my attention yesterday. It was part of Sonnax presentation at ACE2015. It gives an interesting definition of PLM nightmare vs. PLM heaven.
PLM Nightmare
Spreadsheets, Workflow software and Activity database. I can see a point of spreadsheets. Especially after my yesterday blog referencing complex automotive configuration environment made of Excel. However, the sense of nightmare with workflow software and activity database was a new thing for me. If I think about each PLM software, workflows and activities is an essential part of every PLM platform. My hunch is that PLM workflows are complicated and hard to implement. And it makes terrible experience for users.
PLM Heaven
Flexible, accessible by all and dollar doable. I found this combination interesting. It clearly shows the level of concern manufacturing companies have with software licenses cost. Flexibility is something that often associated with spreadsheets, but I can see a point of configurable flexible data models. Accessible by all is the most important. And this is, in my view, it is a combination of technology and license cost. Cloud, web and mobile are technologies that can make PLM software accessible. However, it should come in the package with business models allowing to all parties to be connected.
It made me think about accessibility of PLM solution as a key component of a successful PLM software. PLM software must be available to every person in manufacturing companies and connected eco system of suppliers, contractors, service providers and (probably) customers. Without that, PLM will be in a danger to stay a database of engineering change workflow and manage revisions of CAD files.
What is my conclusion? Aras is using tagline “Rethink PLM“. Actually, I like it very much. Coincidentally, I posted about it – Cloud is not the way to rethink PLM. Then what? We can see lot of disruption these days in many industries – communication, transportation, connected devices, home automation, mobility. So, rethinking will be coming to PLM too. But, the meaning of “rethinking” is tricky and should be filled with clear differentiation supported by 10x better technologies, new business models and use experience. Just my thoughts…
Best, Oleg
Image courtesy of Master isolated images at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
