PI PLMx event is coming to London just in few weeks. Check more info here – PI PLMx London. I was very happy to see that the topic from my recent PLMx event in Chicago made it as a theme of London event – Lifecycle intelligence:
Lifecycle Intelligence- Deliver service lifecycle excellence and predictive analytics through performance enabled Digial Twins, enabled by the Model-Based enterprise.
Back in November / 2018, I presented at PI PLMx Chicago. You can check for my slides here and short summary here – How to extract more business value from PLM. The challenge is the intelligence is on the top of what PLM can imagine to do these days.
Manufacturing world is going through the process of digital transformation. It is very important for PLM industry to find a new identity in a future manufacturing world. The old “single source of truth” (SSOT) mantra will be replaced with a new concept of digital value chain. It is a message for PLM architects from software vendors and customers to explore how to match future PLM digital technology with new PLM identity and values.
In this process of digital transformation, PLM vendors can lose their PLM identity. The following video by Peter Bilello is a good demonstration of problem in traditional PLM academic approach.
The point of the video – PLM name has a good chance to disappear and to be replaced with “lifecycle” word. The last one aren’t clear since it makes things even more vague than before in my view. It can be lifecycle of anything. What about procurement lifecycle?
It made me think again about balance between value proposition and clarify of definitions. As much as value is not obvious, companies are moving towards debates around terminology and many other “connected” things.
To me, intelligence is the key thing in a new definition of PLM. It can clarify the value proposition of PLM system and brings this intelligence into practical usage by allowing PLM system to create an underlying data model to connect people, companies and business processes such development, production planning and procurement. You say… wait a second? What about other systems such as ERP and even CRM? Here is the thing – boundaries are smashed in a new digital transformation and product development. As I wrote in my PLM stretch to ERP blog last week, modern systems are redefining systems boundary.
I won’t be able to make it to PLMx PI London. But, I’m going to learn PLMx PI agenda and hope to come with more examples of transformations. Also hope for live translation done by PLMx organizers or maybe some attendees.
What is my conclusion? System boundaries are blurring and transforming these days. Instead of siloed systems we can see integrated product environments. Intelligence will bring a lot of additional value to PLM, but also will create a new competitors. The future of PLM competition is in the ability to connect engineers and companies in single process. Just my thoughts..
Best, Oleg
Disclaimer: I’m co-founder and CEO of OpenBOM developing cloud based bill of materials and inventory management tool for manufacturing companies, hardware startups and supply chain. My opinion can be unintentionally biased
