Have you ever tried to eat an apple but only managed to finish half? It’s still better than not having any, right? You still get most of the nutrients, flavor, and satisfaction from just that portion.
Now, let’s apply the same logic to Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) implementation.
Many companies dream of transforming everything at once—building a fully connected, optimized system that integrates engineering, manufacturing, procurement, and beyond. They trying to follow a playbook provided by all PLM software vendors of covering the entire product development process and even more- the entire product life cycle including product data management, integrating with enterprise resource planning, covering all business processes, starting from product launch to customer feedback, achieving a full potential of PLM system vision.
But then reality hits. PLM solutions are complex. It takes time. Product data is messy, production process cannot be changed overnight. Supply chain management optimization requires multiple partners to work together. The same about service lifecycle management. All these steps require effort.
Suddenly, the whole thing feels overwhelming, and the project stalls—or worse, it never even starts.
But here’s the good news: you don’t have to reach 100% completion to get huge value.
The Value of Partial Implementation
Some projects only make sense when they are fully completed. Imagine building 80% of a bridge—it’s not very useful if it doesn’t reach the other side.
PLM is different. With a 30%, 40%, or even 60% implementation, you can still unlock massive ROI. Just by digitizing parts of your processes—such as BOM management, collaboration, or release control—you can boost efficiency, reduce errors, and improve decision-making.
Avoiding the Trap of Perfection
One of the biggest mistakes in PLM implementation is chasing perfection. Companies set a goal of 100% integration, but the complexity causes delays, roadblocks, and frustration. In the end, nothing gets done.
Instead, take a pragmatic approach:
✅ Start with small, impactful improvements.
✅ Focus on what brings the biggest immediate value.
✅ Expand gradually, learning and adjusting along the way.
Here are a few examples of phased approach in PLM projects: organizing design data storage and controlling all design changes; automatic generation of derivative files for contractors and manufacturing, capturing a full product structure from multi-disciplinary design tools for historical records, BOM costing, automatic engineering to manufacturing data handover…
I recommend to pick the most painful tasks and most impactful part of the process to improve. It will give you huge ROI with a partial projects.
What is my conclusion? PLM Success Comes in Stages…
A halfway PLM project is still a success if it improves workflows, saves time, and makes teams more productive. Over time, you can continue adding functionality, integrating more data, and refining the system.
The key is momentum—doing something is far better than doing nothing.
So, if you’re hesitating to start your PLM journey because it feels like too much, remember: a half-eaten apple is still a great snack. Start small, gain value, and keep going.
Just my thoughts…
What’s your next step toward PLM success?
Best, Oleg
Disclaimer: I’m the co-founder and CEO of OpenBOM, a digital-thread platform providing Collaborative Workspace with PDM, PLM, and ERP capabilities. With extensive experience in federated CAD-PDM and PLM architecture, I’m advocates for agile, open product models and cloud technologies in manufacturing. My opinion can be unintentionally biased.
