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Tuesday, October 9, 2007

On PLM

AutoDesk CEO Carl Bass delivered a stinging critique of PLM vendors last February during the AutoDesk's World Press Day. He stated: "There are much more pragmatic, much more digestible approaches that solve the problem of how to inform design and engineering early in the process... PLM is an artifact, a marketing slogan, to satisfy a financial commnuity."

And you know what? He has a point.

I think the way to position PLM is by noting that it is all about "Rapidity" and "Speed"; i.e.
  • not waiting for weeks for a part to be prototyped by manufacturing, only to find a defect and start the process over again.
  • creating a usable jig for aligning headlights on a production line, right on the desktop.
  • having a sculpture reproduced economically, in time to meet an opening deadline by an artist
  • redesigning a failed system on the Boeing 737 and having the part ready for installation in days as opposed to weeks.
  • from design-to-part in one business day for a manufacturing run of 400,000.

We must be able to prove to the executives that PLM is about faster and higher return on investment for us to make headway in that arena.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Babak,

The comments about achieving speed and rapidity thru PLM are true but "singularity" ( in my opinion ) is just as important. Singularity, as defined Michael Grieves (PLM -Driving the Next Generation of Lean Thinking) ensures that there is only one unique and controlling version of any part.

All too often, excessive time and money is wasted working with wrong part. Proper implementation of PLM eliminates this problem.

C.G.

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I had been a senior software developer working for HP and GM. I am interested in intelligent and scientific computing. I am passionate about computers as enablers for human imagination. The contents of this site are not in any way, shape, or form endorsed, approved, or otherwise authorized by HP, its subsidiaries, or its officers and shareholders.

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