Objective of the method:

Objective of PLM Planning method is to provide an introduction to product lifecycle management planning process. It collects the information from public sources and documents the upper level PLM planning process with related activites for each phase as presented in literature.

Step-by-step description:

PLM planning phase, which is marked with a red circle in Figure 1, precedes the PLM implementation phase. PLM planning process uses e.g. the vision and strategies of a company as an input. The output of the PLM planning process is a plan for PLM implementation.

 

 Figure 1. Relation between PLM Planning and PLM Implementation.

Figure 2 summarizes all main phases of PLM planning process.

Figure 2.  PLM Planning Process.

PLM planning process consists of three interconnected processes. At first, the PLM vision process defines the “Big Picture” for the PLM development. Second, PLM strategy process describes the ways to achieve the defined objectives that are described in the PLM vision. Finally, PLM plan and metrics process defines an over all plan for several years to come and a detailed plan for the first year. It also defines the metrics to the PLM development. All these components are closely integrated with each other. Main phases of PLM Planning process are shown in Figure 3:

Figure 3. Main phases of PLM planning (Stark 2006).

Phase 1. Define PLM Vision:

Stark (2006) mentions that the purpose of PLM vision is to give an overview of PLM and its importance to large group people including executives, information system managers, product managers and developers. It also tells how company will achieve this vision.

 

The most important aspects of PLM vision are (see figure 4):

• Get the high level commitment for PLM initiative by nominating the top level manager as responsible for PLM development actions.
• Set up a team that is responsible for creating PLM vision.
• Make a vision for PLM to explain why PLM is needed in a company, what it can offer to a company, and what the desired state is for PLM.
• Align PLM vision with higher level business mission and objectives of the company.
• Include roadmap for PLM development in the vision to make the vision more concrete and to tell the steps towards implemented PLM.
• Define metrics to measure the realization of PLM vision.

Figure 4. Process for defining PLM vision (Stark 2005, Ausura & Deck 2007).

Phase 2. Define PLM Strategy:

Kalypso (2008) summarizes PLM strategy as an understanding of how the whole business works. This comprehensive understanding should consist of processes, organisational structures, product development strategies, and people.

According to Stark (2005), PLM strategy describes the ways to achieve the defined objectives described in the PLM vision. At the same time when developing PLM strategy, it is important to develop the operating plan for the first year to ensure that these two are synchronized (Stark 2005). Dohrman (2007) stresses the importance on identifying the key benchmarks that can be used to measure the success of PLM as a part of strategy planning phase.

The most important aspects of PLM strategy are (see Figure 5):

• Collect information that consists of the current situation of the company and PLM, external business environment of a company, and key success factors for the future.
• Identify possible PLM strategies and analyse them.
• Select the most appropriated PLM strategy and document it.
• Communicate the strategy to all stakeholders.
• Implement the strategy.

Figure 5. Process for defining PLM strategy (Stark 2005).

Phase 3. Define PLM Plan and Metrics:

Stark (2005) states that PLM plan describes the detailed PLM development activities and it can be presented, for example, as a block diagram. This diagram should be the first overview to a PLM implementation. For each development project priorities, objectives, actions and their schedule, and financial requirements have to be defined and planned. (Stark 2006)

Also metrics to measure the success or failure of the projects have to be defined. According to Stark (2006) financial performance, time reduction, quality improvement, and business improvement has to be measured. The PLM plan has to be updated annually.

The most important aspects of PLM plan are (see Figure 6):

• Define PLM plan in higher level to visualize the PLM activities for e.g. next few years.
• Detail the plan for the first year. Utilise existing industrially validated best-practices, e.g. TE_WP2_VTT_03_S1 and TE_WP2_VTT_03_S2.
• Define the metrics for PLM development.
• Update plan annually.

Figure 6. Process for defining PLM plan and metrics (Stark 2005).

A more detailed description of the solution can be found from the TE_WP2_VTT_02_S1_PLM Planning.doc attachment:

• Introduction to the PLM planning related issues. Report presents some definitions for PLM, the complexity of PLM development, the functionality of PLM applications and gives an overview of the process for PLM planning.

References:

1. Ausura, B., Deck, M., The "new" Product Lifecycle Management systems: What are these PLM systems? And how can they help your company do NPD better? VISIONS Magazine, Product Development and Management Association, 2003, http://www.newproductdeveloper.com/visions/jan03/plm.html
   (available 10.09.2008)
2. Dohrman (2007) Dohrman, G., Seven steps to complete PLM, http://machinedesign.com/ContentItem/69211/SevenstepstocompletePLM.aspx
   (available 10.09.2008)
3. Kalypso (2007) Kalypso, PLM Strategy. Enabling Innovation with PLM.
   http://www.kalypso.com/perspectives/PLM_Strategy_2007.pdf
   (available 10.09.2008)
4. Stark, J., Product Lifecycle Management – 21st Century Paradigm for Product Realisation, Springer-Verlag London Limited, 2005, ISBN 1852338105
5. Stark, J., Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) State of the Art Report, Josh Stark Associates, Geneva, Switzerland, May 2006