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Product Lifecycle Management: An Essential Process for Managing Products from Concept to Retirement

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Komal Kadam

Introduction to PLM


Product lifecycle management (PLM) refers to a systematic approach used by companies to manage product-related information and processes throughout a product's lifespan, from the initial concept phase through design, development, manufacturing, and support or disposal of retired products. PLM aims to streamline processes across departments by facilitating collaboration and data sharing throughout the entire product development workflow.


Product Design and Development Phase


In the initial design and development phase, PLM software helps teams collaborate on product ideas, plans, and specifications. Engineers can work together in a centralized system to design and test digital prototypes before any physical production. With PLM, teams have access to the most up-to-date digital files and bill of materials as the design evolves through multiple revisions. Change management workflows ensure everyone is working with the approved versions.


Another key aspect of PLM during design is supporting compliance. Systems facilitate embedding requirements and standards into the digital files from the beginning. This makes it easier to validate the final product design meets all quality, regulatory, and certification standards before moving to production.


Manufacturing and Procurement Processes


Once the product is designed, PLM takes on an important role in manufacturing and procurement. Digital files are handed off seamlessly to manufacturing teams and partners. PLM provides visibility into the bill of materials and workflows to order, receive, and track component inventory levels as products are built.


This up-to-date component data enables just-in-time procurement strategies that minimize warehousing costs. Manufacturers also have access to assembly instructions, quality inspection criteria, and other documentation directly from PLM. The system captures production data like serial numbers as individual items come off the line.


Product Support and Service


Even after products ship, PLM continues supporting key business operations. Service technicians leverage the materials, drawings, and service history data in PLM for repairs and maintenance tasks. Customers can reference product information, manuals, and approved replacement parts.


Recalls and field service actions are facilitated through the PLM system as well. By tracing serial numbers, PLM helps efficiently identify and notify affected customers. Overall equipment effectiveness analyses also rely on production and maintenance data from PLM systems.


Product Retirement and Compliance


Toward the end of a product's lifecycle, PLM takes on responsibilities related to retirement, disposal, and ongoing compliance. Systems help orchestrate final production runs and the transition to supporting retired products. PLM maintains documentation necessary to prove compliance with standards even after products are no longer manufactured.


Regulatory agencies can reference a comprehensive auditable history in PLM for things like material content, emissions certifications, and product safety documentation. Systems likewise support managing intellectual property rights as patents expire.


Benefits of Implementing PLM


When properly implemented, PLM offers compelling benefits that improve productivity, quality, and compliance across the entire product value chain. With PLM, companies realize significant time and cost reductions through streamlined processes, reduced errors, and optimized resources and inventory. Teams have access to the information they need to make high-quality decisions as products progress from concept to retired status. Overall equipment effectiveness metrics demonstrate the tangible impact of improved operational efficiencies as well.


Implementation Considerations


Of course, getting the full value from a PLM investment requires a well-planned implementation tailored to an organization's unique needs, processes, and goals. Change management is important to drive adoption across departments still relying on paper-based systems or data silos. Attention to configuring workflows and setting up required record types is also critical for realizing the collaborative advantages during actual use. To justify the costs, companies focus PLM implementations on their most valuable products or complex manufacturing operations as a starting point.


Conclusion


In today's globally competitive environment with compressed development cycles, an effective product lifecycle management strategy is essential for optimizing product development and operational efficiencies throughout a product's entire lifecycle. When implemented correctly, PLM streamlines collaboration, improves decision making with unified access to up-to-date information, fosters compliance, and boosts productivity across engineering, manufacturing, service, and more. For manufacturers looking to gain competitive advantages, implementing PLM represents a sound long-term investment.

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Komal Kadam
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