Building a Scalable Product Lifecycle Management

This document is a guide that outlines the process of building a scalable Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system within an industrial products company. It discusses the complexities introduced by growth through acquisition, particularly how different sites have varied processes and systems that hinder best practice sharing and coordination. The guide details how the company initially attempted to standardize around a single PLM platform but faced challenges due to differing operational contexts. It emphasizes the importance of understanding business operations before implementing technology solutions. The assessment revealed that the existing PLM platform could meet the company’s needs with necessary adjustments. Recommendations included extending the current PLM system, integrating it with core systems, and tailoring workflows to accommodate various operational models. The document concludes with the implementation phase, highlighting the need for flexibility and alignment with business processes to ensure successful scaling of PLM across the organization.