Although there are many definitions available for PLM in the market, in general PLM is a concept that establish a product definition information captured during its lifecycle. A PLM solution is an intended or an actual way the PLM concept is realized. The process which we follow like developing and deploying a PLM solution can be called as a PLM implementation.

But How do we know, if our PLM implementation is right?

“Completing” a PLM implementation is not the same as ending the “project management” process for the implementation. Simply finishing the tasks listed in the project management sheets does not mean that the PLM implementation is successful.

So how do we measure the success of our PLM implementation?

PLM Implementations are not just about automating an existing process using a PLM tool, a successful PLM implementation also ensures changing the process to gain business benefits. The engineering process in most organizations might be already standardized based on existing strategies. These processes might be applied across various stages of the product. In larger organizations this process greatly varies across different departments within the company. The PLM solution designed for one department that manufactures a mechanical component might not work for another department that manufactures electronic components. The challenge for the PLM implementation is to find the optimal PLM solution that meets the needs of both these departments.

A PLM implementation always undergoes lot of challenges. An organization’s scope for PLM might be very large and there might not be a good starting point, the PLM concept is never fully understood and not agreed upon, maintaining same interest levels among the stakeholder along the long implementation process is also a major challenge. Resolving these issues depends on the competency and experience of the PLM implementation team.

An organization’s success in its PLM implementation may be measured based on the successful utilization of the PLM Solution itself. Users who use the PLM solution, their behaviour, their ease with which they adapt to a new or a change in PLM solution determines the quality of the PLM implementation.

While the benefits of investing in PLM implementation is aimed at upper management, the solutions designed to achieve those benefits does not always make the day to day work for a design engineer easier. These conflicts always result in a resistance to change during the PLM implementation.

Top level management in an organization evaluate the effect of a PLM implementation in terms of the change to income or other revenue parameters. Like any other, from management perspective, a PLM implementation is also mostly measured using the iron triangle approach that measure to what extent the implementation successfully meets the key performance indications such as time, cost and quality.

To Conclude, The success of a PLM implementation depends on inventing and continually evolve a correct PLM Solution, that finds the right balance by meeting the KPIs of the organization and at the same time enables the everyday work easier for the solution users.